Slow-Cooker Garlic Butter Pork Shoulder with Peppers and Onions

This slow-cooker pork shoulder recipe is the definition of set-it-and-forget-it. A hefty 4-pound roast goes into the crockpot with just a pile of sweet peppers, onions, and a few pats of garlic-herb butter. Hours later, you come back to a pot of tender, shreddable pork swimming in a rich, savory gravy. It's the kind of meal that makes a busy weeknight feel like a Sunday supper, and it takes all of 15 minutes to prep.

There's something deeply satisfying about watching a humble pork shoulder transform into a pot of succulent, pull-apart meat with almost no effort. This recipe leans on the slow cooker to do all the heavy lifting.

The pork simmers gently in its own juices, mingling with the natural sweetness of bell peppers and onions, while garlic-herb butter melts into a silky, aromatic sauce. The result is a dish that tastes like it simmered all day on a stove—because it did, just in the crockpot. Serve it over buttered noodles, pile it onto sandwiches, or enjoy it straight from the pot.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

The magic of this recipe lies in the cut of meat. Pork shoulder, also known as Boston butt, is marbled with fat and connective tissue that breaks down slowly over hours of low, moist heat. As the collagen melts, it turns into gelatin, which gives the meat its signature tenderness and keeps it moist and juicy. The slow cooker's gentle, even heat allows this transformation to happen without any risk of drying out, so you can walk away and come back to perfectly cooked pork.

The combination of sweet peppers, onions, and garlic-herb butter is a flavor powerhouse that needs no additional seasoning. The peppers and onions soften and caramelize slightly as they cook, releasing their natural sugars into the surrounding liquid.

The compound butter, with its blend of garlic, herbs, and butter, melts and emulsifies with the meat juices to create a rich, savory gravy that clings to every shred of pork. Every element works in harmony, and the result is a dish that's far greater than the sum of its parts.

Notes and substitutions

The star of this dish is the garlic-herb compound butter, often called cowboy butter. It's a mixture of softened butter, minced garlic, fresh or dried herbs, and sometimes a pinch of chili flakes or lemon zest. You can buy it pre-made or whip up your own in minutes.

If you're using store-bought, look for one that's not too salty, as the pork will season the dish naturally. For a homemade version, combine 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter with 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and a pinch of black pepper.

Boneless pork shoulder is ideal here because it's easy to shred and cooks evenly. If you can only find bone-in, that's fine—just increase the cook time by an hour or two and remove the bone before shredding.

As for the vegetables, any color bell pepper works, but a mix of red and green provides both sweetness and a bit of bitterness. Sweet yellow onions are preferred for their mild flavor, but regular yellow onions will do. This recipe is very forgiving, so feel free to adjust the vegetable amounts to your liking.

• boneless pork shoulder: bone-in pork shoulder (increase cook time by 1–2 hours; remove bone before shredding)
• garlic-herb compound butter: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter mixed with 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• sweet yellow onions: white or red onions (reduce cook time slightly if using red, as they soften faster)
• bell peppers: 2 cups jarred roasted red peppers, drained and sliced (add in the last 2 hours of cooking)

Equipment

• 6-quart slow cooker
• cutting board
• chef's knife
• serving spoon
• tongs or two forks for shredding