Applesauce Pulled Pork Sandwiches (Print)

Slow-cooked pork with applesauce and apple cider, creating a sweet and savory sandwich filling.

# Components:

→ Pork

01 - 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, trimmed
02 - 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
03 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Sauce

06 - 1½ cups unsweetened applesauce
07 - 1 cup apple cider
08 - ¼ cup brown sugar
09 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
10 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
11 - 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
12 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ To Serve

13 - 6 sandwich buns
14 - 1 cup coleslaw, optional
15 - Extra applesauce or barbecue sauce, optional

# Directions:

01 - Pat the pork shoulder dry and season all sides with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and cinnamon.
02 - Place the sliced onion and minced garlic in the bottom of a slow cooker.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together applesauce, apple cider, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar until smooth.
04 - Place the pork on top of the onions in the slow cooker. Pour the applesauce mixture evenly over the pork.
05 - Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours, or until the pork is very tender and easily shreds with a fork.
06 - Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat.
07 - Skim excess fat from the cooking liquid, then return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and mix well with the sauce.
08 - Serve the pulled pork warm on sandwich buns. Top with coleslaw and extra applesauce or barbecue sauce, if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The slow cooker does all the heavy lifting while you go about your day, and the kitchen smells so good you'll want to cancel your plans.
  • That apple-cinnamon-pork combination tastes fancy but comes together in less than twenty minutes of actual work.
  • It's naturally dairy-free and feeds a crowd without requiring you to stand over a stove like you're running a restaurant.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the pork shoulder before seasoning—moisture prevents the spices from adhering properly and dilutes the final sauce.
  • Resist the urge to use sweetened applesauce; I learned this the hard way and ended up with something that tasted like breakfast for dinner in the worst possible way.
  • If your slow cooker runs hot, check at the seven-hour mark because some cookers will render the pork to shreds faster than others, and overcooked pork becomes stringy rather than tender.
03 -
  • If you're serving a crowd, assemble an open-faced toppings bar and let people build their own sandwiches—it looks impressive and everyone gets exactly what they want.
  • Toast your buns lightly in a dry skillet before serving so they hold up to the moisture without falling apart or tasting soggy.
Back