Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
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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.
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.
Video
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Incredibly TASTY! SO fast and simple to make too. Very much enjoy every recipe I’ve made from your site. One question on this recipe please. The Cook Time at the top is noted as 60 minutes, yet, step 4 indicates 40 minutes. I started with 40 minutes and it wasn’t done yet. Added another 20 minutes. It indeed fell apart at that point.
You nailed this recipe. I am a Southerner and a connoisseur of good food; southern food especially. So many times you see a recipe for pulled pork and it is laden with sweet pickle relish or without bar-b-que. This one is perfect.
It was delicious. Question: Was I suppose to save the cooking liquid? I through it out and mixed meat with Stubbs. I really loved the flavor of the liquid, so I thought if I skimmed it, it would have been a good addition. Wondered what you thought.
I’ve made several of your recipes and have never been disappointed. Love your style – simple but delicious. I didn’t realize how late it was so I have a butt in the fridge covered in seasoning until tomorrow afternoon late so 2 questions:. Will a butt cook the same as a shoulder and will it be alright to sit in seasoning for the next 18 hours or so?
The best recipe for pulled pork! Delicious! I cooked it on the stove in a dutch oven pot.
how long did you cook in dutch oven?
Question…is the Kosher salt measure for the Morton salt or the other type? Thanks
Thank you very much for making me a cook! Your recipes are so easy and delicious. I have never really considered myself good at cooking but your recipes have made me love being in the kitchen.
can this be made in a slow cooker?
I am stockpiling a whole list of your recipes I need to try thanks to you!
Hi Chungah, this looks amazing. I’ve never made this before. I see that you tossed pickles, green onions, and shredded cabbage and carrots. Am I missing anything? Thanks!
Absolute perfection! As good as my favorite BBQ place and so much cheaper and easier thanks to this recipe. It’s my go-to and has never disappointed. Thank you for posting Instant Pot recipes!!
easy to follow. just learning to use my instapot amd loved the food I made today.
This was OUTSTANDING! Best shredded pork I’ve made. I didn’t even use BBQ sauce on some of it because the flavor was so good with just the rub. Will definitely be making it again.
Great recipe! I have made it 2 times. Everyone I share it with love it.
This is the best pulled pork recipe I’ve tried. So flavorful it didn’t even need the BBQ sauce! It just fell right apart and was so moist. Thanks for the great recipe!
pretty good. but not the best pulled pork in the world.
I ate it in a sandwich and later in the week made nachos using cheddar cheese+black beans + pineapple + bbq pork
I made your Instant pot BBQ Pulled pork for my family to have for dinner after the Mardi Gras parade last night. It was delicious. Everybody loved it, even the picky children! I will be having it again real soon! Thank you for a great recipe.
The BOMB DIGGY! FOR REAL! Thank you. I addes 1 up of freshly blended pineapple juice to the acv and chicken stock. Next time i will use half the chicken stock. My family from 2 to 43 ate it up. We all agreed that it doesn’t need sauce but it is added bonus.
You have made a fan out of me!
Hi, new to instant Pot. So…
At step 3, all is done in the Instant Pot or a separate pan and than transferred to IP?
Thank you
You can just do step 3 in the instapot, save having to clean up another pot!
Question — if I only have 1 pound of pork, how much chicken stock should I use?
Is it possible to also list the crock pot version on your recipes?? I’m sure I’m not the only one that still likes using a crock pot. There are so many recipes lately on this website that look so good and then I go to click on them and it says “Instant Pot” so I have to pass on it.
Yes to this!! I want to make this so bad, but I only have a crock pot as well!
I would just use the ingredients to this recipe and follow the instructions on a slow cooker recipe.