Name: Pulled Pork Sliders
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2-3 pounds pork shoulder; 1/4 cup dry rub; 1/2 cup barbecue sauce; 1/2 cup mayo; 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice; 1 Tablespoon sugar; 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 12-oz bag coleslaw mix; 12 slider buns; 1/2 cup fried onions, optional; Barbecue sauce

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With juicy pork, fresh coleslaw, and tangy barbecue sauce, these pulled pork sliders are the perfect food for a picnic, cookout, or tailgate. They’re hearty and tender, easy to make, and bursting with flavor.

Close up of a pulled pork slider with coleslaw, with two more behind it.

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Pulled pork is one of my favorite foods. It’s juicy, tender, meaty, and rich, with spicy, smoky, and sweet flavors. And these pulled pork sliders are my favorite thing to make with pulled pork. You have to try them the next time you need to feed a crowd.

These pork sliders are perfectly balanced. The crispy, refreshing, and acidic coleslaw goes wonderfully with the hearty, meaty, and spicy pork, and fried onions add some crunch to the recipe. Served between two soft buns with loads of sticky BBQ sauce, these sliders are the ultimate game day meal.

Why You’ll Love These Pulled Pork Sliders

This is one of those classic dishes that you’ll never get tired of making and eating. Here’s why I know you’ll love it.

Super easy. This is a really easy recipe to cook. The pulled pork and the coleslaw are both packed full of flavors, but they’re so easy to make. You could practically make this recipe in your sleep!
Great for large groups. Pulled pork sliders are one of my go-to recipes anytime I’m hosting or attending a party or potluck, especially if it’s outside. You can easily scale this recipe up so that you have pork sliders for however many people you’re feeding.
Multiple options. One great thing about this recipe is that you can make it in many different ways. The recipe has instructions for how to make pulled pork in a crockpot or an Instant Pot, and you can also use leftover or store-bought pulled pork.

Overhead view of the ingredients needed for pulled pork sliders: a bowl of pulled pork, a bowl of coleslaw, a bowl of barbecue sauce, a bowl of fried onions, and a bag of slider buns.

What You’ll Need

Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to make this easy, meaty, and smoky pulled pork sliders recipe. Make sure to check out the recipe card at the end of the page to see the exact amounts of each ingredient.

For the Pulled Pork:

Pork shoulder – You can also use pork butt for this recipe. Despite the name, pork butt is actually just a different cut of meat from the shoulder.
Dry rub – I recommend using my quick and easy Best Dry Rub Recipe, but you can use whatever your favorite spice blend for seasoning meat is.
Barbecue sauce

For the Coleslaw:

Mayo – I recommend full-fat mayo.
Lemon juice – Make sure to use freshly squeezed juice.
Sugar – A little sugar balances out the strong flavors in the slaw.
Apple cider vinegar – This gives the coleslaw that traditional fruity and tangy flavor.
Black pepper – Always use freshly cracked pepper.
Salt
Coleslaw mix

For the Assembly:

Slider buns
Barbecue sauce
Fried onions – This is an optional ingredient, but it adds a great onion flavor and crunch to the sandwiches.

How to Make Pulled Pork Sliders

Here’s how to make these saucy and smoky pulled pork sliders. They’re so easy!

Season the meat. Add the dry rub to the pork shoulder and rub to coat evenly.
Add barbecue sauce. If cooking in the crockpot, add the pork to the slow cooker and pour the barbecue sauce on top. If using an Instant Pot, add ½ cup of water to the pot, then cut the pork into 3-inch cubes and add to the pot. Pour the barbecue sauce over the top of the meat.
Cook. For a crockpot, cook the pork on low for 8-9 hours. For an Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 45 minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes before quick releasing.
Shred. Use two forks to shred the pork.
Mix the dressing. Add the mayo, lemon juice, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper to a mixing bowl, and stir to combine.
Make the coleslaw. Add the coleslaw mix and toss until veggies are well coated.
Cut the buns. Slice the slider buns in half.
Assemble. There are a pair of ways that you can assemble the pulled pork sliders. To make standard pulled pork sliders, add some of the shredded pork on top of a slider bun, then top with barbecue sauce. Add the optional fried onions and the coleslaw, then top the buns. To make baked sliders, only add the meat and barbecue sauce before topping the sandwich. Then place in a 350F oven for 10 minutes until warm. Remove the top bun, add the fried onions and coleslaw, then put the bun back on and serve.

Overhead view of three bottom slider buns topped with pulled pork and barbecue sauce.

Tips for Success

Here are a few tricks and tips to try out to make this pulled pork sliders recipe even better or easier.

Use leftover pulled pork. I love making the pulled pork in this recipe, but you can save a lot of time by using leftover pulled pork. Whether you made pulled pork earlier in the week, bought some at the store, or have leftovers from ordering out, that extra pork meat will work great in this recipe. These sliders are awesome with my Instant Pot Pulled Pork or my Smoked Pork Butt.
Make your own BBQ sauce. I’m a big fan of making sauces. It’s such a great way to add extra flavor to your food. My easy homemade BBQ Sauce With Coca-Cola is so much better than store-bought barbecue sauce and will take your sliders to the next level.
Chop your own coleslaw. This recipe uses a store-bought coleslaw mix, which makes it even quicker and easier to cook these sliders. But if you have the time, you can chop your own coleslaw mix out of cabbage and carrots. The store-bought mix is great, but chopping your own will ensure that the veggies are fresher, more flavorful, and crunchier.
Make the slaw ahead of time. The coleslaw in this recipe is the secret star of the dish. The fresh, creamy, tangy slaw goes perfectly with the tender and juicy pork. If you have the time, make the coleslaw a few hours ahead of time, then store it in the fridge. That will give the flavors time to meld together.
Let people assemble their own. When I serve these at parties and potlucks, I like to make a station so people can assemble their own pulled pork sliders. Instead of making a bunch of them, just leave all the ingredients out so people can build their own.

A pulled pork slider with coleslaw on a plate, with another one in the background.

What to Serve with Pork Sliders

Since this is an iconic food to serve at a cookout or tailgate, I like to serve it with some other sides that are made for a sunny day. Here are a few foods that would go perfectly on a plate next to pulled pork sliders.

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

Here’s what to do with leftover pulled pork sliders.

Fridge. I don’t recommend storing assembled sandwiches for more than a few hours, or else the buns will get soggy. However, the pulled pork can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days, and the coleslaw can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reheating. The best way to reheat the pork is to follow the recipe instructions for assembling baked pulled pork sliders. You can also reheat the pork in the microwave in 30-second increments until heated through, and then assemble.
Freezer. Leftover pulled pork will last in the freezer for 3 months. Make sure the meat is completely cooled, then transfer it to an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. I don’t recommend freezing coleslaw.

Three pulled pork sliders next to a bowl of barbecue sauce.

More Easy Dinner Recipes

If you love pork as much as I do, then you’ve got to try some of these easy and delicious recipes.

Yield: 12 sliders

Pulled Pork Sliders

Pulled pork sliders have juicy and tender meat topped with crispy and fresh coleslaw. They're easy to make, and perfect for potlucks, cookouts, and tailgates.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes