Tender shredded pulled pork smothered in tangy BBQ sauce and served on a toasted hamburger bun. This BBQ pork sandwich recipe is an easy, no-fail dinner idea that takes just 5 minutes to prep!
Whenever we make my easy BBQ pulled pork, we almost always serve it on hamburger buns with our favorite toppings. It makes the absolute perfect sandwich and has the best sweet, tangy and smoky flavor from the homemade BBQ sauce.
This BBQ pulled pork sandwich is the jack of all trades! It makes a great dinner, lunch, dish to take to a BBQ or to make when entertaining. It makes enough meat to easily serve a crowd, or to have leftovers for your family again the next day.
The easiest part about this recipe is that the slow cooker (or instant pot) does all the work for you. Just add the meat in with the BBQ sauce and spices and let it work it’s magic. Then all you need to do at dinner time is shred and serve on buns with your favorite toppings.
We love serving our sandwiches with potato chips or a side of creamy baked macaroni and cheese. If we have any leftover meat, we’ll use it to make a pulled pork quesadilla or BBQ nachos the next day. There are so many ways to customize this meal to make it your own!
Tips for making the best BBQ pork sandwich
- Type of pork. The best type to use is a boneless pork loin or shoulder. Both are a bit fattier, which makes them perfect for slow cooking or pressure cooking. The meat gets super tender and will basically fall apart when shredding.
- Liquid smoke. You don’t have to add this, although I highly recommend it. It adds the same smoky flavor that you would get from wood smoking the meat on the oven or grill, but without the work!
- Keep lid on. As tempting as it is, don’t remove the lid to peak inside. The lid should stay covered for the full 10 hours so that the steam doesn’t escape and keeps it super tender.
- Let sit. After shredding the meat, add the pork back into the pot with the sauce. Mix it together and let it sit in the sauce for about 15 minutes. The meat will be more flavorful this way.
- Toast your bun. I always like to toast my hamburger bun before assembling my sandwich. Toasting the bread keeps it from getting soggy from the sauce. You can even spread a little garlic butter on your bun before toasting for extra flavor.
Favorite sandwich toppings
Add another layer of dimension to your BBQ pork sandwich by piling on any of the delicious toppings below. Add some crunch with fresh cabbage or coleslaw, a bite of acidity with pickles or a sweet flavor with some grilled pineapple.
- Creamy coleslaw (or plain fresh cabbage)
- Pickles
- Lettuce
- Blue cheese crumbles
- Pickled onions
- Pineapple
- Sliced cheese
- Tomatoes
Sides for pulled pork sandwiches
The good news is that just about anything can be served alongside these pork sandwiches. Keep it simple with potato chips, or make one of your favorite easy potluck dishes.
- Potato chips
- Loaded potato salad
- Corn on the cob
- Crockpot baked beans
- Macaroni and cheese
- French fries
- Pasta salad
- Fresh watermelon
Freezing leftovers
Any leftover pork will make a great freezer meal on a busy weeknight. Let it cool completely, then transfer to a freezer bag. Make sure to seal all the air out so that the meat stays fresh and doesn’t get freezer burn. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to enjoy. Then heat in the microwave or skillet until warm. You may need to mix in a splash of water or broth if the sauce seems a little dry. Or feel free to mix in more sauce if you’d like. Then serve with hamburger buns or use it to make a whole new dish like tacos, a salad or even serve over a baked potato.
Other easy dinner ideas:
- Slow cooker BBQ brisket sandwiches
- Kalua pork
- Slow cooker sweet pork tacos
- Crockpot BBQ chicken
- Slow cooker pork carnitas
BBQ Pork Sandwich
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds boneless pork loin or shoulder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce
- 1 Tablespoon liquid smoke , optional but recommended
- 8 hamburger buns
Optional toppings: slaw, pickles, lettuce, sliced cheese
Instructions
- Wash pork and then pat dry.
- Place in the slow cooker. Pierce pork several times. Add 1/2 cup water. Pour BBQ sauce and liquid smoke over the top. Then sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Cook on low for 10 hours, or until it easily shreds.
- Remove pork and shred with 2 forks. Remove any excess fat.
- Place back in the pot and let sit in the juices for 15 minutes, or until ready to serve.
- Serve pork warm on a bun. Add desired toppings such as slaw.
OMG yum. This pork was so juicy and full of flavor!
I don’t like my pork really saucy, so I used the lesser amount of BBQ sauce. So yummy! I added some homemade coleslaw to my sandwich, and it was just as good as the one at my favorite deli!
My family loves this one, and even asks for it! Bbq pork sandwiches are a staple with us.