Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tenderloin in Blackberry BBQ Sauce

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tenderloin in a sweet and tangy Blackberry BBQ Sauce is perfect when you want lots of flavor without fuss!

That's why it's a favorite for entertaining! It has all the appeal of an outdoor barbecue, but it's so much easier. Spend your extra time making fantastic sides, desserts, and decorating!

Plus, you have complete control over the amount of sugar in the sauce.

If you're thinking you need to go out and buy some fancy barbecue sauce, let me set you straight. The secret ingredient is blackberry preserves, which are available at the grocery store.

Blackberry BBQ sauce is terrific in any recipe that calls for barbecue sauce which is why we included it in our cookout recipes. Try it on chicken or pork chops. It's delicious as a dipping sauce too!

Slow Cooker Tips

We made a version of this recipe at our Make-Ahead Meal Kitchen. We used pork shoulders, Boston butts, or picnic shoulders. All of these cuts of meat are delicious.

However, my personal preference for pork made in a crockpot is pork tenderloin. This cut of pork is lean, can be shredded or sliced and is perfect for recipes with lots of flavor like this one or Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Salsa.

Easy Blackberry BBQ Sauce

The star ingredient in this barbecue sauce is blackberry preserves. Or, use blackberry jam. Both are readily available in seedless versions so that annoying seeds don't get stuck in your teeth.

We prefer preserves, which are a little chunkier and contain larger pieces of fruit. The fruit is more thoroughly crushed in jams.

To make your own version using fresh blackberries, substitute blackberries for blueberries in this compote recipe.

The best think about homemade bbq sauces is that you can adjust the sugar content to meet your needs. Reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe by:

• Leaving out the brown sugar
• Using low-sugar ketchup
• Selecting a brand of blackberry preserves that is lower in sugar.

Cayenne pepper gives the sauce kick. Use a pinch or cut it out if you're not into heat.

Make-ahead tip: Blackberry BBQ sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Once we buy a jar of preserves, we adjust the ingredient amounts so that we use it all!

How to Freeze

Add all of the ingredients to a freezer-safe plastic bag. Seal the bag tightly, removing excess air and store in the freezer. Defrost in the refrigerator and cook as you normally would.

Be sure to keep a portion of sauce that has never touched the pork for dipping and drizzling over the pulled pork on serving day.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tenderloin is also a great mid-week meal because it's easy AND you will likely have leftovers for lunches the next day!

Please rate this recipe and tag @DinnerMom or #DinnerMom on social media. We love to see what you are cooking up.

Recipe

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tenderloin in Blackberry BBQ Sauce

Sweet and tangy blackberry bbq sauce is outstanding on slow cooker pulled pork tenderloin, chicken or as a dipping sauce. Perfect when you want lots of flavor and no fuss!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 322kcal

Author: Marjory Pilley

Equipment

• Slow Cooker - Programmable

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup blackberry preserves seedless
• ▢ 1 cup ketchup
• ▢ ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon brown sugar packed
• ▢ 1 onion halved and cut into slices
• ▢ 2 pounds pork I prefer pork tenderloin, but a pork butt is also a good option.
• ▢ 6 Hamburger rolls optional

Instructions

• Add the first 6 ingredients to a small bowl and stir until well-combined.
• Reserve ⅓ cup of sauce for serving time. (The reserved sauce should never touch the raw meat.)
• Place pork and onions in the crock pot.
• Pour the remaining sauce over the pork and onions.
• Cook on low for 6-8 or high 4-6 hours.
• Shred pork using two forks.
• Serve on hamburger rolls spooning reserved sauce on top, if desired.

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Nutrition

Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 768mg | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 5.5mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1.9mg

Nutritional and Food Safety Disclaimer