BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders Recipe
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These BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders are the perfect finger food for your next party! Tender pork shoulder is infused with savory spices, tangy BBQ sauce, and sautéed onions. Topped with melted mozzarella and served in soft slider buns, this delicious appetizer is always a crowd-pleaser!
Pull Pork Slider Recipe
I love serving sliders for parties and they always seem to be the first food to disappear! Whether it’s Meatball Sliders, Philly Cheesesteak Sliders, Sloppy Joe Sliders or even Breakfast Sliders, you just can’t go wrong. Now we’re taking sliders to a whole new level.
This delicious appetizer starts with a combination of juicy and flavorful pork shoulder, zesty BBQ sauce, and sweet sautéed onions, cooked until it’s so tender that it melts in your mouth. Then it’s layered on pillowy soft Hawaiian rolls, topped with shredded mozzarella and baked until warm and gooey.
These pulled pork sliders are finger food perfection. Always a favorite in my house, they’re so filling that sometimes I’ll even serve them as an easy weeknight dinner.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy to make: All you need is 15 minutes for prep and a handful of simple ingredients.
- Tons of flavor: These easy pulled pork sliders are so tender and juicy and just loaded with tangy BBQ flavors.
- Fun size: Because of their small size, they’re awesome for serving as an appetizer, hearty snack, or even a meal when served with a side.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion, sliced
- Cloves garlic, minced (or garlic powder)
- Pork shoulder or pork butt
- Smoked paprika
- Dry thyme
- Salt
- Dijon mustard
- BBQ sauce
- Beef broth
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Hawaiian rolls (slider rolls)
How To Make Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sliders
Step 1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté for 5-8 minutes until translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute or two.
Step 2. Take the spices and salt and rub them all over the surface of the pork shoulder. Place the seasoned pork over the cooked onions in the saucepan.
Step 3. Pour the BBQ sauce, Dijon mustard and beef broth over the shoulder. Give it a quick stir to combine, then cover with a lid and reduce heat to low.
Step 4. Cook the pork for 1 hour. Flip it over and continue cooking for an additional 30-45 minutes. Test the pork’s tenderness by pulling it apart with a fork. If it shreds easily, it’s ready.
Step 5. Once it’s tender, shred the pork apart in the pan, letting it soak in the cooking sauce. Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes more.
Step 6. Preheat the oven to 350°F. If not already sliced, slice the rolls in half with a serrated knife. Place the bottom half of the Hawaiian buns on a baking tray.
Step 7. Layer the pulled pork on top.
Step 8. Next add a layer of the mozzarella cheese. Put the bun tops back on.
Step 9. Brush the tops of the rolls with a touch of melted butter and oregano for extra flavor (optional).
Step 10. Cover the sliders with foil to prevent the buns from browning too much.
Step 11. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Step 12. Serve warm and enjoy!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
While you can store leftover sliders for a day or two in the fridge, the buns tend to get soggy as they sit. For best results, consider storing the shredded pork separately from the slider buns and cheese.
You can use a microwave, stovetop, or oven to reheat the pulled pork.
- Microwave: Place the leftover pulled pork in a microwave-safe dish and cover it with a damp paper towel to help keep it moist. Heat just until warmed through.
- Stovetop: Place the pork in a saucepan and warm over medium heat, adding a bit of broth or water to prevent drying out. You will want to keep an eye on it and stir occasionally until it’s thoroughly heated.
- Oven: Place the pulled pork in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and reheat in a preheated oven at 325°F until warm.
Variations and Add-ins
- Cheeses: Swap it up and use any melty cheeses. Swiss, cheddar or pepper jack cheese are all great choices.
- Barbecue sauce: Feel free to use your favorite homemade BBQ sauce. For the best pulled pork, sauces with a balance of sweet and smoky flavors work best.
- Rolls: You can swap the Hawaiian rolls and try this recipe using your favorite dinner rolls or brioche buns.
- Onions: We used sauteed onions, but you can save that step and use French fried onions instead. They work great and give the sliders a little extra crunch. Just add them between the layers of meat and cheese.
- Variations – There’s so much you can do with pulled pork. Try making pulled pork tacos or pulled pork fries for a fun twist.
- Other favorite toppings: Add more flavor with sliced dill pickles, homemade coleslaw, lettuce or tomatoes. You can even add pineapple tidbits to the top of the pork for a little extra sweetness..
BBQ Pork Sliders FAQs
Sure! To make slow cooker pulled pork, cook for 7-8 hours on low or on the high setting for about 4 hours. Then shred the pork, assemble the sliders and bake.
To make this in the Instant Pot, you’ll want to cook it for about 15-20 minutes per pound at high pressure. Follow that with a 15 minute natural release. Just like with the crockpot, you’ll shred the pork, assemble the sliders and bake them.
For the best pulled pork sliders, you’ll want to use shoulder because of the fat that’s marbled throughout meat. If you use other cuts, the meat may not be as tender or juicy.
These sliders are very filling. One or two per person should be plenty, especially when served with other appetizers or side dishes.
You can never go wrong serving them with your favorite coleslaw recipe or these homemade baked beans with bacon. You can also serve them with fries or chips.
Other Delicious Appetizers
If you liked this tender pulled pork recipe, you may want to give these easy appetizers a try too!
- Baked Jalapeno Poppers
- 7 Layer Dip Cups
- Fried Goat Cheese
- Sausage Puff Pastry With Peppers & Onions
- Sausage Dip
- Hot Corn Dip
- Black Bean & Corn Salsa
- Avocado Deviled Eggs With Bacon & Blue Cheese
- Phyllo Wrapped Shrimp Appetizer
- Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders
Equipment
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 lbs pork shoulder
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon dry thyme
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 3 cups beef broth
- 12 Hawaiian rolls
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté for 5-8 minutes until translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute or two.2 tbsp olive oil, 1 yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Take the spices and salt and rub them all over the surface of the pork shoulder. Place the seasoned pork over the cooked onions in the saucepan.2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoon dry thyme, 2 teaspoon salt, 2 lbs pork shoulder
- Pour the BBQ sauce, Dijon mustard and beef broth over the shoulder. Give it a quick stir to combine, then cover with a lid and reduce heat to low.¼ cup Dijon mustard, ½ cup BBQ sauce, 3 cups beef broth
- Cook the pork for 1 hour. Flip it over and continue cooking for an additional 30-45 minutes. Test the pork’s tenderness by pulling it apart with a fork. If it shreds easily, it’s ready.
- Once it’s tender, shred the pork apart in the pan, letting it soak in the cooking sauce. Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes more.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. If not already sliced, slice the rolls in half. Place the bottom half of the Hawaiian buns on a baking tray.12 Hawaiian rolls
- Layer the pulled pork on top.
- Next add a layer of the mozzarella cheese. Put the bun tops back on.2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Brush the tops of the rolls with a touch of melted butter and oregano for extra flavor (optional).
- Cover the sliders with foil to prevent the buns from browning too much.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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