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 is available at the grocery store.
Blackberry BBQ sauce is terrific in any recipe that calls for barbecue sauce. Try it on chicken or pork chops. It’s delicious as a dipping sauce too!
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tenderloin 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 crock pot 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 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 Pork Tenderloin in Blackberry BBQ Sauce
Add all of the recipe 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!
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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!
- 1/2 cup blackberry preserves seedless
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 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
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Add the first 6 ingredients to a small bowl and stir until well-combined.
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Reserve 1/3 cup of sauce for serving time. (The reserved sauce should never touch the raw meat.)
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Place pork and onions in the crock pot.
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Pour the remaining sauce over the pork and onions.
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Cook on low for 6-8 or high 4-6 hours.
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Shred pork using two forks.
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Serve on hamburger rolls spooning reserved sauce on top, if desired.
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Oh my what a scrumptious recipe for pork! What a way to brighten up BBQ and give it another level of wonderful flavor.
Thanks Renee! It’s like makeover for BBQ!
Interesting! That would be lovely to have a tangy twist to it! Thanks for sharing! That is great! Will definitely give it a try 🙂
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you like it.
Yum! This sounds so interesting!! I love the berry twist. I’m breaking out my slow cooker a lot lately, and this sounds like the perfect thing to try. 🙂
Thanks Christine. I end up using my crock pot a lot more this time of year too.
What a fun idea for pulled pork! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Thanks! I hope you like it.
I never had pork and blackberries together but I do like pork with other berries like cranberries and raspberries!
It’s amazing how well fruit pairs with pork. Cranberries and raspberries sounds delish.
I am probably the only person on the planet who has never made a shredded pork dish – I will definitely be giving this one a try!
Thanks Deb! I hope you like it. It’s tasty on chicken too though!
Mmm this sounds so good! It makes me want to buy a slow cooker.
Thanks Carla! I love the flexibility of a crock pot…not sure what I would do without it some days. 🙂
Hmmm . . . Maybe a new twist on meatballs in BBQ sauce.
Absolutely! Great idea.
I adore pulled pork, but have yet to try it with blackberries. Since blackberries are one of my favorite fruits, I just know I will love this!
What a great strategy to use up the leftover jam! I want that for dinner.
I made this using pork tenderloin and oh my goodness, the flavor was spectacular! I especially loved the blackberry bbq sauce, so unique and so delicious.
Thanks for your comment! 🙂
This is pretty much my dream summer dinner. Perfect for eating on my deck at the end of a long day!
Yes! Sounds like a perfect evening!