Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches
These Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches are made from only 3 ingredients and are great for feeding a crowd. This pork dinner can be made in the crockpot, slow cooker, or Instant Pot.
Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches
I don’t know what world I’ve been living in but apparently everyone in the world has a recipe for a go-to pulled pork sandwich besides me. Kind of like when I was dating my husband and he mentioned the movie Goonies and found out that I had never seen it. “What?”…”What world did you grow up in?” Am I the only person that didn’t see that movie in my childhood?
There are only 3 ingredients to these super simple pork sandwiches. And if you don’t have a recipe for pulled pork sandwiches, this is the one for you. The pork is cooked in root beer all day long. You could use any flavor of soda really like Dr.Pepper or Coke but I prefer root beer.
The root beer acts as a tenderizer and after soaking in it all day, the pork practically melts in your mouth. After cooking, drain the root beer and add your favorite BBQ sauce to the shredded meat.
WHAT KIND OF PORK CUT DO I USE?
I use a pork shoulder or butt which has a ton of flavor. You can also use a pork tenderloin but it is a lot leaner and should be cooked for less time.
OTHER PORK RECIPES:
- Mojo Pork Tenderloin
- Balsamic Roasted Pork Loin
- Cafe Rio’s Sweet Barbacoa Pork
- Grilled Pork Medallions
- Horseradish Crusted Pork Loins
- Crispy Pork Carnitas
Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches
These Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches are made from only 3 ingredients and are great for feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
- 1 (2 pound) pork shoulder or butt tenderloin can be used for a leaner option
- 1 (12 ounce) can of root beer
- 1 (18 ounce) bottle of barbecue sauce
- 8 hamburger buns
Instructions
-
Place the pork in a slow cooker and pour the can of root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until pork shreds easily with a fork.
-
After pork has cooked, drain and discard the root beer. Shred the pork and place it back in the slow cooker. Pour the barbecue sauce over the pork and stir to combine. Serve immediately or keep warm in slow cooker until ready to serve. Serve on hamburger buns.
-
For the Instant Pot: Cook on high pressure for about 35 minutes. Let pressure release and continue to step two.
Oh my goodness! What a beautiful sandwich…………
Thank you!
Okay. Here’s the thing. I’ve read across multiple pages that there is “no” flavor with this recipe. If you’re someone who found or finds this recipe to be bland, please – PLEASE, season your meat!
I use season salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and for those who like heat – “Slap ya mama” hot seasoning.
https://www.amazon.com/Slap-Mama-Seasoning-ounce-Pack/dp/B005HIVW34/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=slap%2Bya%2Bmama&qid=1553288438&s=gateway&sr=8-5&th=1
Please season the meat to your liking while it is cooking to help those flavors marinade. I prefer using A&W Rootbeer with this recipe and top it off with Sweet Baby Rays “Honey BBQ” sauce which oddly enough, has some underlying spice depending on how sensitive your palate is.
Yes, seasoning is very important!
The Goonies is a classic. My husband and I both watched it as children and now watch it with our children. My 15 yr old daughter’s best friend has never seen it so we told her she has to watch it or she’s no longer welcome in our home! Lol.
I just purchased an instant pot tonight – how do I adapt the recipe for it?
You’ll want to cook it for about 40 minutes in the instapot. Hope that helps.
You mention 12 pounds of pork butt. How many pounds of tenderloin? Since it is almost pure meat, I was wondering if you use less.
I think it should read as follows:
2 pound pork shoulder or butt tenderloin can be used for a leaner option
12 ounce can of root beer
18 ounce bottle of barbecue sauce
8 hamburger buns
I read it as 12 pounds also. The 1 in front of the 2 is very misleading. I was literally thinking holy crap where is a person supposed to find a 12 pounder?!?
Yes I transferred recipes to a different plugin and it formatted it differently.
It’s 1 (2 lb) pork butt. Sorry. Th recipe plugin was messed up.
I have made this with chicken and pork. Both were a big hit! I don’t put the BBQ sauce on it. I just let guest dress it with as much as they want. It is a wonderful recipe. I am never disappointed!
So glad you enjoyed this!
I just love a good easy slow cooker recipe (it’s hot, I’m not turning on my oven unless my life depends on it). Thanks for sharing this! P.S. I love your blog name!!
Thank you! I love your name.
This looks really good. Might have to give this a go.
Good luck!
I’m wondering if it would change things if I used a diet root beer? We only have diet drinks in our home. I had planned to make pulled pork sandwiches for my husbands birthday in a couple of days. Thanks in advance, Renita
Ok so I just read the comments & someone had already asked that same question. I think I will try it with the diet anyway since I hadn’t planned to go shopping again until after I fixed them. Thanks anyway.
It definitely does not have the same taste with diet. You’re welcome to try it though.
I have a 4 lb pork shoulder, should I adjust the cooking time?
To be honest the cooking time shouldn’t be too much different.
Made this last night and it was terrible. It was only edible because of the amount of BBQ sauce. I cooked mine 4 hours on low and it was super tough and dried out. The rootbeer was kind of pointless as it didn’t flavor the meat or anything so it was basically just pork with tons of BBQ Sauce. Definitely nothing special.
Unfortunately it sounds like you cooked it too long. It will depend on your slow cooker and your meat on how long to cook it.
After years of shredding my pulled pork with a fork…I discovered the EASY way to do it. Separate the fatty part from the pork. Then use your mixer! Use the paddle beaters, “mix” it a fist sized chunk at a time…
Voila, pulled pork without the stress and strain!
Yes! I do that too but sometimes it shred it too thin for my liking. I like it a little chunkier.
Do you think this would work with chicken breasts or thighs?
Sounds SOOOOOoooo delicious but I’m allergic to pork….
Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely. Thighs tend to hold their moisture more in the slow cooker so I prefer those but I’ve done it with breasts too.
The Goonies must be a guy thing because I never watched it during my childhoood either! My husband was also in utter disbelief when he heard I had never watched it. Anyway, this recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it! 🙂
When someone writes an paragraph he/she keeps the idea of a user in his/her mind that
how a user can know it. Therefore that’s why this piece of writing is amazing. Thanks!
Can I use coke or ginger ale instead of root beer? It’s all I have.
I would go with Coke if that’s all you have.
I only have Diet Root Beer . . . do you think that will work ok?
Linda,
Diet soda definitely gives it a different less rich taste and I recommend not using it. But if you have to, you have to.
Would this work on a 8lb in bone butt roast ? Do I need to add 2 cans of root beer?
Yes, you might need to add two cans.
I made these over the weekend. AMAZING! My husband even ate leftover’s the next day……this NEVER happens 🙂 I was cooking 4 lbs so I used 20 oz’s of root beer. Still cooked on low for 6 hrs. I had a hard time getting it out of the crock pot because it just fell apart (not complaining) 🙂 I drained the root beer and added “KC Masterpiece Original) sauce. Not as much as the recipe calls for but enough to hold the pork together. This way if someone wanted it more saucy they could add more to their sandwich.
I must say I was a little apprehensive about not adding other spices, not even salt or pepper. But I stuck with just the root beer and pork loin and I wasn’t disappointed. Thanks again for the recipe!
Glad you liked it. You can definitely add salt and pepper to season it but other than that it needs nothing.
I always use pork butt which is really pork shoulder, for pulled pork. In this one you are draining off the liquid so the fat goes with it. I sounds delish!
WTF… Discard the root beer??? i would drink it what a waste!!! but awesome feed none the less 😉
I did not have Root Beer so I used Cream Soda. This is an amazing recipe will use it again.
This absolutely makes the best bbq ever. Really. The hardest part was keeping the root beer from my family until I made the recipe.
Aaaamazing!
O.M.G!!! This looks amazing and I need one right now! Please!!!
My freshmen roommates took it upon themselves to make sure I watched Goonies. They couldn’t believe I’d never seen it!
These look amazing! I’ve pinned them and hope to make them soon!
I’ll join the ranks of those who never saw Goonies as a kid – and my husband and friends thought it was crazy (I would’ve gotten the same reaction if I’d said I don’t breath air, lol)
Then it was on tv and my hubzy “made” me watch it……hmm, really?? I just don’t see what the big deal is, but maybe it’s a nostalgia thing. =)
Mara @ Super Savings
Made these last night and it was seriously the best bbq pork sand I’ve ever had!! I love the flavor the root beer gives it!! Thank you!
That looks so stinkin’ good and I don’t even like root beer!
I didn’t see The Goonies until I was an adult either :p
I can’t wait to try this with the root beer. I love Dr. Pepper, but I’ll drink that on the side 😉
I loved the Goonies too… So much adventure in that movie! But it didn’t go over so well with my kids – guess it’s an 80s thing. Pulled pork sandwiches are 1 of my 3 favorite sandwiches… This recipe looks great!
I added your button to my blog 🙂