Barbecued Pulled Pork {No Sugar Added}

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Barbecued Pulled Pork is a classic sandwich. Find out how to make pulled pork a little healthier with this sugar-free homemade barbecue sauce recipe! Fits Paleo and Whole30 diet plans.

barbecued-pulled-pork

Barbecued Pulled Pork

In trying to eat a healthier, more natural diet for our mealtimes, one of the main things I missed was barbecue sauce. I love grilled barbecued chicken, barbecued pulled pork…and hamburgers with barbecue flavor? The best.

After I got over griping and complaining that I couldn’t buy a bottled barbecue sauce and pour it over all of my meat, I decided to go looking for a sugar-free homemade barbecue sauce that fit with our Whole30 eating plan.

barbecued-pulled-pork

I’ll have to admit that when I first started making this Sugar Free Homemade Barbecued Pulled Pork, I was a little leery and really had not much hope for it.  You throw a bunch of ingredients in the blender and end up with a liquid that doesn’t look like barbecue sauce and doesn’t taste like it, either. But don’t let those facts discourage you. The sauce just needs time to develop it’s flavor during cooking.

What happens with this barbecued pulled pork sauce when it cooks in the slow cooker all day with pork is just amazing.  You end up with very tender pork that is simmered in a barbecued flavor sauce that is actually good for you.  This meat (minus the bun!) fits Paleo, diabetic, and gluten-free eating diets.  And it is a great homemade substitute for barbecue sauce!

barbecued-pulled-pork

You’ll love that this barbecue sauce is sweetened with pineapple.  It’s genius, really, since one of the things that makes barbecue sauce so good is its sweet and tangy flavor.

Don’t be afraid to try this barbecue sauce on other things, too. Serve it over a baked potato or spaghetti squash. Wrap it in a tortilla or stuff it in pita bread.  One important thing though…this sauce needs to cook down for awhile. If you are putting it in the slow cooker with chicken, beef, or pork?  Great! Let it cook all day. Want to marinate chicken in the sauce and grill out?  After blending the sauce, put it in a saucepan and let it simmer on the stove (uncovered) over medium low heat for about 30-45 minutes.  This will allow the flavors to blend and the sauce to cook down a bit.  Then marinate your meat in the sauce as normal.

barbecued-pulled-pork

Enjoy this healthier take on a classic sandwich!

Barbecued Pulled Pork is a classic sandwich. Find out how to make pulled pork a little healthier with this sugar-free homemade barbecue sauce recipe! Fits Paleo and Whole30 diet plans.
Barbecued Pulled Pork is a classic sandwich. Find out how to make pulled pork a little healthier with this sugar-free homemade barbecue sauce recipe! Fits Paleo and Whole30 diet plans.

Barbecued Pulled Pork

4.54 from 15 votes
Barbecued Pulled Pork is a classic sandwich. Find out how to make pulled pork a little healthier with this sugar-free homemade barbecue sauce recipe! Fits Paleo and Whole30 diet plans.
Servings 20
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes

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Ingredients
 

  • 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes in juice
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 20 ounces pineapple chunks, with juice
  • 4 pound pork roast

Instructions
 

  • In a blender, combine all ingredients for barbecue sauce and blend it until smooth.
  • Place the pork roast in a slow cooker and pour the desired amount of barbecue sauce over it. (I used about ¾ of the sauce for a 4 pound roast.The sauce will cook down some while it is simmering all day).
  • Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the pork shreds easily with a fork.
  • Using two forks, shred the pork, stir the pulled pork so the sauce mixes all together with the meat.
  • Allow the pork to cook for an additional 30 minutes.
  • Serve over spaghetti squash, on buns, in a tortilla or over a baked potato!

Video

Notes

Sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. If you want to use the sauce for marinade, simmer the sauce in a pan on the stove top for 45 minutes in order to cook it down and allow the flavors to develop. Then use it as a marinade as normal.

Nutrition

Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 309mg | Potassium: 439mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 5.4mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.9mg
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Calories 151

Adapted from The Lucky Penny Blog

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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Anonymous
6 years ago

5 stars
Loved this recipe! I used the instant pot and cooked for 90 min. on high and it came out perfect!

Heather
2 years ago

2 stars
It was so vinegary 😛 I had to take out some of the sauce at the end and add Newman’s BBQ Sauce (which does have cane sugar but is GF). I would make it again but maybe with more pineapple? Not sure but it tasted like vinegar to me.

Janice
4 years ago

4 stars
This recipe was good, I enjoyed it, it was just not what i expected. I could taste the pineapple…that being said…don’t expect it to taste like a BBQ that you think…i followed directions exactly other than i used fresh pineapple because i don’t do added sugar which canned pineapple usually has…it was delicious but i would call this Hawaiian BBQ..thats more like it tastes like..

Kelsey
5 years ago

5 stars
I didn’t have any pineapple so I used peaches instead. The sauce tastes great! Thanks for the recipe!

Molly
5 years ago

5 stars
I am on day 17 of my whole 30 and have been CRAVING Barbeque. This had a great Hawaiian kick to it. I didn’t have any spicy mustard on hand, so I subbed it for equal parts Mina Harissa Moroccan red pepper sauce. Still added a great, spicy kick to balance out the sweetness.

Lauren K
6 years ago

Do all of the ingredients listed other than the pork go in the barbecue sauce?

Catharina Bagordo
6 years ago

5 stars
I tried this recipe and loved it! Pineapple great area to give it naturally a sweet taste without any added sugar!
I made too much sauce how long can I keep it in the fridge or does it freeze well?

Julie
6 years ago

How many does this recipe serve? I’m making pulled pork for a potluck.

Grace
6 years ago

Thinking of using fresh pineapples rather than the canned. The canned ones have sugar in it, right? Or is there any brand without sugar?

Sri
6 years ago

This looks so yummy! But would it be possible to do this in a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot? If so then how long would it take?

Lynne
8 years ago

The recipe says a can of pineapple. What size can?