Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
by Chungah
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The easiest + BEST pulled pork ever! Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce. So smoky, so flavorful, so juicy, and SO SO GOOD.
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why i love this recipe
- Made in a fraction of the time. The Instant Pot® takes care of all the hard work and time, infusing all the flavors into the most tender, juicy, smoky-sweet shredded pork in less than 90 minutes.
- Freezer-friendly. This recipe yields a generous amount of pulled pork, perfect for freezing up to 3 months for a quick + easy lunch or weeknight dinner down the road.
- Versatile recipe. The beauty of pulled pork is that it goes well with anything and everything – we’re talking sandwiches (with slaw, pickles and brioche buns), nachos, tacos, quesadillas and burrito bowls. The possibilities are endless!
which bbq sauce is best
This is really dependent on personal preference – sweet, spicy, tangy, etc. – but we personally love a sweet BBQ sauce for this recipe, particularly Stubb’s and Sweet Baby Ray’s. Honorable mentions include Trader Joe’s BBQ Sauce and Bachan’s.
tips and tricks for success
- Cut the pork into 3-inch chunks. Using smaller pieces of pork will keep the cook time to a minimum and allow even cooking, ensuring juicy, tender, fall-apart pulled pork.
- Sear the pork. Searing the pork first will add all the extra, deeper flavors here, sealing all the juices inside.
- Work in batches. An overcrowded Instant Pot® can lead to uneven cooking and poor browning. Work in batches to maintain high heat for a good sear and crispy crust on each pork piece.
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your pulled pork. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Freeze without the sauce. For best results with leftovers, freeze the leftover shredded pork without the bbq sauce to preserve the texture and prevent sogginess, adding bbq sauce when reheating.
what to serve with instant pot bbq pulled pork
Tools For This Recipe
6-qt Instant Pot®
Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork: Frequently Asked Questions
This can happen if the pork is not cooked long enough. Place the pork back into the Instant Pot, cooking in increments of 5 minutes as needed.
Leftover pulled pork can be repurposed in so many ways – from salads, quesadillas, burritos, nachos, tacos, potstickers and sliders to name a few!
Yes! Let cool completely and portion into plastic freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating over medium heat with leftover cooking liquid (to prevent the pork from drying out), stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
Video
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 pounds pork shoulder, excess fat trimmed and cut into 3-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, divided
- 1 (18-ounce) bottle favorite bbq sauce, we love Stubb's
Instructions
- Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting.
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, paprika, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, mustard, cayenne pepper, cumin and pepper. Season pork with brown sugar mixture.
- Heat canola oil; working in two batches, add pork and cook until evenly browned, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in chicken stock and 4 tablespoons vinegar, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 40 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Remove pork shoulder from the Instant Pot® and shred the meat using two forks; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to taste, if needed.
- Serve immediately with your favorite bbq sauce.
Equipment
Did you make this recipe?
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Chungah, I have made so many recipes of yours over the years and they are all sooo good! Tonight is probably the 20th time I’ve made pulled pork and it’s always amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with everyone.
This was absolutely delicious, even without BBQ sauce!!! Still getting familiar with my instant pot, and was so happy when the 40 minute suggested cooking time turned out to be perfect. The meat just fell apart. Will be doing this on a more frequent basis now and I’m glad it can be frozen, always nice to pull leftovers from the freezer, heat it, fix a side or two and dinner’s ready. Thank you!
We just finished eating supper with this dish as the star. I followed the directions except for measuring (who measures spices with a meat dish?) and used yellow mustard instead of ground. To say it was delicious is an understatement. My husband, who does NOT like BBQ anything had 2 helpings. Will I make it again? That’s a big fat yessireebob!
What toppings are in the picture? They look fantastic and I want to use the same thing.
Coleslaw and pickles
So amazing, we love this pulled pork!!!
Was an absolute hit for a little 4th of July get-together with my mom and my husband! Easy and delicious! We have so much left over, we’ll be eating it for days, lol!
What are instructions for Crockpot?
Can you use brisket or chicken instead of pork? Has anyone tried and how did it come out?
What would be the cooking directions if using a crock pot instead of an InstaPot?
Thank you!
I’m wondering the same re using a slow cooker. how long? Any other changes? Thanks!
This is a family favorite! Thank you so much for sharing!
I have to make pulled pork sliders for a party of 50. Does anyone know how many times I need to multiply the recipe?
HELP
to be safe x 5
This is a good base. My recommendation – add liquid smoke and consider a strong “sear” on a propane grill. This will add the BBQ flavor of midwestern and Texas pulled pork.
Tried this recipe for the first time. This is now my go to recipe for BBQ pork. I cooked the pork for 45 minutes in the Instant Pot and it came out so moist and tender. Thankyou for sharing.
Just wow. My first time making pulled pork and this turned out fantastic. The flavor was great, everyone loved it. And it was easy enough to make, I used pork butt because my store did not have shoulder. There was a good amount of excess fat to cut off, however the recipe still turned out delicious. I’ll be making this again!
Actually cooked in crock pot one word-YUMMY
How long did you cook it in the crockpot? Thinking of doing the same.
If you’re cutting the meat to 3″ cubes, it should take about 8 hours
Anyone know how long to cook for roughly 12 lbs pork shoulder?
Incredibly simple and easy… INCREDIBLY delicious! A recipe I keep coming back to time and time again.
Hi…
This recipe looks delicious! If I am tripling it and using 14lbs of pork…..
I tripled the ingredients….questions:
Should the broth cover the pork?
Do I still cook for 40 min?
What do the cut up chunks look like? Cut in cubes or 3 inch straps?
Just checking in because I was surprised that this calls for quick release. My understanding was that quick release can toughen meats. Or do I have it backward? It’s in the pot now so I guess I’ll have to see…
I wondered about this too. I did quick release and it wasn’t so fall apart as I would like. I’m wondering if my cut of meat was tougher or if the quick release is a bad idea. Did you try?