Slowcooker BBQ Pork Tenderloin Sliders
I am almost embarrassed to share this super simple recipe of Slowcooker BBQ Pork Tenderloin Sliders. Not because it isn’t delicious — as it most certainly is! But because it is so EASY! It is also mostly hands off since it cooks in the slowcooker all day. And there are so many ways to vary the taste of the meat since the recipe relies on a couple of bottles of barbecue sauce.
Wondering about which bottles of barbecue sauce to use? Easy. Simply start with your taste buds; your favorite thick barbecue sauce and a super thin vinegary barbecue sauce. The combination of the two textures of sauce works well in a slow cooker. The thicker sauces used by themselves can easily burn when cooked for several hours. Combining the thick sauce with the thinner vinegary sauce provides just the right thickness of sauce for slow cooking.
My favorite ones to use are: my husband’s homemade sauce, which is thick and spicy sweet, mixed with a bottle of Saw’s barbecue sauce. Or Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce (any flavor) with Ollie’s barbecue sauce. The main considerations for me are a smoky sweet flavor profile in the thick sauce combined with a thinner sauce with a vinegary peppery profile. The possibilities are limitless though!
With this Slowcooker BBQ Pork Tenderloin Sliders recipe, the pork tenderloin always turns out perfect. It shreds easily, either with two forks or cut with kitchen shears (my preferred method). On the sliders, place the meat on top of cheddar cheese slices and top with sweet hot jalapenos. Done.
Oh, and by the way, you can use the meat for more than just sliders. Try it on nachos with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, jalepenos, sour cream and sharp shredded cheddar. Or try in tacos with corn, sweet onion, shredded jalapeno jack cheese, greek yogurt or sour cream, and chopped cilantro. Also delicious– serve this saucy cooked pork tenderloin in a bowl on top of some egg noodles topped with sour cream, fresh chopped jalapenos (just a little), and green onions.
I love these sliders with a side of sweet potato fries and my Jalapeno Ranch Coleslaw. Easy recipe, tons of options. Can’t beat that! Enjoy!
Slowcooker BBQ Pork Tenderloin Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 package pork tenderloins, trimmed of visible fat about 2 pounds or so
- 1 bottle thick barbecue sauce I like Sweet Baby Ray's
- 1 bottle North Carolina style vinegar based barbecue sauce
- sliced white cheddar cheese fold in half and then into fourths to fit on the slider buns
- slider buns
- sweet hot jalapenos, optional, for serving I like Trader Joe's Sweet Hot Jalapenos
Instructions
- Spray the bottom and sides of a medium to large sized slow cooker with cooking spray. Add the pork tenderloins. Pour the thick barbecue sauce on top of the tenderloins, followed by the thinner sauce. Using tongs, move the tenderloins around to mix the sauce somewhat.
- Cover and cook on high 1 hour, followed by low for about 5-6 hours, until meat is done and easily shredded. When done, leave in the slow cooker and, using cooking shears, cut the meat into small pieces that will fit on slider buns.
- To serve, place a piece or two of sliced cheese on the bottom of the slider bun and add the barbecue meat on top. I like to pile the meat on and eat with a fork and knife open faced. Place a few slices of sweet hot jalapenos on top, if desired. Sweet potato fries and Jalapeno Ranch Slaw are perfect sides! Enjoy!