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This pork recipe is one of my family’s go-tos, especially in cold winter months or when I need a no-fuss recipe that makes plenty of leftovers.

Prep: 20 minsCook: 6-8 hours on lowTotal: 6 hours, 20 minutes
Servings: 6-7 servings 1x

Ingredients

  • 2 ½3 lbs boneless pork shoulder or Boston butt 
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons fine salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil (may substitute olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped (2-2 ½ cups)
  • ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • ½ cup white wine (may substitute an additional ½ cup broth + 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar)
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced (2 ½ tablespoons)
  • 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 16 oz baby or petite yellow potatoes, bite-size (if larger, cut in half)
  • 12 oz carrots (about 5 medium), peeled and cut into chunks
  • Bundle of fresh thyme and fresh rosemary, optional
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch (or 2 ¼ teaspoons arrowroot starch)

Instructions

  1. Pat pork shoulder with a paper towel to absorb liquid. Set aside.
  2. Place a large cast iron skillet or other heavy pan on the stovetop over medium high heat
  3. While the skillet is heating, prepare the pork rub. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix well, then rub all over the pork. 
  4. Add the oil to the hot skillet and swirl to coat. 
  5. When the oil is hot, place the pork in the skillet and sear for about 2 minutes on each side.
  6. Meanwhile, place the onion in the bottom of the slow cooker. When the pork is seared on all sides, place it over top of the onion in the slow cooker
  7. Add the broth, wine, and minced garlic to the hot skillet to deglaze it. Scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan and bring the liquid to a boil. 
  8. Reduce the heat and simmer the liquid for 2 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. 
  9. Stir in the mustard. Pour the liquid over the pork in the slow cooker
  10. Top the pork with the potatoes and carrots. Sprinkle the potatoes and carrots with salt and pepper, then add the fresh herb bundle.
  11. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours*. You’ll know it’s done with the pork falls apart easily and the vegetables are fork tender.

To make the gravy (optional):

  1. To make the gravy, transfer about 1 ½ cups of the liquid from the slow cooker to a small saucepan. 
  2. In a small dish, stir together 1 tablespoon of water with 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch until a smooth slurry forms. 
  3. Slowly add the slurry to the liquid in the saucepan. 
  4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Whisk continuously until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. 
  5. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve gravy over the pork and vegetables.

Notes

*We recommend low heat for this recipe, not high.

While a pork shoulder roast (also called a Boston butt, picnic roast, or butt roast) is ideal for this style of crock pot recipe, you may substitute a boneless pork loin for a leaner option. 

This slow cooker pork roast recipe makes 24 ounces of cooked pork, 7 cups of cooked veggies, and 1 ½ cups of gravy. That’s typically enough to serve 6 to 7 people, or a smaller number of people with leftovers.

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
  • Calories: 350
  • Fat: 12 g
  • (Sat Fat: 3 g)
  • Sodium: 943 mg
  • Carbohydrate: 23 g
  • (Fiber: 5 g
  • Sugar: 5 g)
  • Protein: 35 g
  • Cholesterol: 123 mg

Dietary

© The Real Food Dietitians
Recipe By: Stacie Hassing