Slow-Cooker Jalapeño Pulled Pork Recipe • 5★

Published September 18, 2024

Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

This four-ingredient recipe draws inspiration from carnitas, barbecue pulled pork and Vietnamese caramel pork for sticky, sweet and spicy pulled meat. Braising browned pork shoulder in a slow cooker in pickled jalapeño brine and fish sauce tenderizes the meat and adds savory depth. Part of the cooking liquid then simmers with brown sugar and pickled jalapeño slices for a glaze to drape over pull-apart, crispy-edged meat. Eat over rice, tortillas or burger buns.

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2 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil

2½ to 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into roughly 2-inch pieces

1 (12-ounce) jar pickled jalapeño slices

2 tablespoons fish sauce

½ cup brown sugar

Step 1In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high. Sprinkle the pork lightly with salt. Add to the pot, in batches if necessary to keep from crowding, and sear until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker. Pour off any excess fat from the pot, then reserve and don’t wash the pot.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high. Sprinkle the pork lightly with salt. Add to the pot, in batches if necessary to keep from crowding, and sear until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker. Pour off any excess fat from the pot, then reserve and don’t wash the pot.

Step 2Hold the pickled jalapeños back with your fingers and pour the brine into the slow cooker (about ¾ cup). Add the fish sauce. Cover and cook on low until the meat shreds easily when pulled with a fork, 4 to 6 hours.

Hold the pickled jalapeños back with your fingers and pour the brine into the slow cooker (about ¾ cup). Add the fish sauce. Cover and cook on low until the meat shreds easily when pulled with a fork, 4 to 6 hours.

Step 3Spoon off the layer of fat from the liquid in the slow cooker, then pour 1 cup of the liquid from the slow cooker into the reserved Dutch oven. Add the brown sugar and 2 to 4 tablespoons pickled jalapeño slices, depending on heat preference. Simmer over medium-high, scraping the bottom of the pot, until the mixture reduces by half and resembles maple syrup, 7 to 9 minutes.

Spoon off the layer of fat from the liquid in the slow cooker, then pour 1 cup of the liquid from the slow cooker into the reserved Dutch oven. Add the brown sugar and 2 to 4 tablespoons pickled jalapeño slices, depending on heat preference. Simmer over medium-high, scraping the bottom of the pot, until the mixture reduces by half and resembles maple syrup, 7 to 9 minutes.

Step 4Working right in the slow cooker, use two forks to shred the meat into large, bite-size pieces. Stir the sauce into the pork.

Working right in the slow cooker, use two forks to shred the meat into large, bite-size pieces. Stir the sauce into the pork.

My changes to make it easier (and more flavorful) with only 3 ingredients: 1. Sear pork as instructed then put in instant pot. 2. Add 1 jar of TJ pickled jalapenos - brine and jalapenos. 3. Double the fish sauce amount. Omit brown sugar. 4. Set high pressure for 30min (or 4-6 hours in crockpot). Once done, shred pork in sauce.

@carolyn — Pepperoncini are a decent sub here - they bring less heat and some of same vinegary brine

@JSON - soy sauce has some of the same umami without the fish. Worcestershire would be a little better, but also has fish in it, so I’m assuming that’s a no go.

Made this with the sweet jalepenos you can get at Trader Joe’s and their brine made a real difference - yum!

3 pounds of meat = 4 servings. I like the way you think, Ali Slagle. Any favorite brand of pickled jalapenos?

Can a meat other than pork work with this recipe?

You could mimic it with chicken for the sweet-and-hot profile, but of course it would taste like chicken, not pork. I'd use boneless skinless chicken thighs in the slow cooker with the brine. It probably doesn't need to cook as long as pork would. Thighs will be more forgiving of overcooking than breasts would be. Aside from that, the rest of the recipe is really about making a sauce. Give it a try and let us know.

This pulled pork is so tasty and easy. I used pickled banana & jalapeño peppers as well as fresh jalapeños with a small pork butt. I will be making again. Everyone in the family loved it

Can someone tell me how spicy this is? I want to make it but my partner doesn't like things hot. I usually cut the amount of jalapenos in half.

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025359-slow-cooker-jalapeno-pulled-pork