Applesauce Pulled Pork Sandwiches (Printer-friendly)

Slow-cooked pork with applesauce and apple cider creates tender, sweet-savory sandwiches perfect for any occasion.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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 evenly with kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and ground cinnamon.
02 - Place the thinly sliced onion and minced garlic in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
03 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together unsweetened applesauce, apple cider, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
04 - Place the seasoned 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 using 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 thoroughly with the sauce.
08 - Serve the warm pulled pork on sandwich buns. Top with coleslaw and extra applesauce or barbecue sauce if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The pork practically falls apart after hours of slow cooking, requiring zero knife skills or stress on your part.
  • That apple-and-cinnamon sweetness cuts through the richness of the pork in a way that feels both comforting and surprising.
  • It's genuinely dairy-free without tasting like a compromise, making it one of those rare dishes everyone at the table enjoys together.
  • You can throw it together in 20 minutes and walk away, making it perfect for days when you need dinner to happen without you.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the pork dry at the start—wet meat won't brown or season properly, and the dish needs that initial flavor foundation even though it's slow cooked.
  • The applesauce can hide if you don't whisk the sauce smooth first; lumpy sauce means uneven flavor, and some bites will taste too sweet while others taste too savory.
03 -
  • If you want heat, add crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce at the beginning—don't sprinkle them on top afterward because they'll just taste hot instead of integrated.
  • Use a slow cooker that you can set and forget rather than one that automatically switches to warm; the 8-hour low setting is specific for a reason.
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