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October 18, 2025Crock Pot Italian Pork Stew uses boneless pork shoulder to make a warm and hearty pork stew that tastes delicious and will leave the whole house smelling amazing.
If you are looking for other delicious soups and stews, try Grandma’s Leftover Ham Soup or Pork Noodle Soup.
Pork Stew Slow Cooker
Rich in Italian flavors, this old-fashioned pork stew combines browned, diced pork shoulder with a classic vegetable mixture to create a delicious dinner. Toss the ingredients in the slow cooker and look forward to coming home to a warm, slow-simmered meal perfect for those chilly evenings.
We love an easy pulled pork slow cooker meal, it reminds us of this Pulled Pork Chili. Pair it with some sourdough, a French baguette, or a rustic artisanal loaf of bread with a hearty dollop of butter, and dinner is done.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Boneless pork shoulder roast – Pork shoulder is a juicy and tender cut of pork with a lot of flavoring. It will cook to tender low and slow. You can also use pork shoulder steaks.
- White onion – Most onions will work for this recipe. Use what you have on hand.
- Celery – Substitue celery powder if prefered.
- Garlic cloves – You can substitute crushed garlic or garlic powder.
- Red bell pepper – You can substitute a yellow bell pepper.
- Spices: salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, thyme, fennel seeds, Bay leaf
Recipe Tips
- More veggies, yes please! Add in fingerling potatoes.
- Try different colors of bell peppers.
- Increase chicken broth to serve more guests.
How to prepare Italian Pork Stew for the slow cooker
Measure flour, salt, and pepper, and pour them into a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Seal the bag and shake it to combine the ingredients.
Gather boneless pork shoulder roast and cut into 1 inch pieces, trimming off excess fat.
Add half of the pork shoulder pieces to the ziploc bag and seal it shut. Lightly shake the bag to coat each piece with flour. Transfer the first batch to a plate and continue with the rest of the pork.
Warm a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, and the first half of the floured pork pieces. Cook until pork is lightly browned, stir to ensure all sides are exposed to the heat.
Place the browned pieces of pork shoulder directly into the crock pot.
Next, measure and incorporate the remaining ingredients and spices. This includes the diced white onion, sliced carrots, celery, garlic, and red bell pepper. Add the diced tomatoes with their juice, along with the chicken broth and tomato paste.
Season the pork stew with oregano, rosemary, thyme, fennel seeds, and a bay leaf (remove leaf before serving), then mix well to combine the ingredients.
Secure the slow cooker lid and set it to low for 6-7 hours or high for 4 hours. Resist the urge to open the cooker frequently. The best results come from letting the ingredients steam together and blend their flavors.
Don’t forget to find the lucky bay leaf before serving! Scoop up and serve with a toasted baguette slice and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Do you have to brown pork before putting in the crock pot?
Browning pork before slow cooking enhances its flavor and creates a crust. This technique helps lock in the natural juices and intensifies the taste of any seasonings or breading used.
We recommend this step for flavor, but it is not required.
What are common slow cooker pork mistakes?
When cooking pork in a slow cooker, it’s important to have some liquid at the bottom. However, it doesn’t need to be fully submerged. Just having some liquid available will help keep the meat moist and enhance its texture.
What do you serve with Italian Pork Stew?
A warm and hearty stew can be a meal in itself. It can also be paired with or served atop creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, or rice.
Crock Pot Italian Pork Stew
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless pork shoulder roast cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 white onion diced
- 4 carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 celery stalks cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded, diced
- 2 cups chicken broth reduced sodium
- 2 14- oz cans diced tomatoes with juice
- 3 Tbps tomato paste
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 1 tsp thyme
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Measure out flour, salt and pepper and pour into a gallon sized ziploc bag. Seal and then shake to combine.
- Cut boneless pork shoulder roast into 1 inch pieces, trimming off excess fat.
- Place half of the pork shoulder pieces into the ziplock bag, seal the top, and gently shake the bag to coat each piece with flour.
- Set the first batch on a plate and repeat the process with the remaining pork.
- Warm a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and floured pork pieces. Cook until pork is lightly browned.
- Place the browned pieces of pork shoulder directly into the crock pot.
- Add diced white onion, peeled and sliced carrots, celery, garlic and red bell pepper to the crock pot.
- Pour diced tomatoes with their juice along with the chicken broth, and tomato paste in and stir.
- Season with oregano, rosemary, thyme, fennel seeds, and a bay leaf. Mix well to incorporate the ingredients.
- Close slow cooker lid and set it to low for 6-7 hours, or high for 4 hours.
- Don’t forget to find the lucky bay leaf before serving!
