Here’s a delicious and easy Slow Cooker Pineapple Pork recipe! I’ll make it detailed so it’s foolproof.
Ingredients (4-6 servings)
- 2–3 lbs (900 g–1.4 kg) pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into large chunks
- 1 can (20 oz / 565 g) pineapple chunks, with juice
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) brown sugar (light or dark)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated or ground
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes for heat
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (for thickening, optional)
- 2 tablespoons water (for thickening, optional)
- Green onions and sesame seeds for garnish
- Cooked rice or noodles, for serving
Instructions
- Prep the pork
- Trim excess fat from the pork shoulder and cut into large chunks.
- Optional: Sear the pork in a hot skillet for 2–3 minutes per side to deepen flavor.
- Mix the sauce
- In a bowl, combine pineapple juice (reserve chunks separately), soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.
- Assemble in the slow cooker
- Place pork chunks in the slow cooker.
- Pour the sauce over the pork.
- Add chopped onion and pineapple chunks.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Cook
- Low: 6–8 hours
- High: 3–4 hours
- Pork should be very tender and easy to shred with a fork.
- Optional thickening
- Remove pork and keep warm.
- Mix cornstarch with water to make a slurry and stir into the slow cooker sauce.
- Cook on high for 10–15 minutes until thickened.
- Serve
- Shred or slice the pork, return it to the sauce, and stir to coat.
- Serve over rice or noodles.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
✅ Tips for best results:
- Pineapple contains enzymes that help tenderize pork—perfect for slow cooking.
- If you like it sweeter, add 1–2 tablespoons of honey or more brown sugar.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day as the flavors meld.
If you want, I can also make a quick 5-ingredient version that’s almost no prep and just tosses everything in the slow cooker. It’s super convenient.
Do you want me to do that?
