All recipes

Slow Cooker Carolina BBQ

Slow Cooker Carolina BBQ pairs fall-apart pork shoulder with a lively, vinegar-forward sauce sparked by black pepper, cayenne, and red pepper flakes. The meat turns succulent in the slow cooker, then soaks up a tangy-sweet finish that’s bold yet balanced—perfect for piled-high sandwiches or platters at game days and casual gatherings.

  • Prep15 mins
  • Cook12 hrs
  • Serves10
  • DifficultyEasy
Slow Cooker Carolina BBQ

easyChef Pro health score

Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Slow Cooker Carolina BBQ, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.

36 Health Score
Glycemic ImpactPoor
25 / 100
Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
Nutritional DensityPoor
0 / 100
Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
Energy DensityGood
90 / 100
Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
2 / 4
Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.

How it scores for each health goal

The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.

36
Heart Health
50
Metabolic
11
Digestive
20
Inflammatory
50
Performance
34
General Wellness
  1. 1

    Place the pork shoulder in a slow cooker and season it with salt and pepper. Pour the vinegar around the pork. Cover and cook on Low for 12 hours. The pork should easily pull into strands.

  2. 2

    Remove the pork from the slow cooker and discard any bones. Strain the liquid, keeping 2 cups and discarding the rest. Shred the pork with tongs or two forks, then return it to the slow cooker.

  3. 3

    Stir the brown sugar, hot pepper sauce, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes into the reserved liquid. Mix this into the pork in the slow cooker.

  4. 4

    Cover and keep on the Low setting until serving.

About This Recipe

Slow Cooker Carolina BBQ is made with 8 ingredients and serves 10. It takes about 12 hrs 15 mins and is rated easy. Key ingredients include Apple Cider Vinegar, Black Pepper, Bone In Pork Shoulder Butt Roast, and Brown Sugar. Each serving provides about 126.83 kcal.

Recipe Questions

What is Slow Cooker Carolina BBQ made of?
The main ingredients are Apple Cider Vinegar, Black Pepper, Bone-In Pork Shoulder Butt Roast, Brown Sugar, Cayenne Pepper. The full list of 8 is above.
How long does it take to make Slow Cooker Carolina BBQ?
About 12 hrs 15 mins in total: 15 mins to prepare and 12 hrs to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 126.83 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Slow Cooker Carolina BBQ easy to make?
This recipe is rated easy, with 8 ingredients and 4 steps.
Is Slow Cooker Carolina BBQ healthy?
Slow Cooker Carolina BBQ has an easyChef Pro health score of 36/100. Per serving, it provides 126.83 calories and 8.74 g of protein, or 17% of the Daily Value. Worth noting per serving: saturated fat at 2.57 g (13% of the Daily Value). Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.

How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products

easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.

The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.

Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.

For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.

Score a recipe free, no app required

Learn More