Description
Tender, fall-apart pork shoulder slow-cooked in a sticky, sweet, and savory honey garlic glaze with ginger and soy sauce. This easy ‘set it and forget it’ recipe is perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, and feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
- 4–5 pounds pork shoulder (Boston Butt), boneless or bone-in
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced into half-moons
- 6–8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup water or chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 8–10 brioche buns or potato rolls
- Coleslaw (optional, for topping)
- 2–3 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
Instructions
- Trim excess fat from the pork shoulder to about 1/4 inch thickness and pat dry.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, tomato paste, minced garlic, grated ginger, red pepper flakes, and water (or broth) until smooth.
- Place sliced onions in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker to create a bed.
- Place the pork shoulder on top of the onions and pour the honey garlic sauce evenly over the meat, coating it well.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours until the pork is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat or gristle.
- Strain the cooking liquid into a small saucepan and simmer for 5-10 minutes to reduce and thicken into a glaze.
- Stir the shredded pork back into the reduced sauce.
- Toast the buns lightly, pile the pork onto the bottom halves, and top with coleslaw and green onions if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
[‘For best flavor, reduce the cooking liquid to create a sticky glaze rather than serving it in the watery juices.’, ‘Bone-in pork shoulder adds more depth to the flavor but requires removing the bone before shredding.’, ‘This dish tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld.’, ‘Can be made in an Instant Pot: Sauté onions/garlic, add pork/sauce, pressure cook on high for 60 minutes, natural release for 10 minutes.’, ‘For a gluten-free version, use tamari instead of soy sauce and gluten-free buns.’]
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich with pork
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 20
- Sodium: 800
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 35
Keywords: slow cooker, pulled pork, honey garlic, pork shoulder, easy dinner, meal prep, comfort food, sandwich