Getting a meal on the table for the family is a breeze with these slow cooker cranberry chipotle pulled pork sandwiches! Spicy, sweet, tangy, and made easy with minimal prep and ingredients, this twist on pulled pork is sure to be a crowd pleaser. (nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free option)

cranberry chipotle pulled pork sandwiches on bun with lettuce lined up on a white platter.

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September is Family Meals Month! Eating dinner together as a family every night has always been important to me, and I hope it is a tradition I will pass on to my little ones as they grow up. Eating meals together not only gives families a way to connect and unwind, but it’s also an opportunity to model healthy eating behavior to kids.

I know that making a home-cooked meal can be much easier said than done, especially with busy fall schedules, so today I’m sharing a super easy slow cooker recipe to help you get a family dinner on the table with a little less effort - Slow Cooker Cranberry Chipotle Pulled Pork Sandwiches.

One of my biggest tips for getting a home cooked meal on the table is to keep a stocked freezer. I make sure to have proteins, fruit and veggies that we eat often in the freezer, so that I know I have something convenient to cook when I’m planning my dinners each week. Cape Cod Select Cranberries, frozen at their peak, are the secret to this flavorful pulled pork recipe.

pulled pork on a bun with red onion and the top bun win lettuce with a bag of frozen cranberries in the background.

Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Cranberry Chipotle Pulled Pork Recipe

This isn’t your typical pulled pork recipe full of sticky sweet barbecue sauce. But it is just as easy! This delicious pulled pork is flavored with chipotle and frozen Cape Cod Select Cranberries for a flavor that’s less over-the-top sweet, and more complex - slightly tangy with a hint of sweetness and a kick of smoky heat. And it’s made with just a few simple, real-food ingredients so you can feel good about feeding your family this dinner.

pork roast rubbed with spices in a slow cooker

To Make This Cranberry Chipotle Pulled Pork, You’ll Need:

A pork roast. Any kind will do - butt, shoulder, boneless, bone-in.
A handful of spices - chipotle, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
Cape Cod Select Frozen Cranberries
Honey
Apple cider vinegar
Tomato paste
A slow cooker (this is the one that I have, and I love that it's so roomy!)

cranberries being poured into the pot of a slow cooker.

How To Make Cranberry Chipotle Pulled Pork:

Simply rub the pork roast with the spices and place it in the slow cooker with the cranberries, honey and cider vinegar. Close the lid and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours while you go about your day. When the pork is done, take it out of the pot and shred it. Whisk the tomato paste into the juices in the bottom of the slow cooker to make the quickest, easiest sauce, then add the shredded meat back in.

shredded pulled pork on a white plate with lettuce, red onion, and buns in the background.

That’s it. Super simple and straight-forward. Serve the pulled pork on whole grain buns with a little lettuce and sliced red onion, and you’ve got a simple dinner that your family will love - hopefully with enough left over for dinner for another night this week! I like to serve these cranberry chipotle pulled pork sandwiches with a cold salad as a side, so that I can make it ahead of time and leave it in the fridge until we’re ready to eat. A few of my favorites:

I hope this delicious recipe makes it just a little bit easier to get one more family meal on the table for you.

If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating in the comments!

Slow Cooker Cranberry Chipotle Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Print Recipe

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 6 to 8 hours
Total Time: 6 to 8 hours
Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Category: main dish
Method: slow cooker
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

2 tsp chipotle powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 (3-4 lb.) pork roast
2 cups Cape Cod Select Frozen Cranberries
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp tomato paste

For serving:

Whole wheat buns
Lettuce (I like butter lettuce)
Thinly sliced red onion

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together all of the spices. Rub spice mix all over the outside of the pork roast. Place roast in the slow cooker.
Add cranberries, cider vinegar and honey to the slow cooker.
Close the lid and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Remove the cooked roast to a plate, leaving the juices in the slow cooker, and shred using two big forks or your hands (with gloves).
Whisk the tomato paste into the juices in the slow cooker to form a sauce. It will be a little lumpy from the cranberries.
Add the meat back into the sauce and stir to combine.
Serve pork with whole grain buns, lettuce, and red onions.

Notes

For gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free buns.
If you have young kids, this recipe may be a little spicy as written. For less heat, use only 1 teaspoon chipotle powder.
When the pork is ready, it should easily shred with forks. If it doesn’t shred, it needs more time.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Leftovers can be used to make more sandwiches, on top of bowls, in tacos or enchiladas, or stuffed into potatoes or peppers!