Irresistible Traeger Grill Pulled Pork with Rainbow Slaw
July 25, 2018
Nothing says “summer” more than some Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Rainbow Slaw. This ultimate crowd-pleaser is perfect for big group dinners, family picnics, or neighborhood barbecues.

CROWD PLEASERS
Nothing says “summer” more than some Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Rainbow Slaw. This ultimate crowd-pleaser is perfect for big group dinners, family picnics, or neighborhood barbecues. The rainbow slaw in this recipe adds a beautiful color, perfect crunch, and spunk to really set this meal apart!
THE METHOD
My favorite way to create these heavenly juicy sandwiches is to use the Traeger grill. The Traeger grill can smoke that pork shoulder roast to just the perfect temperature without drying out the meat, while still infusing a deep, smoky flavor. And, win-win, you can keep your house cool in the hot summer season by utilizing the Traeger grill method. However, for all the home cooks out there without a Traeger grill, there is still a way to create this recipe using my Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork method.
EQUAL PARTS RUB AND BROWN SUGAR
The beauty of this recipe is that it creates a mouthwatering meal with minimal effort. Just let that shoulder roast rest outside of the refrigerator until room temperature (about 30 minutes) before rubbing it down with the rub and brown sugar mixture. I just love the Traeger Blackened Saskatchewan Rub and the punch of untameable flavor it has, but have been known to use their Jerky Rub on this recipe with delicious results in the past, too.
After you rub the meat down, place it in the Traeger and let the hickory pellets work their magic. Your friends and neighbors will come knocking on your door when they smell the irresistible aroma of this sweet pulled pork roasting for 12-14 hours. For this reason, you may need to double the recipe for the extra company.
FOR THE FINISH
When the meat is finished roasting, it will fall off the bone and go just perfect with some Sweet Baby Rays Bbq Sauce. Just don’t forget that beautiful spread of Rainbow Slaw it adds the perfect crunch and zing to the decadent pork. Good luck eating just one sandwich!
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Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Rainbow Slaw
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 (8 lb.) bone-in pork shoulder roast or Boston Butt
- 1 cup seasoning (I like the Traeger Blackened Saskatchewan Rub – equal parts rub to brown sugar)
- Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce, to taste
- 10 potato buns
- Rainbow Slaw, for serving if desired
Instructions
Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels and let it sit for 30 minutes to come to room temperature. Liberally season all sides of the pork roast with the rub/brown sugar mixture.
Start the Traeger on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (about 5 minutes) – I like using Hickory pellets. Set the temperature to 225°F and preheat with the lid closed, for 10 to 15 minutes.
Place the seasoned pork shoulder on the grill grate, fat-side up, and smoke for 12-14 hours or until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part, but not touching bone, registers 190°F. If the pork starts to brown too much, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
Carefully transfer the pork roast to a cutting board and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Using two large forks or tongs, pull the pork into chunks. Discard the bone and any lumps of fat, including the cap. Pull each chunk into shreds, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Season with additional rub if desired and add barbecue sauce, to taste, and mix well. Or serve the barbecue sauce on the side.
Serve the pulled pork on the potato buns topped with the Rainbow Slaw, if desired.
Notes
This recipe utilizes a Traeger Grill. See Sweet + Spicy Pulled Pork for an oven-friendly pulled pork recipe.