This six-ingredient pork shoulder roast is juicy, fork-tender, and burnished with a sticky and savory peach barbecue glaze! It’s a perfect, low-effort main dish that serves a crowd. Plus, it’s paleo, gluten-free, and Whole30 compatible!

Two forks are shredding a slow roasted pork shoulder roast before being served.

Easy crowd pleaser!

I’ve slow cooked pork shoulder in the oven for years—experimenting with different times and temperatures—and this simple and nomtastic roast pork shoulder recipe is the BEST way to do it! Simply salt a big pork shoulder roast overnight, crack on some pepper, and slow roast it in the oven for about 5 to 6 hours. While the pork cooks, mix together a simple peach barbecue sauce with just 3 INGREDIENTS and brush it on before the last 30 minutes of cooking. It’s pretty much fool-proof and everyone will rave about it!

Tips on how to make the best pork shoulder roast

Buy a high quality bone-in pork shoulder from your favorite butcher. Ask for a rectangular bone-in pork butt roast with the fat cap intact—you’ll end up with perfectly tender meat!
Salt the pork ahead of time. The longer you have to dry-brine it, the tastier the pork will be!
Roast the pork in a roasting pan with a rack. A whole pork shoulder is going to be heavy so you’ll need a sturdy pan (as opposed to a flimsy and shallow baking sheet). Plus, you’ll be adding water to the pan to prevent the drippings from burning so you’ll want to use a pan with high sides. No roasting pan? A large heavy-duty oven-safe skillet should work!
Don’t be tempted to increase the temperature! A tough, collagen-rich piece of meat like pork shoulder needs to be cooked low and slow. Believe me: I’ve experimented with increasing the temperature (to make the cooking time faster), but the highest you can go while maintaining quality is 325°F. Also, there’s no need to blast the meat with a high temperature at the beginning or end because that’ll result in a dry roast.
Brush on the barbecue sauce at the end! Don’t be tempted to slather on the barbecue sauce at the beginning of the roasting because it will burn. Just do it in the last 30 minutes of cooking! Also, make sure you save some sauce to slather on at the end while the roast is resting out of the oven.

Ingredients to make pork shoulder roast

8- to 10-pound bone-in, whole pork shoulder roast: Technically, I prefer a bone-in, pork butt roast rather than a picnic shoulder or picnic roast. The bone-in pork butt roast is well-marbled and has the fat cap intact (but normally no skin) so the resulting dish will be moist and super shreddable. If you use a smaller roast or a boneless pork butt roast, decrease the cooking time and monitor the internal temperature.
Diamond Crystal kosher salt: You really only need salt and pepper to season this roast, but I sometimes sub one of my Nom Nom Paleo spice blends for an extra kick of flavor.
Freshly ground black pepper
Peach or apricot jam: If you want to keep this dish Whole30-compatible, I recommend using St. Dalfour brand jams that are sweetened only with fruit juice concentrate. It adds natural sweetness without having to add brown sugar or honey.
Coconut aminos: Adds umami and savoriness to the easy barbecue glaze.
Red Boat fish sauce: Don’t leave it out! This is the secret to a tasty 3-ingredient sauce!

How to make a slow roasted pork shoulder roast

Prepare the pork roast

Using a sharp knife, carefully score the fat cap in a 1-inch crosshatch pattern, making sure you don’t cut into the meat.

Sprinkle the salt all over the pork roast. Cover the roast with plastic wrap and stick it in the refrigerator for 12 to 48 hours to dry-brine.

Bake the pork shoulder roast in the oven

When you are ready to slow roast the pork, heat the oven to 325°F with the oven rack in the lowest position. While the oven is heating up, add freshly cracked black pepper all over the pork shoulder roast.

Grab a roasting pan and rack and spray the rack with avocado oil spray or brush on some avocado oil.

Place the pork shoulder roast fat-side up on the rack.

Pour 3 cups of water into the roasting pan, or enough to cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer. The water will keep the drippings from burning and smoking during the long roast.

Roast the pork in the oven for 5 to 6 hours or until a knife is easily inserted and the internal temperature near the bone is 185°F.

Make the peach barbecue sauce

While the pork is roasting in the oven, mix together the jam, coconut aminos, and fish sauce in a small measuring cup or bowl. Measure out and reserve 3 tablespoons of the glaze to brush on the pork at the very end.

Brush on the peach barbecue sauce

When the pork reaches 185°F, brush the top and sides of the roast with the peach jam sauce.

Continue roasting the pork for about 30 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the final temperature is about 195°F. A fork or knife inserted into the roast should slide in easily.

Remove the pork shoulder roast from the oven and brush on the reserved 3 tablespoons of sauce. (Remember? I told you to save some for this step!)

Rest the pork roast

Next, tent the roast with foil and rest it for about 1 hour so the meat can relax and the juices can redistribute. (Don’t worry—the roast will stay plenty hot during that time. You won’t be serving your guests cold pulled pork.)

Slice up the pork with a knife or shred it apart with two forks and enjoy!

What can you serve with it?

How to save leftovers

Before you pack up the leftovers for storage, discard the bone. The remaining boneless pork shoulder meat can be stored in a sealed storage container for up to 4 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.

What can you do with leftover pork shoulder roast?

So many things! Slow roasted pork shoulder is the ultimate emergency protein; you can add it to soups, salads, fried cauliflower rice, stir-fries—you name it! You can also grab some grain-free tortillas and eat the shredded pork with salsa and guacamole for Taco Tuesday!

Other fabulous pork shoulder recipes

[Originally posted on June 25, 2011. Updated with new information and photos on December 12, 2022.]

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).

PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD