A pulled pork sandwich screams comfort food. Making a few changes to classic recipes makes Healthy BBQ Pulled Pork within reach.
A couple weeks ago I made plans to have a watch party for the new season of Game of Thrones with friends. We set the date for the Monday after the premiere. That posed a bit of a problem in terms of cooking a worthy meal after working all day and having time to watch the show before it got too late. I decided it was a perfect opportunity for an easy but healthy crock pot meal.
In the past I’ve made BBQ beef brisket and BBQ pulled chicken in the crock pot, but I decided to mix it up a bit with slow cooker BBQ pulled pork. Now, I know what you’re thinking… BBQ pulled pork has to be a cheat day where you dip into those “extra” points-and making it the traditional way you probably would. I knew we could make healthier pulled pork recipe for the slow cooker with some simple adjustments. This Healthy BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich is flavor forward and can also be served over cauliflower rice.
Take a look below how we made over an incredibly simple, party pleasing, BBQ pulled pork, and be sure to check back for part 2 where we show you how to enhance the BBQ pulled pork with a no-mayo coleslaw that perfectly compliments this southern favorite!
Made Over BBQ Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 1 Large Yellow Onion
- 12 oz of you favorite BBQ Sauce
- 3-4 lbs of Lean Pork Loin
- 4-6 tbs Assorted Dry Spices
Instructions
- Chop one large yellow onion and place in crock pot.
- Measure 6 tbs of a preblended cajun or bbq spice. We used a local favorite from Dinosaur Barbeque. If you don't have one on hand you could make a blend using: cayenne pepper, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder in equal parts.
- If your pork loin has more fat than you'd like, you can trim some of it off, see photo above. But be sure not to cut it all off. Without the fat, you pulled pork could turn out too dry.
- Now that you've got the Pork Loin trimmed, cover all sides with your dry rub mixture. You shouldn't be able to see any of the raw meat peaking through.
- Place pork loin in slow cooker and cover with your favorite barbecue sauce.
- Put the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 7 hours. If you are at home you'll enjoy the sweet and smokey smell of your pork cooking throughout the day.
- When the timer goes off, take two forks and shred the pork. You might be surprised by how it falls apart when you barely touch it. Continue to shred until the pulled pork is stringy, see photo above for reference.
- After you are done shredding, cover with lid and sit on warm for 30 minutes to let it absorb more of the barbecue sauce.
- You can serve on deli flats or whole wheat buns. If you are serving this Made Over Barbecue Pulled Pork at a part you may want to consider making sliders by cutting hot dog buns in thirds.
Note: *Weight Watchers points indicated below are for the BBQ pulled pork and a deli flat. Remember to add the coleslaw points separately.
[…] serving our Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches we love to add our No Mayo Coleslaw. The best thing about the Coleslaw is that it makes eating the […]