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    Home » Recipes » Meal Prep

    Healthy Pulled Pork Meal Prep Bowl

    Published: Jul 7, 2020 by Laura Reigel · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump To Recipe Comments
    pulled pork meal prep bowl pinterest image | foodology geek
    pulled pork meal prep bowl pinterest image | foodology geek
    pulled pork meal prep bowl pinterest image | foodology geek
    pulled pork meal prep bowl pinterest image | foodology geek

    Once you try this macro-friendly bowl of BBQ heaven, complete with a crunchy, creamy southern style coleslaw you will wonder how you could ever think that meal prep is hard! This protein bowl is super easy to eat. 

    bbq-pulled-pork-with-southern-slaw-45
    Barbecue pulled pork with a spicy tangy barbecue sauce. Who's in?

    This delicious and healthy bowl is like your favorite pulled pork sandwich platter without the bun. Who says you can't eat healthily and have all the flavor that you want!

    If you know me, you know that my pet peeve is healthy food that leaves you feeling like you are totally missing out. How disappointing is that?

    That's is when I started to create my Beast Bowl line-up of recipes. I have a million of them. Beast bowls are healthy meal prep bowls that are so flavorful that you'll completely forget you eating something "good-for-you."

    bbq-pulled-pork-with-southern-slaw
    Salty, sweet, crunchy, tangy goodness...all in one bowl.

    What you'll love about this recipe

    • Easy: This bbq pork bowl features a rich meaty pulled pork that's super easy to prepare in your slow cooker. You seriously can't mess it up. Simply rub the pork shoulder with the BBQ spice mix and then put it in the crockpot. No water – nothing. Just set it on 'cook' and go.
    • Healthy: The problem when you stop in for a BBQ meal at a restaurant is that there are usually a ton of high-carb sides. Not the best options if you are trying to stay lean.
    • Perfect for Meal Prep: Pulled pork, bbq sauce, and coleslaw all keep really well in the fridge and are make delicious leftovers. Fill a huge bowl with veggies and then top if off with everything else.

    Recipe Notes

    This pulled pork recipe is an easy version of barbecue. To make this protein bowl approachable I decided to make the pulled pork in a slow cooker. I also include the BBQ rub, BBQ sauce, and Southern Coleslaw Recipes. If you're short on time it's okay to substitute in the premade versions.

    Ingredients

    • Pork shoulder: Use a 3 or 4-pound pork should for this recipe.
    • BBQ Rub: I make my own. You can buy a premade one for simplicity's sake. Or try the one in this recipe.
    • BBQ Sauce: Again, I always make my BBQ Sauce homemade. I use my Tangy BBQ Sauce Recipe. It's a family recipe that we have been using for years.
    • Cole Slaw: I use my Southern Cole Slaw Recipe for this bowl. For all the deets check out the post.
    • Fixins: Fixins are what I like to call the base of every meal prep bow that I put together. A few handful of greens, I like spinach. Maybe some shredded carrots or other crunchy veggies.
    homemade bbq rub on a white plate | foodology geek

    BBQ Rub Recipe

    Making your own BBQ rub couldn't be easier. You will have leftovers. Make sure you store them in an airtight container to use later.

    • ½ cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
    • ¼ cup paprika, I like using smoked paprika
    • ¼ cup chili powder
    • 1 tablespoon garlic granules
    • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
    • 2 teaspoon dry oregano leaves
    • 2 teaspoon cumin
    • ¾ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    Sweet, tangy and perfect every time. This bbq sauce is a secret family recipe. So don't tell anyone. 🙂

    Tangy BBQ Sauce Recipe

    If you want to try your hand at making homemade bbq sauce this recipe is easy to follow. I'm including it in the recipe card. If you are in a rush, then use your favorite BBQ sauce. I try to find brands with low sugar.

    This BBQ sauce recipe is a keeper! It's adapted from a recipe that my mom had from a family friend. I added some jalapeño to make sure it had a little kick. I like a little spice in my life.

    The sauce is a little bit chunky.  If you prefer a smoother sauce hit it with an immersion blender.

    This Southern Style coleslaw has the perfect balance of sweet and creamy.

    Southern Coleslaw Recipe

    Coleslaw really makes this meal prep bowl, in my opinion. This slaw is crunchy, a little bit sweet, and a little bit creamy.

    I highly recommend making it as part of this meal prep bowl. You can see the full detailed recipe here! I have included the recipe in the recipe card in this post as well.

    Step-by Step Instructions

    1. Make the pulled pork.
    2. Make the BBQ Sauce
    3. Make the Coleslaw
    4. Pick your fixins

    FAQs and Expert Tips

    How to assemble this meal prep bowl.

    Add a few handfuls of greens. Top with 4 to 6 ounces of pulled pork. Add coleslaw and BBQ sauce. Garnish with green onions.

    How to store all the parts.

    For this meal prep bowl, store the individual components separately. The coleslaw may wilt the greens if stored together. I like to warm up the pulled pork before I build my bowl.

    Other Healthy Meal Prep Bowls — Try them all!

    • Healthy burger bowl
    • Buffalo chicken meal prep bowl
    • Paleo meatloaf meal prep
    • Mediterranean meal prep bowl
    • Thai chicken meatball meal prep bowl
    • Greek lamb burger bowl

    ➽ Did you make this recipe? I love to see what's going on in your kitchen. Please show me what you're cooking. 🍳 Tag me @foodologygeek on your favorite social channel! Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest. If you loved ❤︎ this recipe, please leave a five ★ review and a comment!

    Barbecue Pulled Pork Beast Bowl
    Favorite Saved!

    Pulled Pork Meal Prep Bowl

    Laura Reigel
    Slow cooker pulled pork, made with my fantastic bbq rub recipe. Get all the flavors you crave in a big plate of bbq in a healthy meal prep bowl.
    PRINT PIN SAVE SAVED
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 4 hrs 40 mins
    Total Time 4 hrs 55 mins
    Course Dinner, Lunch, Meal Prep
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 376 kcal

    Equipment

    • slow cooker

    Ingredients
      

    Protein

    • 4 lb pork shoulder
    • 4 tablespoon BBQ Rub

    Spicy Tangy Barbecue Sauce

    • 2 tablespoon butter
    • ¼ cup sweet onion diced
    • ¼ cup carrot finely diced
    • ½ cup celery finely diced
    • 1 jalapeño peppers finely diced
    • 2 tablespoon brown sugar
    • 2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • ¼ cup lemon juice
    • 1 cup catsup
    • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
    • sea salt to taste

    Southern Slaw

    • 1 cup carrots shredded
    • 4 cups cabbage finely shredded

    Slaw Dressing

    • 2 tablespoon onion grated
    • ½ cup avocado mayo
    • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • 3 teaspoon sugar
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon celery seed
    • ½ teaspoon celery salt

    Fixin's

    • romaine lettuce hearts
    • spinach
    • green onions
    • roasted sweet potatoes roast with BBQ seasoning
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    Pulled Pork

    • Rub: Rub the pork shoulder with BBQ rub.
    • Slow cook: Put in the slow cooker. 
      Leave on High if you will be home. Cook until the meat is tender and falling apart. 
      Leave on Low if you will be out all day. 
    • Shred: Remove the pork shoulder from the slow cooker, let it rest for about 20 minutes. Shred the pork shoulder using two forks.

    Spicy Tangy Barbecue Sauce

    • Sauté: Add the butter, onion, carrots, celery, and jalapeño to a medium saucepan. Sauté on medium-high until vegetables are tender and fragrant. 
    • Sugar: Add the sugar and let it dissolve and get slightly bubbly. 
    • Cook: Add the remainder of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Then simmer for about 20 minutes.
    • PRO-TIP: For a smoother barbecue sauce, use an immersion blender to blend it after it has cooled. 
      Easy homemade bbq sauce recipe by foodology geek

    Southern Style Coleslaw

    • Shred: Shred the carrots and cabbage. Place in a large bowl. 
    • Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, mix up ingredients for the dressing. 
    • Add about ½ cup of dressing. (You will have dressing leftover.)
    • Toss: Toss and let set in the refrigerator for an hour before serving. 

    Meal Prep Bowl Assembly

    • Chose your fixin's. Add to a large bowl.
    • Top with meat, barbecue sauce, and coleslaw. 
    • Enjoy. 

    Laura's Tips + Notes

    Substitutions: You can just as easily use chicken instead of pork. If you have some BBQ expertise, try some brisket. 
    If you like it spicy – add a few extra jalapeños to the BBQ sauce. 
    Vegan Adaptable:
    Use seitan instead of meat.
    Use coconut oil in the barbecue sauce instead of butter.
    Use vegan mayo in the coleslaw.
    BBQ Rub: 
    • ½ cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
    • ¼ cup paprika. I like to use smoked paprika
    • ¼ cup chili powder
    • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
    • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
    • 2 teaspoon dry oregano leaves
    • 2 teaspoon cumin
    • ¾ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

    YOUR OWN NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 376kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 28gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 950mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gCalcium: 54mgIron: 2.2mg
    Keyword bbq, meal pr, pork
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Snap a 📸 and share it. Tag me @foodologygeek and don't forget to hashtag #foodologygeek!

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    649 shares

    About Laura Reigel

    Laura is the owner and CEO of Foodology Geek. She holds a degree in Physiology and Neuroscience as well as a Certification as a Nutrition Coach. Laura uses her love of cooking and science to create healthy real food recipes that you'll love eating.

    As a certified recipe hoarder, and meal prep maven Laura is passionate about sharing her love for cooking easy from-scratch recipes. She also shares the occasional family recipe and all of the technical details.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Michelle

      August 01, 2021 at 4:58 pm

      5 stars
      Best slaw recipe I’ve ever made. It was easy and so good. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Laura Reigel

        August 02, 2021 at 10:22 am

        Thank you Michelle for the awesome review. I'm so happy to hear that you love this coleslaw recipe. It's one of my favorites too.

        Reply
    2. Amy

      July 10, 2020 at 8:35 pm

      5 stars
      I'm so glad I found this recipe! I have leftover pulled pork in the fridge and I have a cabbage in my garden that's ready to pick! Yummy!

      Reply

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