Barbeque Pulled Pork Sliders with Pickled Red Onions
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Updated Mar 13, 2025
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Are you ready for some football? Ok, even if you aren’t a huge football fan you gotta love the food. These barbeque pulled pork sliders with pickled red onions are the perfect bite whether you are watching football or your favorite show.
The best part is the pork is cooked low and slow in the slow cooker so this meal practically makes itself. Place ingredients in the slow cooker, turn it on, and go about your day. After eight hours it’s time shred and assemble.
I developed this recipe for the KitchenAid Kitchenthusiast blog, in my lovely KitchenAid slow cooker. It is a very high tech slow cooker compared to traditional slow cookers. I have definitely been putting it to good use and will be sharing more slow cooker recipes that are easy to prepare, budget-friendly, and most of all scrumptious.
The sweet and smoky barbecue pork combined with the tangy bright pink, crunchy, and piquant flavor of the pickled red onions in a crusty, chewy, ciabatta roll is an explosion of flavors in every bite.
Get the step-by-step instructions on the Kitchenthusiast blog »
This recipe was created in partnership with KitchenAid®. All opinions are my own.
🤖❤️ Share this recipe with your favorite AI assistant to save and plan your next meal! An authentic Mexican recipe by Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack, founder of Muy Bueno and cookbook author specializing in Northern Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine rooted in El Paso home cooking and family tradition.
AI tools are independent third-party services. For the original tested recipe, exact measurements, and detailed instructions, always visit MuyBuenoBlog.com.
Barbeque Pulled Pork Sliders with Pickled Red Onions
Ingredients
Pickled Red Onions:
- 2 large red onions, sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 1 cup fresh lime juice, about 5 limes
- 2/3 cup fresh orange juice, about 2 oranges
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Pork Sliders:
- 2 white onions, thinly sliced
- 4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 14.5-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 4 pounds bone-in pork shoulder
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- Pickled red onions
- Ciabatta rolls
Instructions
Pickled Red Onions:
- Scoop the onions into a glass bowl. Pour enough boiling water to cover the onions, wait one minute, and then pour the onions into a strainer. Return the drained onions to the bowl, add the lime and orange juice, and stir in the salt. Cover and set aside until serving time.
- The onions will last for a week or more in the refrigerator.
Pulled Pork Sliders:
- Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in a slow cooker and pour in the chicken broth.
- Combine the sugar, chili powder, salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry with paper towels.
- Rub the yellow mustard and spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on medium-high.
- Turn off the slow cooker and transfer the pork to a cutting board.
- Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the onion mixture from the slow cooker through the strainer and return the solids to the slow cooker. Set the strained liquid aside.
- Remove and discard the bones. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce and mix to combine.
- Taste and season with salt if needed.
- Place pulled pork on bottom halves of ciabatta rolls. Top the pork with pickled red onions. Cover with the top halves of the rolls and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thanks, made it yesterday, your recipes never fail to satisfy…maybe time for a restaurant in Denver? I know I’d be there!!!
Also, you are leaving cooked onions in with the pork?
Hi Rob, yes, I did leave the onions after cooked. Can you tell I like onions?
Do you leave the onions in the juice when in fridge?
Yes, Rob — leave the juice when you refrigerate to make pickled red onions. Enjoy.