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This slow cooker pork shoulder roast makes a comforting dinner with tender, flavorful pork, potatoes, carrots, and homemade gravy. Most of the cooking happens in the Crockpot, so you can enjoy a hearty, homemade meal without spending all afternoon in the kitchen.
I love making this boneless pork shoulder roast for Sunday dinner, but it’s also great when you want something filling with plenty of leftovers. If you enjoy this kind of meal, try my Slow Cooker Pot Roast for a beef version or my Smothered Pork Chops for another pork dinner with gravy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tender, flavorful pork: The pork cooks slowly until it’s tender enough to pull apart into large pieces.
- A complete meal: Potatoes and carrots cook alongside the roast, making dinner easier to put together.
- Homemade gravy: You can turn the cooking juices into a savory gravy without using a packet or canned soup.
Ingredients Needed
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients. You’ll find the full list with measurements in the recipe card.
- Boneless pork shoulder: Look for a roast with good marbling. You might also see it labeled pork butt or Boston butt. Don’t substitute pork loin, which is much leaner and can dry out with this cooking method.
- Pork Chop Seasoning: I use my homemade Pork Chop Seasoning to season the roast. It also adds flavor to the cooking juices that become the gravy.
- Neutral oil: Avocado oil or another neutral oil works well for browning the pork.
- Chicken broth: You only need a little to get started since the pork releases more liquid as it cooks.
- Apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard: These add flavor and help balance the richness of the pork.
- Fresh herbs: Rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves give the roast a savory flavor. You can use dried thyme if you don’t have fresh.
- Baby potatoes: There’s no need to peel them. Just halve or quarter larger potatoes so the pieces are similar in size.
- Carrots: Cut them into rounds or half-moons, depending on how thick they are.
- Cornstarch: You’ll use this to thicken the cooking juices into gravy.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder Roast
Here’s a quick look at how to make this recipe. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Season and Sear the Pork
Pat the pork dry, coat it with seasoning, and brown it on all sides in a hot skillet. Give each side a few minutes before turning so it develops a good crust.
Start the Slow Cooker
Transfer the roast to the slow cooker and add the onion, garlic, broth, mustard, vinegar, and herbs. Cover and cook on LOW for the first 3 hours.
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Add the Potatoes and Carrots
Nestle the vegetables around the roast and continue cooking until the pork is fork-tender. You should be able to twist a fork into the meat easily without it feeling tough.
Make the Homemade Gravy
Remove the pork and vegetables, then strain the cooking juices and skim off the excess fat. Add the cornstarch slurry and simmer until the gravy thickens. Spoon it over the pork and vegetables before serving.
Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder Roast
- Don’t add too much liquid: One cup of broth might not seem like enough, but pork shoulder releases plenty of liquid as it cooks. Adding too much at the beginning can leave you with a watery gravy.
- Wait to add the vegetables: If you add the potatoes and carrots at the beginning, they’ll spend too much time cooking and can turn mushy. Adding them after 3 hours helps keep them tender without falling apart.
- Give the pork enough time: If the roast is still tough, it probably needs more time. Pork shoulder has connective tissue that softens as it cooks, so don’t rely on the clock alone. Keep cooking until a fork twists easily into the meat.
- Remove the extra fat: Pork shoulder releases quite a bit of fat, and you don’t need all of it in your gravy. I like to let the cooking juices sit for a few minutes before skimming the fat off the top. You can also use a fat separator.
What to Serve with Pork Shoulder Roast
Since this recipe already includes potatoes and carrots, you don’t need much else to make it a complete dinner. But there are plenty of ways to stretch or adjust this meal.
- If you’re in the mood for mashed potatoes instead, leave the baby potatoes out of the slow cooker and make my Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Potatoes with Cheese. Both are delicious with the gravy.
- For something green, try my Sautéed Green Beans. You can also pair the roast with Creamed Corn or Crockpot Collard Greens (make them a day ahead) for a Southern-style dinner.
- And if you want something to soak up the extra gravy, you can’t go wrong with warm Buttermilk Biscuits, Homemade Cornbread, or Hawaiian dinner rolls.
More Slow Cooker Pork Recipes
If you want to use pork shoulder for something different next time, try my Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork. It’s shredded and tossed with BBQ sauce, making it great for sandwiches or sliders. My Pork Carnitas Recipe has citrus flavor and crispy edges that are delicious in tacos or bowls.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend using LOW for this recipe. Pork shoulder needs time for the connective tissue to soften, and the longer cooking time helps the meat become tender. Since I made this recipe using LOW, I don’t have a tested HIGH cooking time to recommend.
I recommend it because browning adds flavor that you won’t get from the slow cooker alone. If you’re short on time, you can sear just the two largest sides rather than browning the entire roast.
Storage and Reheating
- Store: Keep leftover pork, vegetables, and gravy in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I recommend storing the pork with some gravy so it doesn’t dry out.
- Freeze: Freeze the pork with some of its cooking liquid or gravy for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat: Place the pork and gravy in a covered baking dish and warm in a 300°F oven until heated through. For smaller portions, you can reheat everything gently on the stovetop.
- Make ahead: You can prepare this roast a day before serving. Refrigerate it with the cooking juices, then remove the layer of fat that solidifies on top before reheating. This makes it even easier to prepare the gravy.
Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder Roast
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Recommended Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Large Skillet
- Saucepan
Ingredients
For the Pork Shoulder Roast
- 4 lb pork shoulder, boneless
- 5 ½ tbsp Pork Chop Seasoning, homemade, click for my recipe
- 2 tbsp Avocado oil, or Olive Oil
For the Braising Liquid
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into thick wedges
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
For the Vegetables
- 1 lb baby potatoes, halved or quartered if large
- 1 lb carrots, cut into ½-inch rounds or half-moons
For the Gravy and Serving
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp cold water
- fresh parsley, chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the pork: Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels and trim excess surface fat. Season all sides with the pork chop seasoning, pressing it into the meat.
- Sear the roast: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the pork for 4–5 minutes per side, including the ends, until deeply browned. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Start slow cooking: Add the onion and garlic around the pork. Pour in the chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Add the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 hours.
- Add the vegetables: Arrange the potatoes and carrots around the roast, nestling them into the cooking liquid. Flip the roast, cover, and continue cooking on LOW.
- Check for tenderness: Start checking after 6 hours of total cooking time. The pork is ready when a fork slides in and twists easily, but the roast still lifts out in one piece. A 4 lb roast generally takes 7–8 hours. If needed, continue cooking and check every 30 minutes.
- Remove the roast and vegetables: Transfer the pork to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 15 minutes. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon. Strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan, discarding the herb stems and bay leaves. Let stand for 5 minutes, then skim off excess fat.
- Make the gravy: Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together until smooth, then stir into the saucepan. Simmer for 3–4 minutes, whisking, until thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Serve: Separate the pork into large, fork-tender pieces. Arrange with the potatoes and carrots, spoon the gravy over the top, and garnish with parsley.
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Recipe Notes
- Searing: For a quicker option, sear just the two largest sides of the pork. Browning all sides gives the roast a deeper flavor.
- Adjusting the gravy: If too thin, add another tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with a tablespoon of cold water. If too thick, add a little warm broth.
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used.
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