When the day is hot and busy, a slow cooker dinner can feel like a little gift to yourself. This simple late-summer recipe keeps the ingredient list short and the hands-on time low, while still giving you a rich, savory main dish that tastes like you worked much harder than you did. It is the kind of meal that lets dinner take care of itself while you enjoy a long evening outside.
This dish is especially nice served over hot rice, buttered noodles, mashed potatoes, or soft sandwich rolls to soak up every bit of the dark, glossy sauce. For something fresh on the side, I like to add sweet corn, sliced tomatoes, a crisp slaw, or simple green beans, which all balance the deep slow-cooked flavor beautifully.
3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Late Summer Lifesaver
Servings: 6
Ingredients
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or chuck roast
1 cup dark barbecue sauce
1 packet dry onion soup mix
Directions
1. Place the pork shoulder or chuck roast in the slow cooker and sprinkle the dry onion soup mix evenly over the top.
2. Pour the barbecue sauce over the meat, covering as much of the surface as you can. Put the lid on and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until very tender.
3. Shred the meat right in the slow cooker using two forks, then stir it into the sauce so every piece is coated. Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
4. Serve warm over rice, potatoes, noodles, or on sandwich rolls with your favorite summer sides.
Variations & Tips
For sandwiches: Pile the saucy shredded meat onto toasted sandwich rolls and add a scoop of coleslaw for a simple backyard-style supper.
For picky eaters: Serve the shredded meat plain on the side first, then let everyone add as much sauce as they like. This is a good way to keep dinner friendly for different tastes at the table.
To make it sweeter or smokier: Use a honey barbecue sauce for a sweeter flavor or a hickory-style sauce for a deeper smoky taste. With only three ingredients, the sauce you choose really shapes the whole dish.
For easier cleanup: Spray the slow cooker insert lightly with cooking spray before adding the meat. That little step can make washing up much simpler later on.
If the sauce seems too thin: After shredding, leave the lid off and let the mixture sit on warm for 10 to 15 minutes so the sauce thickens a bit before serving.