Easy BBQ Pork Sliders (Family Recipe + Crowd Size Version)

This is one of those recipes that has become a family classic. It started with our Grandparents and now our parents will make it when feeding a crowd on family vacations, reunions, or summer get-togethers because it’s simple, filling, and always one of the first meals to disappear.

The real star of this BBQ pork slider recipe is the homemade sauce. It’s sweet, tangy, and has one secret ingredient that surprises everyone, distilled white vinegar. It balances out the sweetness of the BBQ sauce perfectly and gives these sandwiches their signature flavor.

Over the years, we’ve made this recipe for everything from family dinners to groups of 50+, so we’ve included both a family-sized version and the original large-batch recipe below.

Family Size (Serves 8-10)

Ingredients

Pork

2–3 lb pork loin roast
Garlic salt
Salt and pepper
2 cups water

Sauce

1 cup medium picante sauce
3 cups Sweet Baby Ray’s Original BBQ Sauce
2 cups ketchup
¼–½ cup distilled white vinegar (start with ¼ cup and add more to taste)
1 cup pork drippings from the roasting pan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 290°F.
Season the pork generously with garlic salt, salt, and pepper.
Place the pork in a roasting pan, fat side up, and pour 2 cups of water into the bottom of the pan.
Roast for about 3 hours, or until the pork is tender and cooked through.
Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing it as thinly as possible.
In a large bowl, whisk together the picante sauce, BBQ sauce, ketchup, vinegar, and 1 cup of the reserved pork drippings. Mix well so the vinegar is completely incorporated.
Pour the sauce over the sliced pork and heat everything together in a slow cooker on low or in a covered baking dish until warmed through.

Serve on Hawaiian rolls or hamburger buns with coleslaw, if desired.

Crowd Size Recipe (Feeds a Crowd)

This is the original version we use for family vacations and large gatherings. Since every pork loin is a little different, don’t be afraid to adjust the sauce as you go.

Pork

1 whole Costco pork loin (about 8–10 pounds)
Garlic salt
Salt and pepper
2 cups water per roasting pan

Season the pork generously with garlic salt, salt, and pepper. Roast at 290°F for about 3 hours, fat side up, with 2 cups of water in the bottom of the pan to create flavorful drippings.

Once cooked, slice the pork very thin so each piece fits nicely on a slider bun.

Sauce

1 large jar (Costco Size) medium picante sauce (add a second jar if making an extra-large batch)
3 large bottles (Costco Size) Sweet Baby Ray’s Original BBQ Sauce (or 4 bottles for larger batches)
2–3 large bottles ketchup (Costco Size)
1–1½ cups distilled white vinegar
1 cup pork drippings

Mix everything together very thoroughly, making sure the vinegar is completely incorporated before pouring it over the sliced pork.

Heat the pork and sauce together in a slow cooker or covered baking dish until hot and ready to serve.

Serve on Hawaiian rolls or hamburger buns with coleslaw if desired.

Tips for Feeding a Crowd

This recipe is one of our favorites because it can easily be made ahead of time. The pork can be roasted and sliced the day before, then simply combined with the sauce and reheated in a slow cooker before serving.

Whether you’re feeding your family on a busy weeknight or cooking for dozens of people at a reunion, these pork sliders are always a crowd favorite. They’re simple, flavorful, and one of those recipes people ask for again and again.

Try some of our other favorite recipes to feed a crowd, like our Mom’s Famous Sloppy Joe’s or our Homemade Cafe Rio Pork!

Enjoy!

XO -The Threads Between