Easy and delicious Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork with Gochujang! The spicy-sweet, versatile pork recipe you’ll be turning to again and again!
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork with Gochujang
Everybody’s on the Gochujang bandwagon these days. EVERYBODY. What’s not to love? Gochujang keeps forever and adds a flavor jolt to anything and everything.
This slow cooker recipe takes full advantage of Gochujang’s most winning qualities: spicy-sweet heat, umami depth and richness, and that pungent, full-bodied flavor that’s got everyone addicted to Korean food.
Plus, a quick marinade and hands-free cooking time in the slow cooker make this an easy favorite for meal planning and prepping.
Plug in the slow cooker on Sunday and create a base for endless meal possibilities all week long!
Ingredients:
- Pork Shoulder or Pork Butt. Look for a nicely marbled piece. Trim excess fat from the edges.
- Onion + Jalapeno + Garlic + Ginger. The essential aromatics.
- Gochujang. Korean fermented chili paste. Deeply flavored, pungent, and full of umami goodness!
- Gochukaru. Korean dried chili flakes. Earthy, smoky, spicy. Leave it out if you don’t have it.
- Sugar. To balance all that spicy heat!
- Rice Vinegar. Adds tangy depth of flavor.
- Sriracha. Adds another level of heat and spice.
- Sesame Oil. Fragrant, nutty aroma.
Instructions:
The 2-part method is simple and so easy! Place in the slow cooker to break down the pork shoulder easily. Then a blast under the broiler guarantees all those crispy, caramelized bits. The end result will be a succulent, rich, flavorful, juicy heap of spicy-sweet Gochujang Pork that tastes good with EVERYTHING!
- Season pork shoulder. Place pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Add salt and pepper and rub all over.
- Mix marinade together. In a separate bowl, mix marinade ingredients. Rub all over pork shoulder.
- Add onion and jalapeno. Scatter over the pork shoulder.
- Cook. Cover and cook until tender and falling apart. (High heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6-7 hours.)
- Shred with forks. In the slow cooker, shred the pork in its juices with two forks.
- Broil. Transfer pork and juices to foil-lined sheet pan. Broil on high heat until crispy and caramelized.
- Serve and enjoy! Taste great as pulled pork sandwiches, pork carnitas, in rice bowls, etc.
Kitchen Tools:
- Slow Cooker or Crock Pot. Breaks down all that fatty pork and collagen with ease.
- Rimmed Sheet Pan. To achieve those charred, smoky bits — broil on high heat on a sheet pan.
How to serve:
Slow Cooker Gochujang Pork makes a ton. Perfect for meals, all week long.
Some suggestions for this spicy-sweet, meaty base with smoky flavor:
- Pulled Pork Sandwiches
- Bahn Mi style sandwiches (with baguette, pickled carrot + daikon
- Tacos, burrito bowls, nachos
This recipe proves: Pork + Gochujang + Time = Mealtime Magic.
Other Gochujang recipes you may enjoy:
- Gochujang Chicken Drumsticks
- Air Fryer Gochujang Chicken Thighs
- Spicy Gochujang Pork Rice Bowls
- Gochujang Sauce
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork with Gochujang
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 lb pork shoulder
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
Marinade
- 1/4 cup Gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp Gochukaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (white vinegar also works)
- 2 Tbsp sriracha
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Generously salt and pepper pork shoulder. Place in slow cooker.
- Mix marinade ingredients in small bowl. Rub marinade all over pork shoulder with hands.
- Scatter onion and jalapeno over the top.
- Cover and cook until tender and falling apart, about 4 hours on high setting or 6-7 hours on low setting. This will depend on the thickness of the meat, so feel free to check for tenderness after the minimal time allowance.
- Open lid and shred pork with two forks, directly into the slow cooker. This will ensure the pork soaks up all the sauce. Let stand 10 minutes.
- Arrange top rack in oven so that it's 3-4 inches from the heat source. Set oven to broil and pre-heat for 10 minutes (while the shredded pork stands and absorbs the sauce).
- Using a slotted spoon, remove pork onto foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle leftover sauce from the slow cooker over the pork. Broil at high heat until the pork is browned with crispy edges and charred bits, about 4-6 minutes. Watch carefully so that it doesn't burn too much.
- Transfer to serving plate and garnish with cilantro or green onion. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Yes, it keeps for up to a week. Be careful of cross contamination and store in the fridge in an air tight container. It’s very easy to reheat!
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This totally hits the mark for a pork carnitas with a distinctively korean twist! The texture and balance of sweet and spicy was spot on. I used plum syrup in place of sugar and a homemade jalapeno chili garlic paste instead of sriracha, as they were what I had on hand. I had some slow cooker gochujang pork over a bowl of roasted cauliflower as a quick dinner which was tasty and very filling, but am totally looking forward to making fusion tacos with the next serving!
Instant pot version? I’m too impatient!! Please and thank you!!