Make a big batch of savory Shredded Pork Sliders for your next get-together or for dinner. They're served on sweet rolls with sautéed onions and a seasoned sauce.
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Based on a church supper-style pan of sandwiches, this is a recipe that can feed a crowd. Shredded Pork Sliders are full of flavorful pork, onions, and spicy cheese.
They bake under a blanket of savory, seasoned butter sauce—the pulled pork sliders soak up the sauce and all that flavor while the fillings heat through and get melty.
Why you'll love this recipe
Shredded Pork Sliders is a dish that’s easy on the cook, because the recipe includes slow cooker pulled pork. Cook up seasoned pork loin in a slow cooker in just a couple of hours. Another option is to use pulled pork leftover from the smoker or barbecue.
The seasoned butter sauce is a key part of this pulled pork sandwich recipe. The sauce adds so much flavor to the entire sandwich and also keeps the sliders moist as they heat through in the oven.
The recipe makes twelve, little pulled pork buns that are perfect to put out as an appetizer, serve at a Super Bowl party, or to make as a fun and casual dinner for your family!
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🔪 How to make Shredded Pork Sliders
Ingredients:
- Pork loin: Pick up a pre-seasoned pork loin filet in a Southwest or or other spicy flavor rub.
- Onion: Sautéed sliced onions go into these easy pulled pork sliders—choose yellow, Spanish, or sweet Vidalia onions.
- Hawaiian sweet rolls: The rolls for pulled pork that I use are King's Hawaiian sweet rolls. You can also try brioche or other varieties of dinner rolls or slider buns.
- Pepper Jack cheese: To give the sliders a little kick, grated pepper Jack cheese is tucked inside the sliders.
- Butter: The sliders are so flavorful, thanks in part to a buttery basting sauce! Use salted or unsalted butter.
- Oil: A little vegetable is all you need to sear the outside of the pork before slow-cooking it.
- Seasonings: To add flavor to the butter sauce, add salt, pepper, and ancho chili powder.
Cook the pork
Sear the pieces of pork loin, then place them in the slow cooker to cook for about 1-½ hours. To make pulled pork from the pork loin, when it's cool enough to handle use two forks or your fingers to pull it into shreds.
Prepare the onions and the rolls
Sauté the onions, and preheat the oven. Lay out the bottoms of the slider rolls in a baking pan.
Assemble the sliders
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Layer over the bottoms of the buns the shredded pork, sautéed onions, and the cheese. Add the tops of the buns. Pour a seasoned butter mixture over the whole thing.
Bake the sliders
Cover the pan in foil and bake the pulled pork sliders on Hawaiian rolls in the oven, until they are hot throughout and the cheese has melted. Serve the sliders while they are warm.
FAQs
There are all kinds of sides you can serve with these savory little sandwiches. For parties, make a batch of French fries or tater tots. At Super Bowl parties, set these sliders next to the Crock Pot of chili or platter or meatballs, so guests can take a little of everything. Turn them into a small meal with a bowls of soup on the side. Making pulled pork sliders for dinner? Serve them with mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or steamed veggies.
Yes, you can prepare this recipe the day before, then baste and bake them up right before you need them. Follow the steps to cook the pork and onions, and assemble the sliders in the pan—do not add the butter sauce yet. Wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the sliders overnight. The next day, prepare the butter sauce, pour it over the top of the sliders, and bake them according to the recipe.
When choosing a cheese for the pulled pork sliders, look for those that melt well and have a good flavor to pair with the seasoned meat. I like pepper Jack, which melts smoothly and has a light kick. Other cheeses to try are Monterey Jack, cheddar, gouda, and Swiss.
If your sliders are all baked up but you're not quite ready to serve them, cover the pan with foil and set them inside a warm oven. The temperature should be very low so that the meat doesn't dry out. Try to limit this to 30 minutes maximum—if it's going to be hours until you can serve them, it's best to hold them in the fridge and then rewarm the sliders just before you want to serve them.
Tips:
- You can choose to use pork shoulder in place of the pork loin—though it will require about 8 hours in the slow cooker, so plan for the extra time. See the option section in the recipe below for instructions.
- If preferred, leftover or store-bought pulled pork can be used. Just be sure it has a savory, and/or spicy flavoring to contrast with the sweet rolls and cooked onions.
- I use sweet King’s Hawaiian rolls in this recipe. Other slider rolls work just as well if you prefer a less sweet bread.
You will love the sweet-savory flavor combination of seasoned pork, sautéed onions, and spicy Pepper Jack cheese on soft Hawaiian rolls.
The recipe for these Shredded Pork Sliders is below! And here are a few more savory, baked recipes for you:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Shredded Pork Sliders
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 1½ pounds seasoned pork loin filet (If using an unseasoned filet rub it with a Southwest spice blend. See below for an option to use pork shoulder instead of the loin.)
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced into ½-inch thick rings (about 10 ounces)
- 12 Hawaiian small sweet rolls, like King's Hawaiian (Or use regular slider rolls or small brioche slider rolls.)
- 8 ounces Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
- ½ cup butter
- 2 teaspoons dried ancho chili pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cook the pork:
- Have a slow cooker switched onto low and waiting.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Slice the pork loin into 4 or 5 large chunks. When the oil is hot add in the pork and sear it all over, using tongs to turn the pieces. Once seared remove the pork pieces to the slow cooker.
- Add ½ cup of water to the skillet to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits. Pour this liquid into the slow cooker over the pork.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook the pork for about 1¼ to 1½ hours, until it reaches an internal temperature of 140° F.
- Remove the pork from the crock pot. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
- When it's cool enough to handle, shred the pork—you can use two forks like many recipes suggest, but I find it's easiest just to use your fingers.
- (Note: you can also use leftover pulled pork instead of cooking the pork loin. Use about 4 cups of shredded, cooked pork.)
Cook the onions:
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of canola oil over medium heat in a small nonstick pan. Add in the sliced onion and stir to coat the onions in oil.
- Cook them over medium heat, stirring the onions occasionally while cooking, for about 10 minutes. The onions will be softened and browned in places. Remove the pan from the heat.
Assemble the sliders:
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Lay out the bottoms of the slider rolls 3 rows by 4 rows in a 13x9-inch baking dish.
- Arrange the shredded pork in an even layer over the rolls. Top the pork with the sautéed onions, spreading them evenly over all the sliders.
- (Hold aside the pan used to cook the onions.)
- Sprinkle the shredded Pepper Jack cheese evenly over the sliders, and the put the tops of the rolls in place.
Make the butter sauce:
- Melt the butter over medium heat in the pan you used to cook the onions. Whisk in the ancho chili pepper powder, garlic powder, and the salt.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the melted butter mixture over the sliders. Spread it evenly so that the butter coats the tops of every slider. Sometimes the spices will settle towards the bottom so try to scoop these up with every basting. Use the entire butter mixture.
Bake:
- Wrap the pan in foil and place it in the oven. Bake the sliders for 20 to 30 minutes—remove them from the oven before the tops and spices on top get too browned. They should be hot all the way through and the cheese melted.
- Use a spatula to remove and serve the sliders while they're hot.
- Leftover sliders can be stored wrapped in the fridge. Warm up cold sliders covered with foil in a 400° F oven for about 25 minutes.
OPTION: PORK SHOULDER
- Pork shoulder can used in place of the pork loin - it will take 8 hours to cook in a slow cooker, so plan for this extra time.
- Use a boneless pork shoulder, approximately 4 pounds. Cut the shoulder into 2 or 3 pieces. Rub the pieces all over with a Southwest spice blend or other spicy blend of your choosing.
- Place the pieces in a slow cooker with about 1 cup of stock or water. Cook the shoulder on low for 8 hours until it's fall-apart tender.
- Shred the pork, removing any pieces of fat.
Notes
- Pork shoulder can be used in place of the pork loin, though it will require about 8 hours in the slow cooker.
- If preferred, leftover or store-bought pulled pork can be used. Just be sure it has a nice, savory and/or spicy flavoring to contrast with the sweet rolls and cooked onions. You will need about 4 cups.
- I use sweet King's Hawaiian rolls in this recipe, but any type of slider roll will work just as well.
Nutrition
Sue says
Mine were delicious if you got over them being burnt. 400* is too high for cooked meat and melting cheese when you pour butter over them. The King rolls package only shows 300* for a few minutes. Are you sure yours weren't burnt at that temp?
Nancy Mock says
Hello Sue, I'm sorry to hear this. This temp has always worked for me with this slider recipe, however I appreciate hearing this feedback. Just to confirm what's in the directions, the pan of sandwiches should be covered with foil, and the sliders should be checked for doneness at the 20-minute mark. Thanks, Sue.
Lana says
What do you recommend seasoning the left over pork with?
Nancy Mock says
Hi Lana! If you’re using leftover pork for these sliders, I recommend using a spicy seasoning since the rolls and onion are on the sweet side. Some good choices are a Southwest seasoning blend, taco sauce, or a spicy barbecue sauce. You can get creative here, and how spicy the blend or sauce you use is, of course, up to you. I hope this helps!
Brian says
Made these for football Sunday and they were a huge hit with all!! Delicious!
Nancy Mock says
Brian, I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks for giving these sliders a try!
Rongo Waerea says
So good!!! Served with potato salad and made for a fabulous dinner
Thanks
Nancy Mock says
Rongo, thank you for this amazing feedback, this is one of my family’s favorites as well. Great call on pairing the sliders with potato salad!