Here's an amazing recipe for pulled pork burgers with special sauce that pack a little kick creating a unique, Southern BBQ burger. With a small amount of prep time, the slow cooker does most of the work for you!
If there's one thing that Southerners know, it’s their cooking. If you were raised in a Southern family, you likely remember all of those amazing, rich, and sometimes fattening foods that you grew up on.
This is the land where Grandma kept used, crispy bacon grease in an old coffee can on the stove for seasoning almost anything. And, it was always amazing!
One claim-to-fame for many Southerners is great barbecue recipes. And, they're right! They have mastered the mouthwatering art of slow-roasting nearly any perfectly seasoned piece of meat until it literally falls apart, as in this Southern style pulled pork BBQ sandwich. Enjoy!
(I also made a mini version of this recipe: pulled pork sliders that are perfect for 4th of July.)
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Pulled Pork Burger Ingredients
For the Burgers
- canola oil - To sear the roast.
- boneless pork shoulder roast - For a leaner option, you could use pork tenderloin.
- vegetables - Carrots, leek and onion. They will be cooked with the pork and puréed into a sauce.
- dark beer - Such as a porter or stout.
- soy sauce - Just regular soy sauce for some nice, salty flavor.
- honey - Liquid honey.
- mustard - You can use regular yellow mustard or whole grain Dijon if you prefer.
- brown sugar - I use dark brown sugar.
- hickory BBQ sauce - The dark beer and hickory BBQ sauce in the pork really complement the sweetness of the honey, bringing a perfect balance to this traditional sandwich.
- burger buns - Pick your favorite.
- watercress - Or other greens.
- tomatoes - Beefsteak or heirloom are popular choices.
*Check recipe card for full ingredient amounts.
Chef's Note: For the leeks, you only want to chop the white and light green parts. The darker green parts can be saved and used for homemade, soup stock such as this bison apple cider bone broth.
For the Special Sauce
- mayo - This makes up the base of the special sauce.
- apple cider vinegar - Not as strong as white vinegar but with more flavor.
- sugar - I use white granulated sugar or you could use an alternative sweetener such as honey or agave nectar.
- cumin powder - Adds a warm, rich, hearty flavor to dishes.
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
How to Make it
Step 1. Sear. Heat a large frying pan to high heat. Add the canola oil and swirl it around in the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Sear the pork shoulder until you get a nice brown/golden color on all sides.
Step 2. Add to Slow Cooker. Once it’s golden-brown, place the pork in a slow cooker with all of the other pulled pork ingredients. Give the vegetables and beer sauce a mix. Cover and cook at high temperature in the slow cooker for approximately 4 to 6 hours, until tender and falls apart easily.
👩🏻🍳Chef's Tip: I like to chop the vegetables while the roast is searing to save some time.
Step 3. Make the Special Sauce. For the special sauce, mix the mayonnaise with the apple cider vinegar, cumin powder, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 4. Shred the Pork. Remove the pork from the slow cooker to a cutting board and shred it with two forks.
Step 5. Blend. Place all of the cooking liquid and the vegetables in a blender and pulse until blended. (Make sure to open the vent hole in the lid and cover with a kitchen towel to release the steam without any splashing.)
Step 6. Return to Slow Cooker. Return the pulled pork to the slow cooker. Pour the blended vegetable sauce over the shredded pork and combine well. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Chef's Note: You might not need all of the sauce--just enough to moisten the pork and add flavor. You can reserve the unused sauce in the fridge and use it to remoisten the leftovers or even add it to mashed potatoes.
Step 7. Serve. Toast the buns. Assemble the buns with the watercress, tomato slices, pulled pork and special sauce. Serve the pulled pork burgers!
Storage Tips
- Fridge Storage: Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store the toppings separately.
- Freezer Storage: To freeze the pulled pork, let it cool (no longer than 2 hours) and place it in double-bagged freezer bags with the air squeezed out to avoid freezer burn or you can vacuum seal it if that option is available to you. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Special Sauce: The special sauce can be stored for up to two weeks, covered, in the fridge.
Pulled Pork Burger FAQs
Some popular sides include fries, green salads like Caesar salad, potato salad, slaw, roasted vegetables, and grilled corn on the cob.
Besides my special sauce, you could try a good BBQ sauce, mayo, mustard, lime crema, HP, etc.
I like to switch it up between brioche, potato bun and classic white sesame. Brioche is my absolute favorite!
If you want to add cheese to your pulled pork burger, opt for a sharp, tangy cheddar, a mild, melt-worthy Monterey Jack or spicy Pepper Jack.
These terms are used interchangeably because they are basically the same thing. However, if you want to get more technical, pulled pork usually means meat pulled off of the bone whereas shredded pork can come from a bone-in or boneless piece of meat.
Related Sides to Consider
If you tried this Pulled Pork Burger with Special Sauce Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Pulled Pork Burger with Special Sauce
Ingredients
For the Pulled Pork
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 3-4 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast
- 1 ½ cups carrots - peeled, largely chopped
- 1 ½ cups leeks - chopped and rinsed in cool water to remove grit
- 1 cup yellow onion - chopped
- 1 can dark beer
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons mustard
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons hickory BBQ sauce
- salt and pepper
For the Special Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- salt and pepper - to taste
For the Burger
- 8 burger buns - brioche, potato, sesame, etc.
- watercress or mixed greens
- tomatoes - sliced
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan to high heat. Add the canola oil and swirl it around in the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Sear the pork shoulder until you get a nice brown/golden color on all sides.
- Once it’s golden-brown, place the pork in a slow cooker with all of the other pulled pork ingredients. Give the vegetables and beer sauce a mix.
- Cover and cook at high temperature in the slow cooker for approximately 4 to 6 hours, until tender and falls apart easily.
- For the special sauce, mix the mayonnaise with the apple cider vinegar, cumin powder, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Remove the pork from the slow cooker to a cutting board and shred it with two forks.
- Place all of the cooking liquid and the vegetables in a blender and pulse until blended. (Make sure to open the vent hole in the lid and cover with a kitchen towel to release the steam without any splashing.)
- Return the pork to the slow cooker. Pour the blended vegetable mixture over the shredded pork and combine well (you might not need all of the sauce--just enough to moisten the pork and add flavor). Adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Toast the buns. Assemble the burgers with the watercress, tomato slices, pulled pork and special mayo. Serve!
Equipment
Notes
- Store leftover pulled pork, covered in the fridge, for up to 4 days.
- To freeze the pulled pork, let it cool (no longer than 2 hours) and place it in double-bagged freezer bags with the air squeezed out to avoid freezer burn or you can vacuum seal it if that option is available to you. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- The special sauce can be stored for up to two weeks, covered, in the fridge.
- You can reserve the unused vegetable sauce in the fridge and use it to remoisten the leftovers or even add it to mashed potatoes.
- Some popular sides to serve the burgers with include fries, green salads like Caesar salad, potato salad, slaw, roasted vegetables, and grilled corn on the cob.
- Besides my special sauce, you could try a good BBQ sauce, mayo, mustard, lime crema, HP, etc.
- I like to chop the vegetables while the roast is searing to save some time.
- For the leeks, you only want to chop the white and light green parts. The darker green parts can be saved and used for homemade, soup stock.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
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