Pulled Pork Bowl with Coleslaw (Printable)

Slow-cooked pork over fluffy rice with tangy coleslaw and smoky BBQ sauce—a hearty, flavor-packed bowl.

# What you need:

→ Pork

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - 0.5 tsp black pepper
04 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
05 - 0.5 tsp garlic powder
06 - 0.5 tsp onion powder
07 - 0.5 tsp ground cumin
08 - 1 cup chicken broth
09 - 0.5 cup BBQ sauce, plus extra for serving

→ Rice or Grain

10 - 2 cups cooked white rice, brown rice, or quinoa

→ Coleslaw

11 - 2 cups shredded green cabbage
12 - 1 cup shredded red cabbage
13 - 1 medium carrot, grated
14 - 0.25 cup mayonnaise
15 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
16 - 1 tsp honey
17 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Garnishes

18 - Sliced green onions, optional
19 - Fresh cilantro, optional

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl, combine salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin. Rub the spice mixture evenly over all sides of the pork shoulder.
02 - Place seasoned pork in slow cooker and add chicken broth. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours until pork is very tender and shreds easily with forks.
03 - Remove cooked pork from slow cooker and shred using two forks until pulled into bite-sized pieces. Return shredded pork to slow cooker, stir in 0.5 cup BBQ sauce, and keep warm on low heat.
04 - In a large bowl, combine shredded green cabbage, shredded red cabbage, and grated carrot. Toss ingredients together to distribute evenly.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper until smooth and fully combined.
06 - Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss thoroughly until all vegetables are evenly coated. Chill until ready to serve.
07 - Divide cooked rice among four bowls. Top each bowl with generous portions of pulled pork and coleslaw. Drizzle with additional BBQ sauce and garnish with green onions or cilantro if desired.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • Eight hours of hands-off cooking means you can ignore it completely and still look like a culinary genius.
  • The coleslaw's brightness cuts through the rich pork in the most satisfying way, and nobody will guess how simple it is to make.
  • You'll have enough pulled pork for leftovers, which somehow taste even better the next day tucked into sandwiches or tossed into tacos.
02 -
  • Don't skip the chicken broth or try to cook the pork dry—the liquid is what keeps it moist and helps break down the connective tissue into gelatin that makes each bite tender.
  • Make the coleslaw ahead of time because it actually tastes better after the dressing has time to soften the cabbage and mellow out all the flavors together.
  • If your slow cooker runs hot, check the pork after six hours because every machine is different, and overdone pork becomes mushy rather than tender.
03 -
  • Trim any hard fat cap from the pork before it goes in the slow cooker, but leave the thin layer attached because it melts and keeps the meat moist throughout cooking.
  • If your coleslaw dressing seems thin, let it sit for fifteen minutes after dressing the vegetables because cabbage releases water as it sits, and you can always drain some off if needed.
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