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Healthy Clean Pulled Pork Recipe with Easy Macro-Friendly Sauce

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A juicy, tender pulled pork recipe with a tangy, macro-friendly BBQ sauce that is healthy, flavorful, and perfect for clean eating and meal prep.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3–4 lbs pork shoulder (also called pork butt), trimmed of excess fat
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
  • 1/2 cup no-sugar-added tomato sauce or passata
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or raw honey
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Trim excess fat from the pork shoulder, leaving a bit for flavor. Pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Mix smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
  3. Rub the spice blend evenly all over the pork. (About 10 minutes)
  4. Pour chicken broth into the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
  5. Place the seasoned pork shoulder into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until fork-tender and internal temperature reaches 195-205°F (90–96°C).
  6. While pork cooks, whisk together tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, liquid smoke (if using), salt, and pepper in a bowl. Adjust seasoning to taste. (About 5 minutes)
  7. Transfer cooked pork to a large plate or bowl, saving the cooking juices.
  8. Use two forks to shred the pork. Optionally mix in some cooking liquid to keep it moist.
  9. Add shredded pork back to the slow cooker or a large bowl, pour the macro-friendly sauce over, and stir well to coat.
  10. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to soak up flavors before serving.

Notes

Use Applegate pork shoulder for quality. Tessemae’s no-sugar BBQ sauce can be used as a shortcut for the sauce. If sauce is too thick, thin with water or broth. Let pork rest 10-15 minutes before shredding. For shredding, a stand mixer with paddle attachment can be used. Cooking times may vary by slow cooker. For oven cooking, roast at 275°F for 4-5 hours covered with broth to keep moist.

Nutrition

Keywords: pulled pork, healthy pulled pork, clean eating, macro-friendly sauce, slow cooker pulled pork, low sugar BBQ sauce, meal prep, easy pulled pork

Find it online: https://perkypan.com/healthy-clean-pulled-pork-recipe-with-easy-macro-friendly-sauce/