Slow Cooker BBQ Pork and Beans

Name: Slow Cooker BBQ Pork and Beans
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 3 to 3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of more than 1/4-inch fat; Kosher salt and black pepper; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1 cup store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce; 1 chipotle in adobo, finely chopped, plus more to taste; 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, plus more to taste; 2 (14-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed; 6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

By Ali Slagle

Updated June 23, 2023

Slow Cooker BBQ Pork and Beans — Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Total Time: 8½ to 10 ½ hours
Rating: 4(1,373)
Comments: Read comments

Pork and beans are cooked together in a slow cooker for mutually beneficial results (If you don't have a slow cooker, you can do it in a pot in the oven.) As the pork shoulder and barbecue sauce braise in the oven, the sauce soaks up the pork juices while the pork tenderizes. Then, beans are added to soak up the deeply concentrated sauce. The recipe uses store-bought barbecue sauce enhanced with the smoky heat of canned chipotles in adobo and brown sugar, which helps glaze the pork. Because every barbecue sauce is different, taste and adjust yours as needed. (For a more acidic sauce, add apple cider vinegar with the beans, or you can increase the sweetness with added sugar.) To serve, slice the pork or shred it into pulled pork.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

3 to 3½pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of more than ¼-inch fat
Kosher salt and black pepper
1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1cup store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce
1chipotle in adobo, finely chopped, plus more to taste
3tablespoons light brown sugar, plus more to taste
2(14-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed
6garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Season the pork all over with 1 tablespoon salt and and ¾ teaspoon pepper. In a large Dutch oven or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the pork shoulder and sear until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, in your slow cooker, stir together the barbecue sauce, chipotle and brown sugar. Taste the mixture and adjust sweetness with brown sugar and spice with chipotle.
Step 3
Add browned pork to the barbecue sauce and turn to coat in the sauce. Add the beans and garlic to the sauce around the pork. Cover and cook on low until the meat falls apart when prodded with a fork, 8 to 10 hours.
Step 4
Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Skim excess fat from the top if desired, then season the beans to taste with salt and pepper. Slice the pork against the grain into ½-inch thick slices, or shred the pork with two forks. Serve the pork with the beans.

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,373 user ratings

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Comments

Jennifer5 years ago

In the Instant Pot, brown the pork on sauté, then remove to a platter. Sauté the onions and garlic, then add one cup of broth and deglaze the vessel to prevent burning. Add the meat back in, pour the bbq sauce over, and pressure cook on high for 55 minutes. Ours came out falling apart tender. We cooked the beans in our other Instant Pot, drained them and added them to the meat after it had been chopped. We will refrigerate all night, then skim fat in the morning and reheat.

DanY5 years ago

I remember watching Cook's Illustrated on PBS and they did a tasting test on store bought barbecue sauces. The one that came out on top, and we think is a very good alternative to homemade, is Bull’s-Eye Original BBQ Sauce.

Mary P5 years ago

I like Stubbs!

manny3 months ago

Tasted great. Cooked for an extra 1.5 hours for a 4-lb. Could have used more time for the meat to rip a little easier.

Jason4 months ago

Definitely need the onion as mentioned below and more beans. My big question is serving it. It is more like a sloppy joe than a piece of meant on a plate with beans. It tastes ok but I'd not make it again.

Andrew B5 months ago

Just made this. Turned out great. Recipe mod: I diced one small yellow onion and sautéd that with the garlic before adding to the sauce mix. Next time, I’ll likely add one more can of beans and increase the sauce mix by 50%.

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