On the kind of sticky summer day when turning on the oven feels like a bad decision, this 5-ingredient slow cooker pork brisket is the kind of dinner that earns a permanent spot in the rotation. You can get everything into the crock early, let it quietly do its thing while the house stays cooler, and come back to tender shredded meat and a rich, savory gravy by dinnertime. It has that low-effort, long-cooked comfort that feels especially useful on busy weekdays, and raw pork brisket works beautifully here because it softens into juicy strands with hardly any hands-on work.
Serve this over mashed potatoes, rice, buttered noodles, or thick slices of toast to catch all that savory gravy. If you want to lighten the plate a little for hot weather, add a crisp cucumber salad, simple coleslaw, green beans, or chilled watermelon on the side for contrast.
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Heatwave Supper
Servings: 6
Ingredients
3 to 3 1/2 pounds raw pork brisket
1 large onion, sliced
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Directions
1. Scatter the sliced onion across the bottom of a slow cooker to make a bed for the pork.
2. Place the raw pork brisket on top of the onions.
3. In a measuring cup or bowl, stir together the beef broth, soy sauce, and brown sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
4. Pour the mixture over the pork, cover, and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the pork is very tender and easy to pull apart.
5. Transfer the pork to a cutting board or large bowl and shred it with two forks. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker and toss it with the cooking juices before serving.
Variations & Tips
Make it sweeter: If you like a slightly sweeter dinner, increase the brown sugar to 3 tablespoons. That little extra balances the saltiness of the soy sauce and gives the finished gravy a deeper glaze-like flavor.
Add pantry depth: If you do not need to keep it strictly at five ingredients, a spoonful of tomato paste or a few cloves of garlic add extra savory flavor. I do this when I have a few extra minutes in the morning and want the sauce to taste a little more layered.
Trim as needed: Pork brisket can have a generous fat cap, so trim off any especially thick exterior fat before it goes into the slow cooker. Leaving some fat is helpful because it keeps the meat moist and enriches the gravy.
For easier shredding: Let the cooked pork rest for about 10 minutes before shredding. It is still hot enough to pull apart easily, but it is much less messy and easier to handle.
Meal prep tip: This keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, and the flavor gets even better after sitting overnight. I like to pack it with rice or potatoes for easy lunches when the week gets busy.