BBQ Pulled Pork Salad – Slow Cooker Pork with Slaw

Pulled pork is always synonymous with being packed into some sort of a sandwich or roll. But we don’t always want it as a burger meal but rather enjoy the BBQ pulled pork as it is and eaten with a fresh and crunchy slaw.

This salad is so flavoursome and hearty. It’s hard to pass it up, and it’s the kind of salad that will be appreciated as people know that pulled pork, albeit easy to make, takes time and planning.

This is also a great salad if you happen to have some leftover pulled pork. You can freeze it and reconstitute it at another time. Nothing goes to waste.

The result is a dish that’s satisfying yet light — a BBQ shredded pork salad that works just as well for picnics, summer lunches, or make-ahead family dinners. Every bite balances sweet, smoky, and sharp in perfect harmony.

Recipe Overview

Flavour/Texture: After 10 hours of slow cooking, the pulled pork is incredibly tender and moist. Stirred through a crispy style slaw, and you have yourself a truly hearty salad.

The flavours are strong, with the rub giving the pork smoky, pungent flavours. The BBQ sauce and BBQ dressing give the salad lovely tart flavours complementing the peppery freshness of the cabbage and kohlrabi.

Ease: This is a really easy salad to make. Don’t look at the long list of ingredients and the amount of time it takes to make the pulled pork trick you into thinking it should be filed in the too hard basket file.

The pork is a set and forget, and the vegetables are just sliced and shredded. No cooking required.

Time: The prep part of this salad will only take you about 15 minutes. It’s very quick.

Cooking the pulled pork can be done first thing in the morning, and leave it until dinner time. The salad can also be prepared ahead of time, so assemble when ready to eat.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make This Pulled Pork Salad

Yellow onion: This will give the pork some natural sweetness and form the base in the slow cooker so it doesn’t stick.

Garlic cloves: Fresh sliced, not chopped to add to the bottom of the slow cooker for some extra flavour.

Smoked paprika: After a lovely smoky flavour for the pulled pork. You can decide for yourself how spicy you would like the paprika to be. Be mindful the rub also calls for cayenne pepper.

Brown sugar: Need some caramel flavours, so the brown sugar will give it the sweetness it needs.

Garlic powder and onion powder: Quintessential rub ingredients in my book!

Salt and pepper: More than a pinch to season the pork well. Will need some to taste for the salad component too.

Cumin powder: Warm, earthy and a slight bitterness. Works perfectly with all the other rub ingredients.

Dried oregano: Complements the rub, and you don’t need a lot.

Cayenne pepper: For extra kick! Add more if you love the heat.

Pork shoulder, no bone: It is ok if the pork has some fat. Some of it will get rendered off, and the bits that don’t can just be removed when you’re pulling the meat apart. Will make the flesh moister too.

Chicken stock: You can make your own chicken broth or get the pre-made chicken stock. If you prefer to control the level of saltiness yourself, get the reduced salt stock.

BBQ sauce: Get your favourite BBQ sauce for this recipe. Just a small bottle or around 250g will suffice. We used the Darlington Farms BBQ sauce, and it was such a treat! So flavourful. You will need 1 tbsp of the BBQ sauce to make a dressing for the salad, and the rest can be poured into the pulled pork and mixed through.

Purple cabbage: For some colour, purple or red cabbage is great for the vegetable part of the salad.

Kohlrabi: Thinly sliced matchsticks of fresh kohlrabi will give the salad some much needed crunch. Also, I love its peppery and slightly sweet flavours too.

Green apple: The green apple provides the tartness to balance out the other ingredients.

Carrot: For more colour and crunch, shred up some sweet carrots.

White wine vinegar: Using tart vinegar for this salad to counterbalance the sweetness and smokiness of the pulled pork and BBQ sauce.

Variations and Substitutions

Different cuts: If you can’t find pork shoulder, use pork butt or boneless pork neck — both stay tender after slow cooking. For a leaner option, use pork loin, but shorten the cooking time to avoid dryness.

Vegan option: To make a vegan version of this salad, you can use jackfruit, which will also cut down the cooking time by 9 ½ hours! You can use canned jackfruit, preferably in water, not brine or frozen jackfruit usually found in Asian grocery stores.

Strain or defrost the jackfruit and remove the seed if intact. Coat the jackfruit with the rub. Then in a skillet, add oil, fry onion and garlic cloves.

Add the jackfruit and fry for about 3 minutes. Add vegan BBQ sauce and some water and let it cook on a simmer for about 20 minutes. Then use 2 forks to pull the jackfruit apart.

Kohlrabi substitute: The best replacement for kohlrabi in terms of texture and tastes has got to be broccoli stems. But I’m not going to suggest you buy a whole bunch of broccoli to make this salad! Not unless you have a big stir fry the next night.

You can add some daikon or turnip instead, although the flavours will be more bitter. Feel free to omit altogether if not in season.

No slow cooker: If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can use your Dutch oven. Place the rack in the oven on the low rung and cook for about 8 hours at 180°C or 350°F.

Add creaminess: Toss the slaw with Greek yoghurt dressing or light mayonnaise for a Southern-inspired creamy pork and apple slaw.

Add heat: Stir a spoonful of chipotle paste or hot smoked paprika into your sauce for extra spice and depth.

Meal prep tip: Keep the slaw undressed and the pork separate; combine before serving for maximum crunch.

How to Make This Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Salad

How to Make the Pulled Pork

Slice the onion and garlic cloves and lay them flat, covering the bottom of the slow cooker.

Make the rub: smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cumin powder, dried oregano, cayenne pepper and pepper.

Coat the pork shoulder with the rub.

Place it on top of onion and garlic in the slow cooker.

Pour the chicken stock on the side of the pork.

Slow cook on low for 10-12 hours.

How to Make the Apple and Kohlrabi Slaw

Cut purple cabbage into thin slices.

Remove the stem and leaves of the kohlrabi and peel.

Using a mandoline, slice the kohlrabi. Then cut them into matchsticks.

Do the same for the green apple.

Using a shredding peeler, shred the carrot.

Place all the vegetables into a large mixing bowl.

How to Make the BBQ Sauce Dressing

In a small mixing bowl, add the olive oil, white wine vinegar and 1 tbsp BBQ sauce.

Mix until well combined.

How to Assemble the Salad

Remove the pork from the slow cooker and place in a large mixing bowl. Discard all the fat.

Using 2 forks, shred the pork.

Pour the rest of the BBQ sauce into the mixing bowl and cover the pork thoroughly.

Add the pulled pork into the mixing bowl with the salad ingredients and pour the dressing on top.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mix until well combined.

Serve.

How To Make This Salad Perfectly [Expert Tips]

Choosing the pork shoulder: Select a well-marbled pork shoulder for optimal tenderness and flavour. Bone-in pork shoulder can add extra flavor, but boneless is easier to shred.

Making the rub: Ensure the ingredients are well mixed. Adjust the cayenne pepper based on your preferred level of spiciness.

Coating the pork: Generously coat the pork shoulder with the rub, ensuring all sides are evenly covered. If you have time, you can let it sit for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator, to allow the flavours to penetrate.

Don’t drown the pork: Mix the sauce gradually — it should coat, not overwhelm. You want smoky richness, not sogginess.

Shred while warm: Warm pork shreds easily and absorbs the sauce better than cold meat.

Purple cabbage: Cut the cabbage into thin slices using a sharp knife or mandoline for uniformity.

Kohlrabi and green apple: Use a mandoline to slice both the kohlrabi and green apple into thin matchsticks for a consistent texture and appearance.

Frequently Asked Questions