My uncle passed down this genius dinner hack for busy weeknights. Just 3 ingredients wrapped up tightly and everyone goes crazy for what is hiding inside.

This slow cooker 3-ingredient brown sugar pork packets recipe is a clever little dinner hack my uncle passed down for hectic weeknights. Everything—sweet brown sugar, savory pork, and a splash of soy for depth—gets wrapped tightly in foil packets and tucked into the slow cooker. The result is tender, caramelized pork with a glossy, sweet-salty glaze hiding inside each bundle. It’s the kind of no-fuss, almost hands-off meal that feels a bit like a magic trick when you open those foil packets at the table.

Serve these brown sugar pork packets straight from the foil onto a plate, spooning all the syrupy juices over the meat. They’re excellent over steamed white rice, brown rice, or buttered egg noodles, which soak up the sauce nicely. For balance, add something crisp and fresh on the side—simple green beans, a crunchy slaw, or a quick cucumber salad. A light, citrusy salad or roasted vegetables also pair well with the sweet, rich flavor of the pork.

Servings: 4

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into 8 equal chunks

Tear off 8 sheets of aluminum foil, each about 12 inches long. You want them large enough to wrap each piece of pork tightly so juices stay inside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 cup packed light brown sugar and the low-sodium soy sauce until you have a thick, syrupy mixture. It won’t be completely smooth, but most of the sugar should be moistened.

Pat the pork pieces dry with paper towels so the glaze clings better. If any pieces are much larger than the others, trim them so they cook at the same rate.

Lay one piece of pork in the center of a foil sheet. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar–soy mixture over the pork, coating the top and sides as best you can. Pull the foil up around the pork and fold the edges over themselves several times to create a tight, sealed packet. Repeat with the remaining pork and glaze to make 8 packets.

Place all of the sealed foil packets seam-side up in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, arranging them in a single layer as much as possible. A little overlapping is fine as long as each packet stays sealed.

Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar evenly over the tops of the foil packets. This extra sugar will melt and lightly caramelize against the hot foil, giving a touch of sweetness when you open them.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the pork is very tender and shreds easily with a fork. Avoid opening the lid during cooking so the heat and steam remain trapped.

Using tongs, carefully lift the hot foil packets out of the slow cooker and transfer them to a serving platter or individual plates. Open each packet carefully, facing it away from you, to avoid the rush of hot steam.