Hot Honey Pulled Pork
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This hot honey pulled pork is tender, saucy, and packed with sweet, tangy flavor with a gentle kick. You can make it on the stovetop or in your slow cooker, then pile it into sandwiches, tacos, or bowls.
This hot honey pulled pork is the kind of recipe that fills the kitchen with the best smells while it cooks. Pork shoulder (or pork butt) is seasoned with a simple blend of spices, then slowly braised until fall-apart tender in a bold, barbecue-style sauce made with hot honey, ketchup, vinegar, Dijon, and chicken stock. As the pork cooks, it soaks up all those sweet, tangy, and savory flavors, creating meat that’s incredibly juicy and deeply flavorful.
Once the pork is tender enough to shred with two forks, I pull it apart and turn my attention to the sauce. Instead of discarding it, I simmer it down until it thickens into something closer to a rich barbecue sauce. That concentrated, glossy sauce gets mixed right back into the pork so every bite is coated in sweet heat and tangy depth.
The result is tender, saucy pulled pork with just a gentle kick from the hot honey. It’s not overly spicy, just enough warmth to keep things interesting. I love piling it onto soft buns for sandwiches or tucking it into tacos, but honestly, it’s the kind of meat that disappears quickly no matter how you serve it.
Slow cooker version
To make this recipe in a slow cooker, add the hot honey, chicken stock, ketchup, vinegar, and Dijon directly to the slow cooker and whisk to combine. Season the pork shoulder with the spices, then nestle it into the sauce. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 7–8 hours, until the pork is very tender and easily pulls apart with two forks.
Transfer the pork to a cutting board and shred it with two forks. Then, pour the sauce from the slow cooker into a large frying pan and boil over medium-high heat until it reduces and thickens to a barbecue sauce–like consistency. Return the shredded pork to the pan and toss until the meat is well coated in the sauce.
Hot Honey Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 5 lb pork butt or shoulder
- 1 tablespoon EACH: garlic powder and onion powder
- 2 teaspoons EACH: cumin, salt, and pepper
- ¾ cup hot honey
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the rack in the middle. Cut the pork into 6 large pieces.5 lb pork butt or shoulder
- In a small bowl, mix the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle this over the pork, coating all sides.1 tablespoon EACH: garlic powder and onion powder, 2 teaspoons EACH: cumin, salt, and pepper
- In a braiser or a large, heavy-bottomed pot, mix the hot honey, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, chicken stock, and mustard. Add the pork to the pot, turning to coat it in the sauce.¾ cup hot honey, ½ cup ketchup, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¾ cup chicken stock, 1 tablespoon mustard
- Cover with a lid and braise for 2 ½ hours. Remove the lid, turn each piece of meat over, and return it to the oven, uncovered, for another 30 minutes.
- Remove the pork from the pot and shred it using 2 forks.
- Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Continue to boil until it reduces to the consistency of BBQ sauce, then pour it over the pulled pork. (Or add the pork to the pot – both methods work equally well.)
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Sounds great!! I have baby back ribs that I’m thinking of throwing in the crockpot. Could I use this instead of a shoulder or pork butt?
I think that hot honey ribs sounds incredible! I’d mix up the sauce and put it into the crockpot with your ribs. If you can, keep an eye on it just to make sure the liquid doesn’t completely evaporate as I haven’t tested cooking it longer in a crockpot. You can always add extra stock to play it safe – boil it down after cooking to turn it into a glaze for your ribs. Would love to hear how it turns out!