Pulled Pork Sandwiches piled high with honey balsamic pork and crunchy cabbage coleslaw makes the perfect dinner for Sunday night football! One bite and you might just forget about the game—it’s ALL about that juicy, sweet and tangy pork!
If you think this Honey Balsamic Pork recipe sounds familiar… it is! Because whenever I make it, I have extras for a second dinner, which means pulled pork sandwiches are on the menu! These sandwiches are mouthwateringly delicious and guaranteed to be a big hit, whether you make them for game day or a weeknight dinner.
Why These Pulled Pork Sandwiches Are a Win
Here’s why these sandwiches belong on your menu ASAP:
- So flavorful. The combination of honey and balsamic vinegar creates a perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess, and then there’s the barbecue sauce—always a win! Tangy, creamy slaw is the perfect finishing touch.
- Easy to make. Just throw all the ingredients in a crock pot, let it cook for 6 hours, then shred the pork and assemble the sandwiches with coleslaw and BBQ sauce. (And they’re even easier if you do it like I did, and use leftover pulled pork!)
- Perfect for game day. These pulled pork sandwiches are the ultimate crowd-pleaser when you’re hosting a game day get together. Use slider buns to make them a handheld appetizer!
What You’ll Need
Here are some notes on what you’ll need to make these pulled pork sandwiches. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches:
- Pulled pork – I use my Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork.
- Buns
- BBQ sauce – We like Sweet Baby Ray’s, but use your favorite!
Cabbage Coleslaw:
- Cabbage – I use a combination of purple and green.
- Mayo – You can swap in plain Greek yogurt for a little more tang.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey
- Seasonings – Black pepper, celery seed, and salt.
- Green onions – These are optional, but I like the pungent bite they add.
How to Make Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Below you’ll find a quick overview of steps for making pulled pork sandwiches. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card.
- Make the pulled pork. Or if you’re using leftovers, warm it up!
- Mix the dressing. Whisk the mayo, apple cider vinegar, honey, black pepper, celery seed and salt in a small bowl.
- Make the coleslaw. Add the cabbage and optional green onion to a large bowl, pour the dressing over the top, and toss to coat. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
- Assemble. Spoon the pork onto toasted buns, then top with barbecue sauce and coleslaw.
Tips and Variation Ideas
Some pointers to make sure your pulled pork sandwiches are perfection:
- Don’t skip that 10 minute marinating time. It really brings the flavors of the slaw together and tames some of the raw cabbage flavor.
- Make them tacos. Switch things up by serving the pulled pork and slaw in warm tortillas!
- Definitely toast the buns. It helps make them sturdier so they don’t go soft on you and fall apart. I warm up the griddle on my stovetop so I can toast a whole bunch of buns all at the same time.
Serving Suggestions
When you’re serving pulled pork sandwiches for dinner, you need some fun sides! Fries are a natural—try my Crispy Baked Garlic Parmesan Fries, Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, or these Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries with Honey Sriracha Aioli for a bit of heat.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
For maximum freshness, you’ll want to store everything separately.
- Refrigerator: Store the pulled pork and coleslaw separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep the buns at room temperature or stored according to the package directions.
- To reheat: Reheat these sandwiches just like you made them! Warm up the pulled pork, then assemble.
More Game Day Faves
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
- Category: Pork
- Method: Crock Pot
- Cuisine: American
Description
Piled high with honey balsamic pork and crunchy cabbage coleslaw, these easy pulled pork sandwiches are the perfect game day dinner!
Ingredients
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
- Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork
- 8 Buns
- BBQ Sauce – use your favorite (we use Sweet Baby Rays)
Cabbage Coleslaw:
- 2 cups of green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 cup purple cabbage
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- optional: 1/4 cup chopped green onions
Instructions
- Make the Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork. (will take about 6 hours in the Crock Pot)
- In a small bowl, mix mayo, apple cider vinegar, honey, black pepper, celery seed and salt. Whisk to combine.
- To a large bowl add both cabbages and pour dressing over top. Gently to toss to coat everything and let sit for 10 minutes or so to let everything soak together. (optional: you would add green onions here if you want them)
- Serve on toasted buns with the pulled pork and cabbage coleslaw.
22 comments on “Pulled Pork Sandwiches”
This looks so good! I love recipes that come from joyfulhealthyeats, I would be totally happy stuffing my face with a big slice of this sandwiches.
haha.. thanks Sutton!
Please excuse me as I wipe away the drool. These look amazing!!!! Loving that slaw!
haha.. thanks Chris!
Loving the look of that pulled pork Krista, seriously mouthwatering!
Thanks Mike!
I’m not sure if I told you yet or not but I’m obsessed with your site! Everything looks awesome Krista! And these sandwiches look gorgeous – I wish I had one right now for breakfast 🙂 Pinned!
Oh… blushing!!!! Thanks so much Chelsea that means alot coming from you girl! Every time I look at YOUR site I think the same thing!!! 🙂 Thanks for the pin chica and the sweet comments, made my night!
That lime slaw! This looks like a killer sandwich!
thanks so much Rachel, hope you get a chance to try it!
That lime slaw is over the top with this porky sandwich. You are right, my man would love this. Great recipe, I must use my crock pot more often! Thanks 🙂
haha… love that you called it porky sandwich! 🙂 Thanks for the sweet comment girl!
I’m so confused as to when football actually starts. I keep seeing games, so I thought it was already going. Haha These sandwiches look so delicious! I’d love to take a big bite 😀
haha.. yeah those are the preseason games. The first game is next week thursday, sooo.. now ya know. 🙂
Hope you get a chance to chow down on this sandwich during a game girl!
Krista, I love this!! I just bought some pork and this is in my lineup!! Thank you for sharing. Yum!! (The pictures are fantastic, too!)
Ohhh… thanks so much Elizabeth! Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!
I LOVE football, but I’m mostly in the kitchen doing stuff and the game is in the background. I’ve lost touch with which players are on what teams, so the fantasy football sounds so fun! I might just have to do that. 🙂 These pulled pork sandwiches look out of this world good, and I love that lime coleslaw. Perfect for Game Day!
It is seriously so much fun Marcie. One year our league didn’t happen bc we didn’t have enough ladies interested so I just went onto ESPN and joined some random league… played against some guys and WON! it was so much fun!
So glad you loved that recipe, it is seriously amazing. Love the balsamic flavor – delish!
Mouthwatering! I love that pulled pork is great for so much food once you make the recipe one time. It’s great for leftovers.
I know right.. its the gift that keeps giving. 🙂
Oh man!! This looks fantastic! I know it is only 8am, but I could totally go for one right now! 🙂
I know right!?! Thanks Annie!