Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese Sliders

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Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese Sliders

Makes: 18 sliders
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 6 hours

These sliders are everything you didn’t know you needed, sweet, smoky, cheesy, and totally irresistible.

Slow-cooked pulled pork simmers in tangy Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce, then gets piled high onto buttery slider buns and topped with a scoop of creamy mac and cheese.

These are next-level sliders perfect for game day, parties, or anytime you’re craving indulgent comfort food with a twist.

A close-up of a slider sandwich filled with pulled pork and macaroni and cheese on a pretzel bun, held up on a spatula.

How To Make Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese Sliders

Various ingredients are arranged on a counter, including raw pork tenderloin, shredded cheese, milk, flour, butter, barbecue sauce, macaroni, Dr Pepper, pretzel buns, and seasonings.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds pork tenderloins
  • 1 cup bbq sauce
  • 1 cup Dr. Pepper
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 16 ounces elbow macaroni
  • 1⁄4 cup butter
  • 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups milk, warmed
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 8 slices sharp cheddar cheese
  • 18 pretzel slider buns (I used hawaiian brand)
A close-up of a sandwich with pulled pork and macaroni and cheese on a pretzel bun, being served on a spatula with a can of Dr Pepper in the background.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. To your slow cooker place the pork.

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2. In a small bowl whisk together the bbq sauce, Dr. Pepper, brown sugar and onion powder.

Two raw pork tenderloins in a slow cooker, with a can of Dr Pepper and a bowl of dark marinade with a spoon on a white surface.

3. Pour the sauce over the pork.

Two raw pork tenderloins sit in marinade inside a black slow cooker on a white countertop.

4. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours until pork is tender and shreds.

Shredded barbecue chicken with sauce drizzled on top in a slow cooker.

5. 20 minutes before serving make the mac and cheese.

6. Boil and drain your noodles.

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7. To a large sauce pan over medium heat melt your butter and whisk in the flour and salt.

Nonstick pan with a pile of flour and several cubes of butter on a white marble surface.

8. Whisk in the milk and bring up to a bubble.

9. Stir in the cheese.

A pan with milk and shredded cheddar cheese being whisked on a woven placemat, ready to make a cheese sauce.

10. Gently stir in the drained noodles.

11. Stir to combine.

A pan filled with creamy macaroni and cheese sits on a white marble surface.
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12. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred the pork.

13. Pile the pork on the sliders and top with the mac and cheese..

Slices of cheddar cheese laid on top of halved sandwich rolls arranged in a glass baking dish on a white surface.
A glass baking dish with four slices of bread topped with shredded barbecue chicken and sauce.
A glass baking dish holding two open-faced sandwiches topped with pulled meat, cheddar cheese slices, and macaroni and cheese.
A glass baking dish filled with neatly arranged, golden-brown pretzel buns topped with coarse salt and filled with melted cheese.

14. Serve!

A plate with three pretzel bun sandwiches filled with shredded meat and macaroni and cheese, next to a can of Dr Pepper and kitchen utensils on a striped cloth.

 Substitutions

  • Pork Tenderloin – You can use pork shoulder (aka pork butt) instead; it’ll be just as juicy and shreds beautifully after slow cooking.
  • Dr. Pepper – Swap with Coke or root beer for a slightly different sweet-and-smoky flavor.
  • Cheddar Cheese – Use any combo you love: Monterey Jack, Colby, or even pepper jack for a kick.
  • Slider Buns – Pretzel or Hawaiian rolls are perfect, but you can also use mini brioche buns or even regular dinner rolls.
A close-up of a sandwich with pulled pork and macaroni and cheese on a pretzel bun, stacked on top of similar sandwiches.
A close-up of a slider sandwich filled with pulled pork and macaroni and cheese on a pretzel bun, held on a spatula.

Tips & Tricks

  • Toast the slider buns lightly before assembling to help them hold up better to the saucy filling.
  • Add a little crunch with sliced pickles or crispy onions for contrast.
  • Make the mac and cheese just before serving so it’s extra creamy and melty.
  • If you’re serving a crowd, set everything out buffet-style and let people build their own sliders!
A plate of pulled pork and macaroni and cheese sliders on pretzel buns, stacked on a striped napkin with ceramic jars and wooden utensils in the background.
Three slider sandwiches filled with pulled pork and macaroni and cheese are stacked on a white plate, with a striped napkin underneath and kitchen decor in the background.

 Storage & Make Ahead

  • Pulled pork stores great in the fridge for up to 4 days and freezes well for up to 3 months. Store it in the sauce to keep it juicy.
  • Mac and cheese can be made ahead and reheated with a splash of milk to keep it creamy.
  • Assemble just before serving, sliders don’t hold well once built, but the components are make-ahead friendly.
A stack of sandwiches filled with pulled pork and macaroni and cheese on a plate, with a can of Dr. Pepper and kitchen utensils in the background.

Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese Sliders

Print Recipe
Three pulled pork and macaroni and cheese sliders on pretzel buns are stacked on a plate with a striped napkin, with white pitchers in the background.
Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:6 hours
Total Time:6 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds pork tenderloins
  • 1 cup bbq sauce
  • 1 cup Dr. Pepper
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 16 ounces elbow macaroni
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups milk warmed
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 8 slices sharp cheddar cheese
  • 18 pretzel slider buns I used hawaiian brand

Instructions

  • To your slow cooker place the pork.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the bbq sauce, Dr. Pepper, brown sugar and onion powder.
  • Pour the sauce over the pork.
  • Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours until pork is tender and shreds.
  • 20 minutes before serving make the mac and cheese.
  • Boil and drain your noodles.
  • To a large sauce pan over medium heat melt your butter and whisk in the flour and salt.
  • Whisk in the milk and bring up to a bubble.
  • Stir in the cheese.
  • Gently stir in the drained noodles.
  • Stir to combine.
  • Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred the pork.
  • Pile the pork on the sliders and top with the mac and cheese..
  • Serve!

Notes

Substitutions

  • Pork Tenderloin – You can use pork shoulder (aka pork butt) instead; it’ll be just as juicy and shreds beautifully after slow cooking.
  • Pepper – Swap with Coke or root beer for a slightly different sweet-and-smoky flavor.
  • Cheddar Cheese – Use any combo you love: Monterey Jack, Colby, or even pepper jack for a kick.
  • Slider Buns – Pretzel or Hawaiian rolls are perfect, but you can also use mini brioche buns or even regular dinner rolls.

Tips & Tricks

  • Toast the slider buns lightly before assembling to help them hold up better to the saucy filling.
  • Add a little crunch with sliced pickles or crispy onions for contrast.
  • Make the mac and cheese just before serving so it’s extra creamy and melty.
  • If you’re serving a crowd, set everything out buffet-style and let people build their own sliders!

 Storage & Make Ahead

  • Pulled pork stores great in the fridge for up to 4 days and freezes well for up to 3 months. Store it in the sauce to keep it juicy.
  • Mac and cheese can be made ahead and reheated with a splash of milk to keep it creamy.
  • Assemble just before serving, sliders don’t hold well once built, but the components are make-ahead friendly.
Servings: 18 sliders
Three stacked sliders filled with shredded meat and macaroni and cheese on a white plate, with blurred kitchen utensils in the background.

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