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A healthy slow cooker pulled pork tenderloin recipe with hints of sweetness and spice. It makes for a great meal prep meal! Naturally Paleo, Gluten-free, and Dairy-free.
This maple pulled pork recipe is one of my favorite slow cooker pork recipes because it comes together so easily and the flavors are so good. There’s a bit of sweetness from the tomatoes and maple syrup and spice from the paprika, and chili powder. It tastes amazing with a side of greek yogurt mashed potatoes and lemon asparagus.
Table of Contents
What makes this recipe great
- It makes itself in the slow cooker. Put everything into a slow cooker and 6-8 hours later, it is ready to be shredded!
- It is great protein for dinner, lunch or meal prep.
- It is great for those following a dairy-free, gluten-free or Paleo diet.
Recipe ingredients
- Pork tenderloin– I like how light pork tenderloin is but you can also use pork shoulder.
- Onion or shallot– I like using shallots better but both work great here.
- Garlic powder, Thyme, Paprika, Chili powder, Turmeric powder– these season the sauce the pork cooks in.
- Strained tomatoes– these can come from a can or carton.
- Maple syrup– this adds sweetness to balance the tomato and spices.
- Blackstrap molasses– it is one of those “paleo friendly” ingredients that many have adopted into their diets because of the strong nutritional value of it. Check out this article by The Paleo Mom where she talks more about it.
- Tomato paste– this adds nice flavor to the pork.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step by step instructions:
Step 1: Put all the ingredients into a slow cooker.
Step 2: Shred the pork and mix into the sauce.
Expert tips
- You can use pork tenderloin or shoulder based on your preference in what you like for pulled pork. Loin is less fatty, which I like.
- If your pork tenderloin isn’t 3-3.5 pounds, then buy a few smaller ones and put them all into the slow cooker.
- To store: store the pulled pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Other pork recipes you’ll love:
Dutch Oven Baked Pork Loin with Jam and Spices
Diced Apple Slow Cooker Pulled Pork (Paleo, GF)
Dutch Oven Pork with Apples and Figs
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tenderloin with Tomato and Maple
Ingredients
- 3-3.5 pounds pork tenderloin
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 cup strained tomatoes , from a can or carton
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons blackstrap molasses
Instructions
- Put the diced onions into the slow cooker. Then add the pork loin on top.
- Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika, chili powder, turmeric powder, strained tomatoes, maple syrup, tomato paste and molasses on top of the pork. Mix the seasoning into the slow cooker.
- Cook on low heat for 8 hours or on high heat for 6 hours.
- Remove pork loin/shoulder and shred on a separate surface. Shred with two forks. Put back into the sauce in the slow cooker
Notes
- You can use pork tenderloin or shoulder based on your preference in what you like for pulled pork. Loin is less fatty, which I like.
- If your pork tenderloin isn’t 3-3.5 pounds, then buy a few smaller ones and put them all into the slow cooker.
- To store: store the pulled pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Fantastic post and very filling tasty recipe. And the secret ingredient , blackstrap molasses . Thanks for providing some nutritional background on it. Where can I buy it?
Your thread says loin or shoulder (of which, pork butt–part of the shoulder, picnic being the other– is the best for shredding).
However, the recipe says tenderloin. Other than being a typo, loin is not great for shredding. Plus tenderloins are not that big.
Butt is king for shredding.
Recipe looks great in any case!
Yes!! I just updated my post after reading this. Thank you! I agree pork butt is the best for shredding. 🙂 I do use loin when I can’t find anything else and, I have to admit, I do like that it is less fatty, despite it not being the best for shredding haha
Agreed with PerchancetoCook on the choice of meat. Of course fattier may be tastier but I’d rather less fatty and just addng in some clean paleo spices and dressings to get it close in taste. I like this site because it has creative alternatives to the food that is being served at restaurants which tends to be old, layered with sauces full of preservatives/chemicals used in covering up a slimy old piece of meat. Keep it up PerchancetoCook. Thanks for the free and quality content!