I have posted before how easy it is to do a quick barbecue pork in the crockpot. It is also a great meal to serve a large group because it is easy and pretty frugal.
I simple place a pork roast, usually a shoulder roast, into the crockpot and add about 1 cup of barbecue sauce.
I use Head Country brand of sauce, which is a local one, but you can use your favorite sauce. I then cook on low for 7-8 hours. When it is done, I shred the meat and add a little more sauce to it.
Recently though, one of my husband’s staff members kept telling me that I should add a Dr. Pepper to my crockpot barbecue pork.
At first I was not sure what to think of this idea. First, of all we do not drink much pop. We rarely have any in the house.
Secondly, I was not sure what it would add or how it would enhance the flavor very much. But after several of my husband’s staff kept telling me how good it was, I decided to give it a try.
I simply added about 12 ounces of Dr. Pepper to my pork and barbecue sauce when I put it in the crockpot and cooked it that same as I always had.
I was really surprised at how good this tasted and how much it added to my regular barbecue pork. It gave it a bit of a caramelized taste. It also gave it a little different texture than it normally had. It was really good. My whole family enjoyed this.
I might just have to keep a can of Dr. Pepper in the house to use in this recipe.
Have any of you tried this before? Or do you have another secret ingredient that you add to yours?
This post linked to Frugal Fridays.
I love to cook and bake, and my family loves to eat. Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures is all about sharing my love of cooking, recipes, tips, and ideas of how I combine this cooking passion with a busy life. [
I use root beer in my crockpot roasts. A cola would work too. But anyway, it does make for a good tasting meal.
Not to pork but for shredded chicken barbecue I put Italian dressing in with the barbecue sauce. I got the idea off of an allrecipes.com recipe. Very good!
I cook mine in the crockpot with garlic and several onions chunked up covered in either Coke or Dr. Pepper. When the pork is thoroughly cooked, I drain off the soda and remove the onions, shred the pork and douse it in our favorite BBQ sauce. I just love the sweetness the soda gives to the meat. It also makes it incredibly tender!!
I use ginger ale. I’ve tried Dr Pepper and it’s very good, but ginger ale pairs better with our favorite BBQ sauce.
I create a marinade with apple cider vinegar,canola oil, paprika, garlic & 1 can of Coca Cola. We use it for pork tenderloin and everyone loves it! So good.
I don’t keep pop in the house but may buy some to try this way. I just love shredded pork in the crockpot in the summer
It’s so funny that you posted this tonight, because just today we tried cooking our crockpot roast with Coke. We all loved it! It was a little bit sweeter than normal and a little bit more tender. We’ll definitely be doing that again!
I’m like you – I hesitate to put soda in a recipe, but I’m sure it tasted really good.
My mom did a ham once with Coke I think it was. I wasn’t there to try it but my sister swore it was the best ham she’s had.
Can diet DP be used? I have that in the house and am actually going to put a pork roast in the crockpot on Sunday. Anyone used diet before?
@Michelle K, Diet soda can easily be used. Even if you don’t like the nutrasweetener taste, you can’t tell it was used, which is great
@Michelle K, I think diet would probably work. It is worth a try.
I’ve heard of adding dr. pepper or root beer when cooking a roast for pulled pork, but I’ve never tried it myself. Since you gave it such a positive review, I may just have to, though. Along the same theme, my Granny swears by pouring a can of Coke over a ham before baking. I’ve never tried that myself either, but I imagine it’s used for the same reasons as the dr. pepper, for the sweetness it adds and texture and caramelization it gives the meat.
I cook pork ribs in coke – makes the best ever, I am so going to try the Dr. P in pulled pork!
I have a recipe for a pot roast, using a can of coke (or for me diet coke since I am diabetic) and a packet of dry onion mushroom seasoning. It comes put very tasty. My husband was very unsure of this when I originally told him that’s how I cooked it, but he loved it!
We have tried root beer also. Gives it an amazing flavor!
I have done it with other pop like coke, but not root beer. Several people have told me that root beer gives it great flavor, so I really need to try it.