This slow cooker Thai pork is a delicious switch up from my usual comfort food recipes. It’s simple to make, and my kids absolutely love it, too.
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It’s comfort food time for me, and I have been putting my crock pot to good use with everything from Italian pot roast to carnitas to pulled pork and more. This is what I do all winter long, and I know I’m not alone.
Of course – just like my winter wardrobe – I am getting tired of the same meals week after week. I’ve been getting more creative lately, and everyone has been loving it.
Just because we use some different ingredients doesn’t mean that it isn’t family friendly, and this crockpot version of Thai peanut pork is the perfect example. It is also dairy free, and it can easily be made gluten free, too.
Granted, some of the ingredients may not be ones you use on a regular basis, but trust me these are worth picking up to use in a variety of dishes, whether they’re traditionally Asian or not. Fish sauce adds such great depth of flavor to so many dishes, and a little bit goes a long way.
It gives so much of that umami flavor to so many dishes from chicken egg roll in a bowl to Asian inspired turkey burgers and more. Do not try this by itself, as it has a strong flavor that isn’t very pleasant, but it’s perfect as an accent in many dishes.
With just a few ingredients and a simple prep, this comforting dish is a perfect weeknight crock pot dinner. It gets me out of my dinner rut without being complicated with time consuming prep.
What kind of pork should I use in this recipe?
I usually use a pork loin because my grocery store tends to have this on sale frequently. It shreds well and absorbs the flavors of the dish perfectly.
You can also use pork shoulder, a Boston butt, or even a picnic roast. Those are fattier cuts of meat, so be sure to trim excess fat from them.
You will also want to skim the fat from the juices when this finishes cooking and discard about a third of them. With pork loin, you do not need to do this.
How can I make this slow cooker pork gluten free?
The only gluten in this recipe comes from the soy sauce. In place of the soy sauce, substitute an equal amount of amino acids or tamari.
Why should I sear my meat before I cook it?
When you sear your meat, you create additional flavor that you don’t want to miss. You can definitely taste the difference at the end if you do not sear it.
However, if you are crunched for time, you can skip this step if you need to. It will still taste good, but it won’t be quite the same.
And also – make sure you deglaze the pan with just a quarter cup of water and scrape them up with a wooden spoon while that pan is still hot. Add them to the crock pot for more delicious flavor.
What do I serve with this pork dish?
I serve my Thai pork over rice with the carrots, etc atop it, but you can enjoy it with other accompaniments, as well.
This is a perfect dish to pair with shredded cabbage (or coleslaw mix to save you some time) or with bean sprouts. Top it with toasted sesame seeds or chopped roasted peanuts, too.
How to make Slow Cooker Thai Pork
Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Once it’s hot, add the oil and sear your boneless pork loin until browned on all sides, generally 2-3 minutes per side.
Place the seared pork into your six quart crock pot.
While the pan is still hot, add a quarter cup of water to deglaze it and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom. Add those to your slow cooker, as well.
Mince your garlic cloves, and add them to the crock pot.
In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, mirin sweet seasoning, and rice vinegar. Pour this mixture over the pork and set your slow cooker to low.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
When there is about a half hour remaining, chop your pepper and add it to the crock pot. This helps keep some of the flavor and snap of the pepper.
When the cooking is complete, pull the pork from the crock pot and gently shred, saving the juices left behind in the crock pot. This should be very tender and shred easily with meat claws or two forks.
If your meat is still tough, return pork to the crock pot and cook for another half hour. Each crock pot cooks slightly differently, so your cooking time may be shorter or longer than my crock pot.
Add the creamy peanut butter and red pepper flakes to the crockpot and stir into the juices. Replace the shredded pork and stir until coated.
Leave the Thai pork on low heat while you prepare the vegetables.
Peel and julienne the carrots, and slice the green onions thinly on the bias. Serve the pork over hot rice, and top with carrots and green onions.
If you have fresh lime, squeeze lime wedges over each serving for a delicious extra pop of flavor.
Store any leftover pork in the fridge for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container.
Save this recipe for Crock Pot Thai pork to make again!
Slow Cooker Thai Pork
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 pounds pork loin
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Asian sweet seasoning sauce mirin
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 carrots julienned
- 3 green onions sliced
- 1 lime optional
Instructions
- Sear pork on all sides in a large pan with the oil over medium high heat.2 tablespoons oil
- Add pork to crock pot.2 pounds pork loin
- Deglaze pan with 1/4 cup water, scraping up any browned bits. Add to the crock pot.
- Mince garlic, and add to slow cooker, as well.4 cloves garlic
- In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, sweet seasoning, and rice vinegar. Pour over pork and set your slow cooker to low.1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons Asian sweet seasoning sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- When there is about a half hour remaining, chop pepper and add to crock pot.1 red or yellow bell pepper
- When the cooking is complete, remove pork from crock pot and gently shred.
- Add peanut butter and red pepper flakes to crockpot and stir into the juices. Replace the shredded pork and stir until coated. Leave on low heat.1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Peel and julienne carrots, and slice green onions thinly on the bias.
- Serve the pork over rice, and top with carrots and green onions. Optional: squeeze lime wedges over each serving.2 carrots, 3 green onions, 1 lime
- Store leftovers in fridge for up to 3 days in a tightly sealed container.
Notes
- You can substitute an equal amount of tamari or amino acids for the soy sauce to make this gluten-free.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
[…] up the traditional winter comfort foods with this recipe for Slow Cooker Thai Pork. All of the unique flavors mix beautifully together in the Crock Pot all day long for a delicious […]
[…] Slow Cooker Thai Pork is what’s cooking in Michelle’s house when it’s cold outside. With her snow-covered yard, she has been putting her Crock Pot to work a lot this season. Her slow cooker version of Thai Pork is family friendly and can be adapted to even be gluten free. Comfort food at its best! […]
[…] Slow Cooker Thai Pork is what’s cooking in Michelle’s house when it’s cold outside. With her snow-covered yard, she has been putting her Crock Pot to work a lot this season. Her slow cooker version of Thai Pork is family friendly and can be adapted to even be gluten free. Comfort food at its best! […]
[…] flavors and using the collection of Asian sauces I have in my pantry (witness last week’s Slow Cooker Thai Pork). Chef Kim states that his goal is to demystify Asian cooking, and I am all over […]
Oh this sounds absolutely wonderful! Yum.
I have a deadly fish/shellfish allergy and boy do I miss the flavor of fish sauce! It adds something special to the flavor for sure. One of the best subs I have found for fish sauce is mixing equal parts lime and soy sauce and it mimics it as much as possible. I will need to try this some time!