Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
The easiest + BEST pulled pork ever! Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce. So smoky, so flavorful, so juicy, and SO SO GOOD.
Hello, summer. Please don’t leave us just yet. I’m not ready for the Chiberia snow. (FACTS ONLY – it snowed Halloween day in 2019.)
No, but really, let’s get back to the best part of summer days: Pool parties. COVID honeymoon boat trips. And now, BBQ pulled pork sandwiches.
That’s right. PULLED PORK SAMMIES. Smothered with your favorite BBQ sauce ever.
The instant pot takes care of all the hard work and all the time, infusing all the flavors into the most tender, juicy shredded pork in less than 90 minutes.
When ready, drizzle with desired BBQ sauce (we recommend Stubb’s!) and serve with slaw, pickles and brioche buns. The pork also keeps VERY WELL so these can easily be prepared ahead of time for all the socially-distanced-get-togethers.
Stay safe and stay cool, friends. And eat some pulled pork sammies immediately.
Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
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
Equipment
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.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Very good recipe. So easy to make and gives great results.
This is now a go-to for an easy and delicious casual meal for company (usually using a 7-8lb cut of meat and doubling the recipe.) I make it the day before and then just rewarm it in the slow cooker for serving. Then all the mess is out of the way! I have taken it to picnics this way as well (stays warm in the slow cooker for a long time.)
I serve it with BBQ sauce, slaw, fried onions, sliced pickles, pickled onions, sriracha, etc. Everyone loves making up their own sandwich(es).
Thank you for sharing your IP recipe for Pulled Pork! It was easy, fast and super flavourful! The recipe was precise and accurate. We enjoyed a really good meal last night.
This turned out so good!! I halfed the recipe and used a boneless pork tenderloin. Still used a full cup of broth with it. Used my mini instant pot and only did 20 minutes and then quick release. Turned out perfect!!
Love it
Can you double this and what would be the cool time?
This is always a hit. I do half paprika and half smoked paprika.
I don’t like pulled pork. I have made it the long and slow way with the many many steps, I have made it quicker ways, I have eaten it in restaurants. I have never liked it even though I want to, lol. But yours looked really good … so I tried it. We really liked it !! It had flavour. It was tender, moist, and oh so easy to make. We added a little Diana’s BBQ sauce on the sandwiches and it was perfect. Thanks for a recipe that finally lets me like pulled pork !!
I make this all the time. Thank you for this recipe! I don’t mix it all with BBQ sauce- each person puts on how much they want. Then, another night, I broil the leftovers for a couple minutes and we have carnitas tacos. We love it!
wonderful seasoned pork great flavor one point do not use CANOLA oil it is a GMO. created by Monsanto makers of round up. corn oil flax peanut oil even olive oil a much much better choice
Because corn oil is better?
You realize all commercially grown corn crops are “round up ready” aka they are planted and the heavily sprayed with roundup to control competing weeds. The corn has been specifically bred to be resistant to glysophate. Modern day corn is NOTHING like natural corn.
Could this be cooked in a crockpot all day ??
Delicious and easy to make
Absolutely delicious! I was out of chili powder and only had smoked paprika on hand and it turned out fabulous. Was planning to run out and get bbq sauce but decided against it after tasting. Separated out the fat in the juice then added it back in. Will be making this again.
Loved this ! First time I’ve made pulled pork and it was easy and delicious. Lots of liquid left in the pot which I reduced down a bit and poured all over it, extra moist 🙂 served with rice , black beans and cabbage and will have it in burgers tomorrow.
thank you!
Great recipe thanks so much! The sliders were a huge hit!
Incredibly flavorful- very rich and balanced flavors. Meat is tender and juicy. Highly recommend!
One of the best IP recipes out there, it’s super easy and fast, tastes amaaaaazing every time. My only problem as a single person is that there’s too many leftovers for me to eat, ha. I usually have it as sandwiches with coleslaw and pickles, like the pictures and it’s delicious. Definitely worth making again and again.
This pulled pork also freezes well if itt makes more than you can use in a few days. It’s also delicious as a topping for baked sweet potatoes!
I have made this a couple of times and it is a crowd pleaser!! Love firecracker chicken recipe too.
So good! The flavor of the pork was great. I just cooked it down some to thicken the juices. Someone said that they were bland, I certainly did not find that so. I did rub the rub into the meat before I browned it, so maybe that helped? I will definitely keep this recipe. I have found great recipes on this site.
I doubled the recipe and it came out too salty. May have been my mistake not to cut back on the salt.
OMG the best pork, the whole family loved it. I put the bbq on the sandwich’s when made. We used left over pork for nachos and quesadilla’s. The flavor was great.