This slow cooker 3-ingredient pork and sauerkraut is the kind of humble, practical dish my Midwestern family leaned on every March. The tradition comes from old German and Eastern European kitchens, where pork and fermented cabbage were cooked low and slow for good luck and hearty eating. Here, we keep it true to that spirit: just a pork roast, sauerkraut, and a little broth to carry the flavors. You toss everything into the slow cooker before work, and by dinnertime the pork is so tender it practically melts into the tangy, mellow cabbage, with rich juices that beg to be soaked up by something starchy.
Serve the shredded pork and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes or buttered boiled potatoes to catch all the savory juices. A slice of hearty rye or sourdough bread is great for mopping up the pan sauce, and a simple side of steamed green beans or roasted carrots adds color and balance. If you enjoy beer, a malty lager or a crisp pilsner pairs nicely with the fermented tang of the sauerkraut and the richness of the pork.
Slow Cooker 3-Ingredient Pork and SauerkrautServings: 6
Ingredients
3 to 3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt roast, trimmed of excess hard fat
2 pounds sauerkraut with juice (from a jar or bag, not canned, drained only if very salty)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Directions
Layer the sauerkraut in the slow cooker. Spread the sauerkraut evenly over the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. If your sauerkraut is extremely salty, briefly rinse it under cold water and squeeze out the excess liquid before adding it, but keep some of the brine so the final dish stays flavorful and tangy.
Season the pork lightly (optional) and place on top. Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels and, if you like, sprinkle it lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper (this doesn’t count as an ingredient in my kitchen, but you can skip it if you want to stay truly strict). Nestle the roast directly on top of the sauerkraut so it’s surrounded but not completely buried.
Pour in the chicken broth. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, over the sauerkraut. You want some liquid in the bottom of the slow cooker to help create steam and rich pan juices, but the meat does not need to be fully submerged.
Cover and cook low and slow. Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or until the pork is very tender and easily shreds with a fork. The low heat and long cooking time are what give you that “melts in your mouth” texture and allow the sauerkraut to soften and turn golden and mellow.
Shred the pork and mix with the sauerkraut. Transfer the cooked pork to a cutting board and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Use two forks to pull the meat into large, tender shreds, discarding any big pockets of fat. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and toss gently with the sauerkraut and cooking juices until everything is well combined.
Adjust seasoning and serve. Taste the pork and sauerkraut mixture; if it needs more brightness, stir in a spoonful of the reserved sauerkraut brine (if you rinsed it) or a small pinch of salt. Spoon the tender pork and sauerkraut, along with plenty of the rich juices, onto warm plates or a white serving platter, letting the meat and cabbage mingle just as in a classic homestyle presentation.
Variations & Tips
To keep the spirit of the 3-ingredient tradition, I like to treat everything else as optional seasoning rather than true additions. If your family enjoys a little sweetness with sauerkraut, you can tuck in a small, peeled, quartered apple or a half onion under the pork; both will melt into the juices. For a smokier profile, brown the pork briefly in a hot skillet before adding it to the slow cooker—this adds depth without changing the ingredient list. If you prefer a milder kraut, rinse it well and add an extra splash of broth so the dish stays juicy. For a leaner option, use a pork loin roast and shorten the cooking time to about 6 to 7 hours on LOW, checking for tenderness; it won’t be quite as rich as shoulder but will still shred nicely. Leftovers reheat beautifully and can be turned into open-faced sandwiches on rye bread, topped with a little mustard, or folded into pierogi-style fillings with mashed potatoes. If you need to scale down, halve all three ingredients and use a smaller slow cooker, keeping the cooking time roughly the same until the pork is fork-tender.
