Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
by Chungah
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The easiest and quickest BBQ pulled pork made in the Instant Pot in just 1 hour! So smoky, so tender, so juicy! An absolute crowd-favorite!
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Why you’ll love this bbq pulled pork
- 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 and 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!
What is pulled pork?
Pulled pork is a traditional American dish made from pork butt (Boston butt) or pork shoulder, cooked low and slow until it becomes tender enough to shred easily. It can be served in so many different ways – as sandwiches, with BBQ sides (baked beans or macaroni and cheese), or to fill tacos, burritos, or quesadillas.
Why make pulled pork in the instant pot?
- One pot convenience. With the convenient sauté function of the Instant Pot, this recipe comes together in a single pot start to finish for the easiest clean up ever.
- Lightning speed. Traditional pulled pork requires 6-12 hours of cook time. But the Instant Pot can get it done in just 40 minutes, coming in super handy when you’re short on time.
- Fall-apart, tender goodness. The juicy, ultra-tender pork tastes as if it’s been cooking all day long, infused with all the warm, smoky flavors.
How to make Instant Pot BBQ pulled pork
- Prep the dry rub. Stir together the brown sugar, salt, paprika, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, mustard, cayenne pepper, cumin, and pepper.
- Season the pork. Generously season the pork pieces with the dry rub, rubbing in thoroughly on all the sides.
- Sear the meat. Set the Instant Pot to the high sauté setting and sear the pork chunks, in batches, until evenly browned.
- Deglaze the pot. Add the chicken stock and vinegar, scraping up any of the browned bits (fond) stuck to the bottom of the pot. This is to maximize flavor and to prevent the dreaded burn error on the Instant Pot.
- Pressure cook. Close and seal the lid, cooking on high pressure for 40 minutes, quick releasing when finished and carefully opening the lid.
- Shred the pork. Shred the pork using two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat. Stir in the remaining vinegar and season one last time with salt and pepper. Pro tip: if the meat is tough and not shredding easily, place the pork back into the Instant Pot, cooking on high pressure in increments of 5 minutes as needed.
- Serve. Serve warm with your favorite BBQ sauce, freezing any leftovers up to 3 months.
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.
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
Use a tough, well-marbled cut of pork such as pork butt (Boston butt) or pork shoulder. The high fat and collagen keeps the meat juicy and moist.
Yes! A minimum of 1 cup liquid (ex. chicken stock) is required for the Instant Pot to come to pressure (and to prevent the burn error).
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 or the freezer for 3 months.
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
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
Notes
- 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.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
This came out great for us. We used pork tenderloin instead of pork shoulder because it was what I had on hand; the pulled pork came out quite well still.
The base rub for the pork is excellent, and adding the barbecue sauce just before I serve (or reheat and serve since this makes great leftovers) is a great way to change the taste of the meal a bit, too.
Just made this recipe in the crockpot and it was delicious! I only did the dry rub on the pork shoulder. No vinegar or additional liquid. Cooked on low 8 hours and it turned out so tender. Cayenne does add a bit of a kick, which I love. Served it on potato rolls with cole slaw. Sooooo good…thanks for the great recipe!
This recipe looks delicious! Are their other types/cuts of meat that can be substituted if you don’t want pork?
yes I’d love to know as well, pork is hard to come by where I live.
This was outstanding! I’ve made pulled pork before but it usually gets its flavor from the bbq sauce. This one is excellent even without the sauce. It far exceeded my expectations!
This was excellent! I agree about the choice of Stubb’s too. I’d sure like a version of this recipe for beef if you can manage it.
We made the exact same recipe, only with beef and I liked it even better than pork. Came out PERFECT!
Do you have a recipe for the slaw?
would love the slaw recipe too!
This is our go to recipe and the family loves it! My family raves about it!
Is there a recipe for the slaw?
Thanks!!!
This sounds great. Question: ingredients list says 1/2 cayenne pepper. Is that supposed to be 1/2 tsp? Thanks! Can’t wait to make this.
This recipe sounds delightful! Unfortunately, I don’t have an Instant Pot but I do have a crockpot. Do you have an recommended cooking times for the pork in a crockpot? Thanks!
Hi Kitty! We don’t have an exact slow cooker version but we have these Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas that you can adapt from.
As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications. Hope that helps!
I haven’t tried this yet. But I intend to very soon. This is the first recipe I’ve seen that doesn’t require cooking the pork in the bbq sauce. Can’t wait to try.
Just curious as to what the slaw is and if there is a recipe for that too.