Great burgers all have one thing in common – once you pick them up, you never want to put to put them down. And these chipotle pulled pork sliders, the perfect size for parties and potlucks, fit the bill. They bring spice and heat and sweet all in a single bite.

Chipotle, a smoked jalapeno pepper, contributes a slightly fruity, subtle smoky heat to the tender, juicy pork. Pickled red onions deliver an acidic pop that counterbalances the smoke and spice. One important note: the pork is prepared in a slow cooker, so plan at least 8 hours ahead.

And once you fall in love, don’t worry. The beautiful thing about these chipotle pulled pork sliders is that you can scale them up to full-size buns for a hearty meal.

Chipotle Pulled Pork Sliders 

What You’ll Need

• 2 large white onions, peeled and sliced
• 5-6 pounds pork shoulder or butt, excess fat trimmed
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons Three Little Pigs Touch of Cherry BBQ Rub™
• 1 10.5-ounce can chicken broth
• 1 7-ounce can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 2 cups Three Little Pigs Spicy Chipotle BBQ Sauce™
• 12 kaiser rolls
• Dill pickle spears for garnish (optional)

Place sliced white onions in a slow cooker. Rub the pork roast with garlic powder and Three Little Pigs BBQ Rub. Place the roast on the bed of onions in the slow cooker. Pour broth over the roast. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or until meat shreds easily with a fork. Transfer the pork to a cutting board or serving platter; shred with 2 forks, removing any large pieces of fat. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon. Place shredded pork and onions in a large bowl.

Remove 1 chipotle chile and 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can. Reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use. Finely chop the chile. In a small bowl, combine chopped chile, adobo sauce, and Three Little Pigs BBQ Sauce™. Add the sauce to the pork and onions. Mix until well coated.

To assemble, slice and toast (optional) kaiser rolls. Top each roll with chipotle pork and garnish with pickled red onion (see below) and a kosher dill pickle spear.

Quick Pickled Red Onion 

Try this easy method instead of parboiling red onions before pickling.

What You’ll Need: 

• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon vegetable oil (or olive oil)

In a bowl, dissolve ½ teaspoon each of sugar and salt into 1 cup of white wine vinegar. Set aside. Peel and thinly slice one medium red onion. Sauté the onion in a hot skillet for two minutes, or until slightly tender, but still holding its shape. Immediately transfer onion into the bowl of vinegar. Stir to coat well and let cool.