This slow roasted pork shoulder is fall-apart tender with a flavorful crust and juicy interior. In this easy recipe, boneless pork shoulder is coated in a simple olive oil, garlic, and herb rub, then roasted low and slow until perfectly cooked. It’s a satisfying main dish that delivers big flavor with minimal effort.
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What's great about this recipe
🔸 Fall-apart tender – Slow roasting turns an affordable cut of meat into a juicy, flavorful roast that practically shreds itself.
🔸 Simple ingredients, big flavor – A handful of basics like garlic, olive oil, and herbs deliver incredible depth and aroma.
🔸 Hands-off cooking – After a quick prep, the oven does all the work. Perfect for weekends or when you want to impress with minimal effort.
🔸 Crowd-pleaser – Great for holidays, special occasions, or feeding a hungry group—this roast never disappoints.
You will need
🍖 Pork – We use a 4 to 5-pound boneless pork shoulder (also called a shoulder or butt roast). This size yields about six generous servings—plenty for dinner with leftovers for lunch. Leave the skin and/or fat on for maximum flavor.
🌿 Herbs and Spices – A simple but flavorful mix of fresh rosemary and thyme, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and plenty of garlic seasons the pork beautifully.
🫒 Oil – Olive oil brings everything together, helping the garlic herb mixture coat the pork evenly and promoting that delicious, golden crust.
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
You’ll Also Need:
- Kitchen twine – Also called butcher’s twine or cooking string. Use it to tie the pork shoulder into a uniform shape so it cooks evenly.
- Rimmed baking dish – Large enough to hold the roast and catch drippings. We used a 7x10-inch ceramic casserole dish.
How to slow roast a pork shoulder
- Make the garlic herb mixture: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, salt, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper. Stir well to mix.
- Prepare the pork: Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels and place it in a rimmed baking dish.
- Season the pork: Rub the garlic herb mixture all over the meat, including inside the slit where the bone was removed.
- Tie and marinate: Truss (tie) the pork with kitchen twine to help it hold a uniform shape for even cooking. Place it fat side down, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Roast: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove the pork from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Cook for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 275°F. Roast for 6 to 6½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 180°F.
- Rest and serve: Let the pork rest for a few minutes, then transfer to a clean dish. Pull or shred the meat—it should be too tender to slice. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe tips and notes
- No fresh herbs? Use dried rosemary and thyme instead—but reduce the amount since dried herbs are more concentrated. Use ⅓ to ½ teaspoon for every 1 teaspoon of fresh.
- Don’t chop the garlic too fine, leave it chunky. The roast starts in a very hot oven for the first 15 minutes, and small pieces of garlic can burn quickly.
- If your pork shoulder is larger, add 30 to 60 minutes of roasting time per extra pound. The internal temperature should register at least 180°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Avoid opening the oven. As tempting as it is, opening the oven drops the temperature and can extend the cooking time.
Storing and reheating instructions
Refrigerator:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer:
To freeze, let the pork cool completely. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Label with the contents and date. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Food Safety:
Do not leave food out at room temperature for more than 2 hours—or 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. For more information on food storage and safety guidelines, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
Frequently asked questions
It pairs beautifully with hearty, flavorful sides. Try it with mushroom rice pilaf, creamed spinach, or garlic parsley potatoes for a complete meal.
Absolutely. While we prefer boneless for easier slicing, a bone-in roast works just as well. You won’t need to adjust the cook time much since it’s already a long, slow roast.
Yes! This slow roasted pork shoulder is tender, flavorful, and presentation-worthy—great for holidays, Sunday dinners, or when you want to serve something a little special.
This slow roasted pork shoulder is the kind of dish that’s worth the wait. With just a little prep and some time in the oven, you’ll have a delicious, tender roast that’s perfect for gatherings or a special dinner at home. For more hearty and flavorful roasts, check out our popular oven roasted pork butt, tropical Cuban roast pork, or comforting pork pot roast.
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📖 Recipe
Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-5 pound Boneless Pork Shoulder use the shoulder or butt roast
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 5-6 Garlic Cloves roughly chopped do not make the pieces too small (about 2-2½ tablespoons when chopped)
- 2 teaspoons Salt we use Kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoon Chopped Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Chopped Rosemary
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- You will also need: Kitchen twine and a rimmed baking dish large enough to comfortably hold the pork shoulder and drippings.
- Add the olive oil, garlic, salt, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper to a bowl and stir to combine.
- Pat the pork shoulder dry using paper towels.
- Place the shoulder in a rimmed baking dish. Apply the garlic herb mixture all over the meat. The pork piece will have a slit somewhere in the center where the bone was removed. Get the garlic herb mixture in there too.
- Truss (tie) the pork with kitchen twine to create a uniform shape and help the roast cook through evenly. Set it fat side down in the baking dish.
- Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
- Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes to get the chill out of the meat and the dish.
- In the meantime, preheat oven to 425°F.
- Place the pork in the preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes.
- Immediately lower the heat to 275°F without opening the oven.
- Slow roast the pork for 6 – 6 ½ hours. Try not to open the oven. If you want to peek in turn the oven light on so you can see it.
- Use an instant read thermometer to take the internal temperature of the pork. It should be at least 180°F.
- Let the pork rest for a few minutes, then transfer it to a clean baking or serving dish. Pull or shred the meat as it will most likely be too tender to slice. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Michele
This is so good. I have made this twice & will be my go to forever!! 😋
Iris
Turned out delicious. Thank you for the great recipe..
Elizabeth
My pleasure Iris. Happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Michele
Cooked for 2.5 hrs and was delicious!!
Lacy
This recipe is so yummy, it is a big hit in my house. I have made it two times now. Makes the house smell wonderful and can’t wait till it’s ready! Tasty, so tasty….we eat by big chunks or sometimes make yummy tacos! Can’t go wrong with this one! Thanks for sharing!
Elizabeth
Hi Lacy,
Thank you, it is my pleasure. Love the taco idea, I think I will try that!
W. Donovan
Very good basic recipe. Foolproof.