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Home » Recipes » Pork

Fall Apart Tender Bone-in Pork Shoulder

Published: Jul 31, 2025 by Sarah Baumeister · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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This oven roasted Bone-in Pork Shoulder is fall apart tender after being cooked low and slow in the oven all day (or night). Seasoned with a tasty homemade spice blend, this recipe makes fork tender shredded pork that is perfect for tacos, pulled pork, enchiladas, and wraps!

pork shoulder on a serving plate being shredded with a fork.

There is nothing quite like a fall apart tender roast. And now you can make one yourself with this foolproof recipe. Cooking at a low temperature for a longer cook time is key for a moist, tender pork shoulder.

I purposely left the spice blend pretty neutral. This seasons the meat well, but allows you do use this recipe for whatever you'd like (and even repurpose any leftovers more easily!).

For more delicious roasts using different meats, try Slow Cooker Venison Roast and Sirloin Tip Roast in the Slow Cooker.

Ingredients 

ingredients for oven roasted pork shoulder on a white table.
  • Bone in pork shoulder: This will generally have a large cap of fat/skin on top which is great for keeping the meat moist. It can also go by the name pork butt, boston butt, or picnic shoulder. You can use boneless if you prefer.
  • Spice blend: For this recipe, I used a blend of red pepper flakes, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and a bit of brown sugar.

How to roast a bone in pork shoulder in the oven

skin cap of pork shoulder sliced with a criss cross pattern.

Step 1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Remove pork shoulder from packaging and pat outside with paper towels to dry. Place meat in a roasting pan skin side up. Slice skin in a crisscross pattern, with 1 to 2 inches between slices. This will help the spices to penetrate the thick skin and flavor the meat.

spice blend sprinkled over meat.

Step 2. Combine ingredients for spice blend in a small bowl. Coat entire piece of pork with spice blend, pressing it into the meat as you go.

pork after it is finished roasting in the oven.

Step 3. Place in preheated oven and cook for approximately 10 hours or until meat is fork tender. Remove from oven and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. 

pork shoulder on a serving plate being shredded with a fork.

Step 4. Shred meat and serve.

Recipe tips

Keeping the fat side up/skin side up makes for more moist meat as the fat cooks down. If you prefer to have a crust on the meat itself, otherwise known as the bark, you can roast it the other way or flip it halfway through cooking.

The spice band I created for this recipe is a guide, feel free to adjust to do your own family’s tastes, heat levels, etc.

fork shredding meat.

More pork recipes

  • Pork Dumplings
  • Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin
  • Easy Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin

Did you enjoy this Bone-in Pork Shoulder Recipe? I would love for you to let me know by leaving a comment and star rating. I can't wait to hear from you!

pork shoulder on a serving plate being shredded with a fork.

Fall Apart Tender Bone-in Pork Shoulder

Sarah Baumeister
This oven roasted Bone-in Pork Shoulder is fall apart tender after being cooked low and slow in the oven all day (or night). Seasoned with a tasty homemade spice blend, this recipe makes fork tender shredded pork that is perfect for tacos, pulled pork, enchiladas, and wraps!
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 hours hrs
Resting time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 10 hours hrs 35 minutes mins
Course dinner, pork
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 5-7 lb. bone in pork shoulder
  • 1 tbsp. paprika
  • 1 tbsp. onion powder
  • 1 tbsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp. salt
  • ½ tbsp. pepper
  • 1 tbsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp. brown sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
  • Remove pork shoulder from packaging and pat outside with paper towels to dry.
  • Place meat in a roasting pan skin side up. Slice skin in a crisscross pattern, with 1 to 2 inches between slices. This will help the spices to penetrate the thick skin and flavor the meat.
  • Combine ingredients for spice blend in a small bowl. Coat entire piece of pork with spice blend, pressing it into the meat as you go.
  • Place in preheated oven and cook for approximately 10 hours or until meat is fork tender.
  • Remove from oven and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
  • Shred meat and serve.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Hi, I'm Sarah!

I am a wife, mother, and believer. I have been cooking since I can remember and love sharing recipes with all of you. You will find a variety of recipes here from healthy family dinners, to ways to prepare venison, to soups, to baked goods, anything and everything delicious.

About Sarah

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