3 Ingredient Pork Roast Slow Cooker

How to Cook Slow Cooker Pork Butt

I have cooked Crockpot pork shoulder before to shred for sliders before, this time I kept it whole to slice like you see here above. Both are great, using different ingredients to season the protein. Once you get the hang of this you can tweak it to try lots of sauces and herbs as far as that goes. This meat is best cooked low and slow, period.

I prefer boneless pork shoulder just because it is easier to cut when done. I’ve cooked both, with bone-in and without and the outcome is just as tender. The only difference is that if there is a bone you will need to remove it when done and trim around it before you shred or cut it up and serve.

Crock pot Pork Roast Recipe

Now for this one I don’t count the liquid, thus 3 ingredients needed are below. In the experimenting process I have used other packets as well as in our Slow cooker pork roast onion soup mix recipe. That one was great too. I love all the flavors already mixed together for me and all I have to do is throw it all in and put the lid on in the mornings.

How long to cook pork roast in a Crock pot?

That depends on the weight and whether you want it shredded but generally you should set aside about 8 hours on low. I do not recommend the high setting ever but especially with thick meats with a lot of connective tissue, you really want a long time to break it down and get as tender as possible.

As with any combinations you can always add a bit of heat if you like. Some like spicy everything and that is easy to do with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes really. Chili powder isn’t as potent, and if you are going for more of an Asian flare I like dry Sriracha powder. I’ve added that to our Mississippi pork roast and OMG delish.

Pork Roast Slow Cooker Recipe Ingredients

• Dry ranch packet
• 1 envelope dry Italian dressing mix
• 1/2 stick of butter
• I don’t count the liquid which is 1.5 cup beef broth (alternatives are water or balsamic vinegar for bolder flavors)

As for the liquid you don’t need much, but a little. Broth is always better than water to add more flavor into the mix. If you don’t have any I would keep bouillon cubes in your pantry so you can make it yourself on demand.

For this and our pork roast Instant Pot style we used a fresh piece but defrosted works too. I will talk a bit about frozen pork shoulder in slow cooker as well in a bit.

You can use the same Italian dressing packet too to make our 3 ingredient Crockpot chicken recipe too. It gives the “sauce” a bit of a punch so it can get soaked in over the hours cooking on low heat. I never hardly ever say to cook on high heat. Especially with meat it needs time to break down the connective tissues and tenderize.

You can certainly make extra Instant Pot gravy on the side if you want more than is in the bottom of the pot. There seems to be enough for us when serving but if you want it really drenched you can either double all the amounts here (other than the meat) so you have more of it in the pot. OR make more on the side.

How to Cook Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Gravy

• To start, use a knife to score the Boston butt / pork roast on the fat side.
  • Meaning, cut slits on the top of the side with a layer of fat.
• Mix together rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Using a pastry brush, spread the oil on all sides of the pork roast.
• Season each side by sprinkling seasoning on the roast.
• Place into the slow cooker and add chicken broth.
• Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until internal temperature using a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees.
  • I do not recommend 4 hours on high as it will dry out the meat more than the latter
• Remove from slow cooker and slice to serve.

If you would rather make pulled pork sliders then longer is better. As opposed to beef, the longer you cook pork the more fall apart it will become.

How to Cook Frozen Pork Roast Slow Cooker

Ok so let’s talk about cooking frozen pork in general. First off, yes you can do it. We have shared many different cuts using different modes and how long each one takes. Believe it or not if you made it with fresh and frozen served up next to one another, a lot of times you can’t tell the difference once it is done (if cooked right).

If the piece you have is still rock hard you can use these same instructions. Depending on whether you want to slice or shred it the cook time will remain almost the same. The biggest difference in timing comes into play with how large your piece is, and it’s thickness. Another way to get it done faster is to follow our frozen Instant Pot pork roast recipe.

How to Cook Boneless Pork Butt Roast

We have instructions for this one below in the printable recipe card in regards to slow cooking. Pressure cooker is above and here we explain how long to cook pork roast in oven at 375 to perfectly tender. I like using a Dutch oven or roasting pan for that method. That should cover all your basis really, oh there’s just one more……

You can cook outside if you like and make our fall apart smoked pork roast on your Traeger too. Takes quite a bit of time and a bit more prep with the machine itself but so worth it for shredded pork.

What to Serve With Pork Butt Roast

Side dishes to serve with this are many. You can throw in some halved petite potatoes and carrots peeled and cut into large chunks if you would like at the same time. Otherwise in 15 minutes total you could make some Instant Pot greens.