Root Beer Pulled Pork Sliders with Jalapeño Slaw.

We love these root beer pulled pork sliders! The pulled pork is cooked in the slow cooker until tender and juicy, then tossed with my root beer BBQ sauce. Serve on slider rolls piled high with a crunchy jalapeño apple slaw. So good!

I looooove a good pulled pork sandwich. 

Especially when it’s drizzled with homemade BBQ sauce and topped with a crisp refreshing slaw. This is my go-to pulled pork right now. Can’t beat it!

This root beer pulled pork is served on hawaiian slider buns and topped with the crunchiest, creamiest jalapeño apple slaw. A big drizzle of root beer BBQ sauce on top goes a long way too. 

These are super fun for a party, game day or even just dinner tonight. 

Plus, they are fairly simple. Even though there is a bit going on in this recipe, the pork gets made in the slow cooker overnight and you chop up everything for the slaw the next day. Easy as that! 

Plus, it’s super easy to serve too. I love making a big pan of pull apart sliders for guests. Everyone goes crazy over them too.

To bring this pork together, I threw a bit of root beer in the slow cooker with the pork overnight. I used the rest of the root beer to make my homemade root beer BBQ sauce which is probably my favorite BBQ sauce of all time. LOVE. It’s tangy, sweet, tart and just the right consistency. Plus it is absolutely wonderful on the pork. 

When the pork is finished, I drizzle in the BBQ sauce and toss it well so everything gets mixed and married. The flavor is AMAZING.  

You will want to eat it straight out of the slow cooker. I always do.

P.S. I am STILL using this multi cooker slow cooker seven years later. It’s great. I’m not sure I’ve ever used an appliance this long aside from my stand mixer. I love that you can sear/brown meat right in the crock. It’s so easy and makes clean up a breeze. It’s a huge time saver too.

Let’s talk about this incredible slaw. It’s crunchy. And it’s slightly creamy. However, it’s also tart, has a tiny bit of heat and is a little sweet too. It’s super crisp and refreshing. 

Here’s the thing. I am not a creamy slaw person. 99% of the time I prefer my slaw to be vinegar-based. Very crunchy, briney and not creamy at all. However, I can make an exception ever so often and that’s how we ended up here.

This creamy jalapeño slaw is so super delicious. First, it balances out the tangy homemade BBQ sauce on the pork. That sauce is extra-vinegary so I like having something creamy and tart with a little spice to balance things out. Second, this doesn’t just have to be a topping. You can serve this as a side salad or make it a base for a slaw with more ingredients. It’s very versatile! 

The slaw has cabbage, red onion, apples and jalapeños. A little cilantro too. I remove the seeds from the jalapeños just to keep out some of the heat. Then toss with the dressing.

The creamy dressing has greek yogurt, some mayo, a little sugar and even mustard powder. A few other ingredients that pack a punch. It’s the perfect combination! Again, I eat it right out of the bowl. 

The slaw on the sandwich really takes this over the top. There are so many textures and complimentary flavors going on – it works so well. You can serve them as sliders like I did on a slab of hawaiian rolls or make single sandwiches with these. 

If I was serving this for Halloween next week (which I might!), I would keep my pork in the slow cooker, my slaw in a bowl and have a basket of hearty buns next to them. This allows people to build their own sandwiches at their own pace, and the bread doesn’t get soggy.

If you want to make these for dinner or a game day treat where everyone is really hungry and going to eat immediately, I suggest going the hawaiian roll slab route. They pull apart, are tiny which means you still have some room for other snacks and apps and are fun to eat too. Just make sure they are consumed right away, because those buns are soft and will absorb the sauce, pork and slaw mixture and then start to break down.

This flavor combination is FABULOUS. The tender pork with the briney root beer BBQ sauce, the slightly spicy and sweet crunchy slaw, the soft hawaiian rolls.

I love it!

Root Beer Pulled Pork Sliders

Root Beer Pulled Pork Sliders with Jalapeño Slaw

Yield: 6 people

Prep Time: 8 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 35 minutes mins

We love these root beer pulled pork sliders! The pulled pork is cooked in the slow cooker until tender and juicy, then tossed with my root beer BBQ sauce. Serve on slider rolls piled high with a crunchy jalapeño apple slaw. So good!

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5 from 17 votes

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Ingredients

root beer pulled pork

• 4 pounds pork shoulder roast
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup root beer
• 1 loaf of 12-count slider buns, such as brioche buns or hawaiian rolls

root beer BBQ sauce

• ¾ cup ketchup
• ⅔ cup root beer
• ½ cup honey
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

creamy jalapeño slaw

• 1 small green cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 apple, sliced into matchsticks
• 2 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced and seeds removed
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• ⅔ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt or sour cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• kosher salt and pepper

Instructions 

root beer pulled pork

• I find the flavor is best when the pork is seared first. My slow cooker sears the meat, but if yours does not, heat a large pot over medium to high heat and add the oil. Sprinkle the pork roast all over with salt and pepper, then add it to the pot or slow cooker and sear on all sides until deeply golden brown. If necessary, transfer it to the slow cooker. Pour in the root beer.
• Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. After 8 to 10 hours, the pork will easily shred with a fork. Shred it and mix with the juice in the slow cooker. I like to turn my slow cooker on high and let it sit with the lid off for 15 minutes or so – I find that if it’s extra liquidy, some of the liquid will be absorbed. Stir in ⅓ cup of the root beer BBQ sauce.
• To serve, slice the slab of slider rolls in half horizontally, keeping them attached as much as you can. Place the bottom of the rolls on a baking sheet. Top with the pulled pork. Drizzle with some of the BBQ sauce. Top with the jalapeno slaw. Top with the top of the buns. Serve immediately.
• You can also serve this individual brioche or kaiser rolls.

root beer BBQ sauce

• Place all ingredients in a saucepan and whisk together until combined. Heat oven medium heat and bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and cook for 30 to 60 minutes, until thickened. Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and let sit at room temperature until it cools and thickens even more.

creamy jalapeño slaw

• Place the cabbage, red onion, apples and jalapeños in a large bowl. Toss in the cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, yogurt, sugar, vinegar, mustard powder, celery salt and a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Pour the wet ingredients over the cabbage and toss well. I like to let this sit for 15 minutes before serving on top of the sandwiches! You can also make it an hour or so ahead of time and let it chill in the fridge. Leftovers are delicious, but get slightly less crisp when kept overnight.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Author: How Sweet Eats

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