Healthier Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Some easy tricks to making healthier pulled pork sandwiches include using a leaner cut of meat, choosing a lower-calorie barbecue sauce, and serving your sandwiches with smaller buns and a lower-fat coleslaw. To top it all off, this recipe is made in the slow cooker, so it doesn't get easier than this!

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 6 hr
• Total Time: 6 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 351 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup water
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
• ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 ½ pounds lean boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• ½ teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper, or more to taste
• ½ cup vinegar-based barbecue sauce
• 8 (2 ounce) whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted
• 4 cups prepared coleslaw

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Put onion in a 4-quart slow cooker; top with pork. Stir chili powder, paprika, cumin, chipotle pepper, black pepper, and dry mustard together in a small bowl; sprinkle over pork. Pour water over pork. Cook, covered, on Low until pork is very tender, about 6 hours.

Step 2

Remove pork from slow cooker and shred with 2 forks. Return pork to juices in the cooker. Stir in barbecue sauce.

Step 3

Spoon 1/3 cup pork evenly onto each bun bottom; top each with 1/2 cup slaw and top bun.