Tender Pork Roast In Crock Pot
by This Crockpot Pork Roast turns boneless pork shoulder into tender, flavorful meat with carrots, onions and a rich homemade gravy made from the cooking juices.
“This was SOO yummy! I seared the roast just like the notes said to do and it locked in the flavor and made it so tender and flavorful! Will definitely be making it again.”
– Andrea
“I fixed this recipe and my family loved it!”
—Donna
Why Pork Shoulder Makes Such A Tender Crockpot Roast
After years of cooking different cuts of meat, including hands-on butchery work in culinary school, I know that the right cut is what makes a slow cooker pork roast work. This one uses boneless pork shoulder, sometimes labeled pork butt or Boston butt, rather than the much leaner pork loin.
The pork shoulder cooks on a bed of simple ingredients like of carrots, onion and garlic, with chicken broth and fresh thyme. As the meat becomes fork-tender in this slow cooker recipe, the vegetables and herbs add flavor to the cooking liquid that will become the gravy.
Once the pork is tender enough to pull into big pieces, two cups of its cooking liquid turn into gravy with cornstarch, butter and a little soy sauce. Serve the roast and vegetables on a platter, with plenty of gravy to spoon over mashed potatoes.
Why You Will Love This Crockpot Pork Roast
- Everything cooks together. Carrots, onion and garlic add flavor to the pork and give you vegetables to serve alongside it.
- Pork shoulder stays tender with long cooking. Its marbling and connective tissue make it especially suited to a low-and-slow method.
- The cooking juices become flavorful gravy. A quick cornstarch slurry, butter and soy sauce finish the sauce without a packet of gravy mix.
Pork Roast Crock Pot Ingredients
A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.
- boneless pork shoulder (butt) roast – the three-pound roast is the star. Look for pork shoulder roast, pork butt or Boston butt. These names can describe the same well-marbled cut of protein, which becomes tender with long cooking.
- carrots – cut into substantial pieces so they can cook alongside the pork and help make this a one-pot dinner.
- yellow onion – softens in the cooking liquid and adds sweetness to the savory gravy.
- garlic – smashed cloves release flavor into the broth without needing any sauteing.
- chicken broth – provides the cooking liquid that will later be thickened into gravy. It has more flavor than plain water. Vegetable broth or beef broth also work if you have them.
- fresh thyme – adds an herbal note that balances the rich pork. Leave the sprigs whole so they are easier to remove. Rosemary also works well here!
- kosher salt and black pepper – season the pork before it goes into the slow cooker.
- cornstarch – whisked with water to thicken the cooking liquid into smooth gravy.
- unsalted butter – gives the finished gravy richness and a silky texture.
- soy sauce – adds a small hit of savory, umami flavor to the gravy without making the dish taste like soy sauce. Worcestershire sauce works as a substitute in a pinch.
How To Make Pork Roast In A Crock Pot
- PREP. Place the carrots, smashed garlic and sliced onion in the bottom of the crock pot. Rub the pork shoulder all over with the salt and pepper, then set it on top of the vegetables. Pour the chicken broth around the pork and place the thyme sprigs on top.
- SLOW COOK. Cover with the lid and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours, or until the pork pulls apart easily.
- PULL THE PORK. Move the roast to a cutting board and slice it or gently pull it into large chunks. You don’t need to do any intense shredding here – large chunks are fine.
- MAKE THE GRAVY. Transfer 2 cups of slow cooker drippings and liquid to a medium saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water, then slowly whisk the mixture into the simmering cooking liquid. Return the liquid to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook about 2 minutes, or until thickened. Whisk in the butter and soy sauce.
- SERVE. Use a slotted spoon to lift the carrots and onions out of the crock pot. Serve with the pork, spooning some gravy over everything and passing the rest at the table.
Home Chef Tips For Crockpot Pork Roast
- Sear for deeper flavor if you have time. Brown the roast on all sides in a large skillet before putting it in the crock pot. This adds a savory, browned flavor to the pork and gravy, but it remains an optional step.
- Use pork shoulder, not pork tenderloin or loin. Look for pork butt or Boston butt. Both loin and tenderloin are much leaner cuts and won’t give you the same pull-apart texture with this cooking method.
- Keep the thyme stems together. If you have kitchen twine, bundle the sprigs so you can lift them out after slow cooking instead of fishing for individual stems.
- Cook until fork-tender, not just to a specific internal temperature. While pork is safe to eat at 145 degrees F with a 3-minute rest, pork shoulder needs to cook much longer for its connective tissue to break down. If the roast doesn’t pull apart easily with a fork, it needs more time. You probably won’t need a meat thermometer for this recipe at all.
- Season the gravy at the end. Soy sauce adds salt along with savory flavor, so taste the finished gravy before deciding whether it needs any more seasoning.
Make Ahead, Storage And Reheating
- Make Ahead: Cut the carrots and onion and smash the garlic up to a day ahead. Refrigerate the prepared vegetables and keep the pork refrigerated until you are ready to assemble the slow cooker.
- Refrigerate: Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Leave uncovered until chilled, then cover and keep for up to 3 days. Store some cooking liquid or gravy with the meat so it stays moist.
- Reheat: Warm the pork with a splash of gravy or broth in a covered skillet over low heat, or microwave individual portions until hot throughout. Heat the gravy separately if it has thickened in the fridge.
- Freeze: Freeze cooled portions of pork with some gravy in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The cooked carrots may be softer after freezing.
What To Serve With Crockpot Pork Roast
The pork already comes with carrots and onions, so one starchy side can turn it into a full meal. Mashed Potatoes With Heavy Cream are a classic choice for soaking up the gravy, while Seasoned Rice works well when you want something a little lighter. Bring the extra gravy to the table so everyone can add as much as they like.
Crock Pot Pork Roast FAQs
Pork shoulder may simply need more time. If it is still tough at the end of the suggested cooking time, keep cooking until a fork pulls the meat apart easily. Slow cookers and individual roasts vary.
Yes. Pork shoulder is forgiving, but once it is fork-tender, leaving it to cook for much longer can eventually dry it out. Start checking around the end of the recommended cooking time.
No. The chicken broth needs to cover the bottom of the slow cooker, not submerge the roast. The pork releases more juices as it cooks, and those juices are used to make gravy.
Pork shoulder becomes more tender as the connective tissue breaks down during long cooking. Once it is fork-tender, though, extra cooking does not always improve the texture and can eventually dry it out.
Either setting works for this recipe: cook the 3-pound shoulder on HIGH for about 4 hours or LOW for about 8 hours. Choose LOW if you have the time, and rely on fork tenderness to determine when it is done.
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Ingredients
- 1 pound carrots peeled, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 3 pound boneless pork shoulder butt roast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
- Place carrots, garlic and onions in bowl of 5 quart or larger slow cooker.
- Rub roast all over with salt and pepper and place on top of vegetables.
- Pour broth around roast. Place thyme on top of roast.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours or until meat pulls apart easily.
- Transfer roast to cutting board and slice or gently pull apart in big chunks.
- Transfer 2 cups of liquid from slow cooker bowl into medium sauce pot and heat to simmering over medium-high heat.
- In small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. Slowly add cornstarch mixture to liquid in sauce pot, stirring constantly.
- Heat to simmering; reduce heat to medium-low and cook 2 minutes or until gravy has thickened.
- Whisk in butter and soy sauce.
- Remove onions and carrots from crock pot with slotted spoon. Serve pork with onions and carrots, drizzled with gravy.
Notes
- For an extra layer of flavor, you CAN (although it’s not necessary) sear the roast in a skillet until it’s browned on all sides before putting it in the crockpot.
- If you have kitchen twine, feel free to bundle the thyme sprigs together for easier removal at the end.
I found the recipe very interesting to cook and quite different from some of the others. I dont understand why you would cook the veggies so long? I checked mine after 2,5 hours on high and they were nearly cooked all to pieces. I removed the roast, then took another crock pot that I have put the veggies in that and set aside. put the roast back in and. cooked another 1.5 hrs. I will warm the veggies when I make the gravy Looking forward to enjoying with guest. Thanks CW
Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it!
I fixed this recipe and my family loved it!
I’m so glad to hear that, Donna! Thank you for stopping by.
Best pork roast recipe I have found! My family is picky and I have celiac. This hit all the marks
I’m so glad to hear that, Diane!
This was SOO yummy! I seared the roast just like the notes said to do and it locked in the flavor and made it so tender and flavorful! Will definitely be making it again
I’m so glad to hear you liked it so much, Andrea. Thanks for sharing!
Followed recipe but mine came out terrible and unappetizing.. Disappointed. While says you do not have to brown meat first, the picture clearly has the meat browned. Crockpots do not brown meat. I didn’t brown it first. I should have known. Will never make again because even with browning not a fan of the thyme.
I’m sorry to hear this wasn’t a hit for you, Stephanie. The recipe card note does say that you can sear the roast before putting it in the crockpot, so that’s always an option if you’d like to try again in the future. And maybe rosemary would be more to your liking than thyme?