This is the best damn pulled pork recipe i’ve ever made. Yes, you read that correctly. And it’s made in an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker!
Pulled pork is something you always see on those barbecue competition shows where people go to great lengths to prepare and cook with all kinds of methods. Most often, these methods require huge pieces of equipment, lots of space (outdoor space), and a ton of time and commitment to make. Now don’t get me wrong, you have an opportunity to sink you teeth into pork that’s been cooked this way, it’s an experience that’s simply a festival of flavor you’ll never forget. Many of the best real BBQ joints will start making their pulled pork days ahead of time and when it’s ready to eat, people line up. And when these places run out of food for the day, that’s it until next time.
A few years ago, along came electric pressure cookers such as the Instant Pot, and people went crazy for these things! And there’s a reason for that – because they open up all new possibilities for making incredible food. Pulled pork is tops on my list of favorite foods to make with an Instant Pot. From start to finish, it can be done in under 2 hours. No kidding!
Choosing the right pork
We start with a pork butt roast. This can also be called pork shoulder. You can get either bone-in or boneless. If you find ones that are vacuum packed and the packaging indicates that the pork contains a 12% solution, this means that the roast is brined. Those are the best to use. Meat is brined this way to maintain tenderness and juiciness. You can always make your own brine, but that’s a topic for another day. Go with the brined meat if you can. If the meat has a noticeable fat layer on it, you’ll want to trim any excess away.
I generally like to use a roast that’s 4lbs. I cut the meat into 4 pieces of equal size, cutting out the bone if it has one.
Start with a good rub
Our pulled pork will be getting it’s flavor start by applying a rub. We use simple ingredients that include brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, ground mustard, salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and add the pieces of pork. Use your hands and toss it all together for a couple of minutes. Make sure that seasoning mixture is well incorporated into the meat.
Sear the meat
Barbecue flavors can be complex and one of the keys of great BBQ is the slow roasting/smoking of the meat. Since we can’t do that, we’ll create complex flavors of our own by searing the meat. We do this by adding 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the Instant Pot and setting it to the saute mode. Once it’s hot, we carefully add our chunks of pork. I generally like to do 2 chunks at a time. It’s just much easier to work with in batches like this. Use tongs and gently place the chunks into the hot oil. Let the meat sear for about 2 minutes and turn over to get the other side for another couple of minutes. Get the sides too if possible. After searing the meat, remove from Instant Pot and set aside on a plate. We then need to deglaze the pot. This is very important! After sauteing, press cancel and add ½ cup of chicken broth to the pot. Use a wooden spoon and scrape all the bits off the bottom of the pot. It should take about a minute or so. Make sure to get it all and do not discard anything! All this goodness is part of the flavor for our pulled pork.
Pressure cook with Chicken Broth
Chicken broth is the perfect liquid for pressure cooking pork. It adds flavor that you simply cannot get with water. To round out the flavors, we’ll be adding some Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke. These flavors work together to bring about a boldness and savory aspect that you’d normally get from the smoking/slow roasting methods of traditional BBQ. Naturally we’re going to emulate those flavors and the combination of Worcestershire and Liquid Smoke in the pressure cooker works wonders.
After you’ve deglazed the pot, add the rest of the wet ingredients and place the chunks of pork directly into the liquid. Don’t stack it, spread it out as best possible. Secure the lid, close the vent and pressure cook on high for 1 hour. After the hour is up, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes you can quick release any remaining pressure.
Pull the Pork
Carefully remove the chunks of pork from the Instant Pot to a large bowl. The pieces may fall apart and that’s just fine. Once all the pork pieces are in a bowl, use two forks to shred the pieces.
Add Favorite BBQ Sauce and Serve
At this point, your pulled pork will already be full of flavor. Just try a piece and you will be amazed! You can serve just like this (with some of the juice from the pot drizzled in). Or, you can add your favorite BBQ sauce. Add the sauce in small amounts to start. You don’t want the pork swimming in the sauce, but rather the sauce complimenting the pork.
One of my very favorite ways to enjoy pulled pork is with some BBQ sauce and heaped onto a good piece of white bread. Use a fork to enjoy this open-faced sandwich approach. Add a little coleslaw on top, too, for added flavor and texture. Be sure to have some pickle slices on the side too.
Storage and Reheating
Storing your homemade pulled pork correctly is key to keeping it delicious for leftovers! Here’s my quick guide to ensure your pulled pork stays fresh and tasty:
In the Fridge:
- Let it cool down to avoid any steamy container situations.
- Store it in an airtight container or zip-lock bag.
- Get it in the fridge within two hours of cooking.
- It’ll stay good for 3-4 days, so you’ve got meals ready to go!
In the Freezer:
- Cool it off, then portion it out into freezer bags or freezer safe air tight containers.
- Don’t forget to label with the date; it’s good for up to 6 months!
- Thaw it in the fridge overnight when you’re ready to dive back in.
Microwave Reheating Instructions:
- Prep: Place the pulled pork in a microwave-safe dish.
- Moisturize: Sprinkle a little water or broth over the pork to keep it moist. Cover the dish with a microwave-safe lid or plastic wrap to trap steam.
- Heat: Microwave on high for about 2-3 minutes. Halfway through, stop to stir or rearrange the pork for even heating.
- Check: Ensure the pork is heated through. If not, continue microwaving in 30-second intervals until hot.
Stovetop Reheating Instructions:
- Prep: Put the pulled pork in a skillet or saucepan.
- Moisturize: Add a splash of broth, water, or barbecue sauce to help it stay moist during reheating.
- Heat: Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure even heating.
- Check: Once the pork is simmering gently and heated through, it’s ready to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Make sure your pressure cooker is large enough for larger amounts. You do not want to go past the fill line. To double the recipe, just go ahead and double all the dry rub ingredients. You’ll have to do the searing in multiple batches. Make extra sure to get the bottom of the pot scraped up of any stuck-on bits. Increase the chicken broth to 2 cups. Cooking time will be the same.
You can make the Best Damn Oven Pulled Pork or the Best Damn Slow Cooker Pulled Pork.
You bet it can! Check out our recipe for Best Damn Instant Pot Pulled Chicken!
The liquid smoke, even in its small amount, is an ingredient that really elevates the flavor of this recipe. If you don’t have it, simply leave it out. Alternately, you can use smoked paprika in place of regular paprika.
Best Damn Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 6-8 servings
Description
The most amazing, tender, juicy and delicious Instant Pot pulled pork recipe.
Ingredients
- 4lb Pork Butt Roast, boneless or bone-in
- 3 tbs light brown sugar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 2 tbs olive oil
- ½ – 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce.
Instructions
- Trim excess fat from pork roast and cut into 4 same-size chunks.
- Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together. Add pork roast chunks to rub mix and coat well.
- Add 2 tbs olive oil to Instant Pot and set to sauté mode. Once it indicates hot, add 2 pieces of the pork. Sear on each side for about 2 minutes each. Remove pork and set aside on a plate. Repeat with remaining pork pieces.
- Once pork is seared and removed from pot, press cancel and add ½ cup chicken broth. Use a wooden spoon and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Make sure to scrape up all the bits. Then add remaining chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke.
- Place pork chunks directly into the liquid in the pot, spacing out as best possible. Secure lid and make sure vent is set to sealing position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Then let pressure release naturally for 20 minutes or until pin drops.
- Remove pork to a large bowl and shred with 2 forks. Add your favorite BBQ sauce as desired. Or use the juice from the Instant Pot – it’s loaded with awesome flavor!
Notes
To double the recipe, double the dry rub ingredients and increase broth to 2 cups. Cooking time will be the same. Make certain to not fill the pot past the fill line.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pressure cooker
- Cuisine: American BBQ
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EssEss EssEss says
I thought all the reviewers were using hyperbole about it being the best they had, and that it just meant it tasted good. After making this using a pork shoulder roast, I have to agree with the others — it IS the best bbq shredded pork I’ve ever made. I am amazed at the flavor. I also didn’t believe the advice that you could use the juice from the pot. I was sure that it would just be a giant pool of grease from the pork with some washed out spices. I WAS SO WRONG! I followed other reviewers suggestions and I doubled the spices (except for salt and sugar) and when I tasted the juice it was just like an awesome spicy ramen soup base. I used the pork for my bbq as planned for dinner tonight, and I’ve put the juice into a bowl to save for tomorrow to add veggies and noodles to make a ramen soup for dinner.
I will be using this recipe as my bbq pork recipe from now on.
Fay says
This recipe is amazing!
I am new at using the InstantPot and this recipe make it so simple and easy.
The pork was delicious!
Thanks so much!
Gina Deemer says
WOOOOOOOW!!! This really is the best damn pulled pork i’ve ever had!! The meat just melts in your mouth. I did add double on everything for the dry rub except the salt. Pork is naturally high in sodium, so I used sodium free chicken broth and only a pinch of salt in the dry rub. I make my own bbq sauce, and after tasting the juice left behind, I couldn’t just pour it down the sink. So what I did was poured a couple ladel fulls over the shredded up meat, put a schmear of my bbq sauce on the top and bottom of the bun and lemme tell ya, it was finger lickin’ good. Then before I put it away for the night, I added a little more of that liquid left behind and here it is 2 days later and that ish is GONE!! It is just my uncle and myself, so I grabbed the smallest piece of meat they had, it was just over 6lbs. I had the butcher cut it in half for me, put the other half in the freezer for another time. So that means my uncle and I scarfed thru a little over 3lbs of meat in 2 days. If you are himmimg and hawing about whether to make this, DO IT, you won’t be sorry. I promise 🙂
RecipeTeacher says
Awesome! Thanks, Gina!
Patti says
This is the best pulled pork I have ever had! My second time making it. Everyone LOVED IT!
Christine says
Looks great! Will the cooking time change for 2 lbs of meat?
RecipeTeacher says
It will still be the same. Maybe just cut into 3 chunks.
Alicia says
I made “Redneck nachos” tonight and used this recipe for the pulled pork and it turned out so perfectly and so yummy that it almost didn’t last to shredding it. I couldn’t keep my kids out of it. Definitely the best damn pulled pork I have ever made. The only thing I did differently was instead of the dry mustard, I brushed the pieces with regular yellow mustard before I pit the rub on it. Followed the rest of the recipe exactly. It was a huge hit! Thank you for sharing it????
Kim says
I made this twice this week (because I bought my pork from Costco and it was too big for the instant pot). Both times were amazing but the first time I seared the chunks in the instant pot. Because I was cooking 6 lbs, it took quite a bit of time to seat it all, there was a lot of burning, smoke which made deglazing a challenge. The second time I decided to sear it on the grill using a grill pan. It worked great! Saved me a lot of time because I could sear it all at once.
Becca says
So easy and absolutely delicious!
Sandi says
Excellent, simple recipe!
I have made this a few times now and have learned I like a little more of the spices, so I increase all spices except salt by 50%.
The combo of all of the flavors is absolutely wonderful.
It was wonderful exactly as is, but I am that person who always asks for extra sauce or an extra pump of syrup in my latte.
Since I am cooking for two, I usually freeze half of the recipe. It tastes wonderful and of the same quality reheated a month or so later.
Judy Hall says
Hi – how do you reheat? In IP or oven or stove or microwave??
Thanks
Judy
RecipeTeacher says
Hi Judy, I usually just reheat in the microwave. It’s the quickest, most convenient way for me.
Wendy G says
This is the second time I’ve made this recipe. It’s wonderful. I’m fairly new to IP cooking and this recipe is easy and delicious. We have a smoked pork place nearby that is wildly popular and very expensive. This pork is every bit as good, if not better than the pork place. I got a ton of delicious, tender pork for less than 25% of what we had been paying. We’re making our own from now on. Thanks for a great recipe.
Devin says
This is the second time I have made this in a month. The first time I followed the recipe as written, and it was crazy good, but I found it to be a little under salted, so this time I added 1 tsp fish sauce to the braise, just for a little extra savory. It’s an addition I will keep doing. We like it with no extra BBQ sauce, just the braise juices…. so good!
Karen says
Hi,
I bought an almost 8 pound roast and was wondering how long do I cook it and how long should I do the natural pressure release? Oh and I’m new to the instant pot world ????. Thanks!.
RecipeTeacher says
Welcome to the world of Instant Pot cooking, Karen! So i’d recommend doubling the spice rub and doing that part in 2 batches. For the cook time, add 15 minutes. The natural release time will remain the same.
Cheryl says
This. Is. So. Good.
I usually make my own BBQ sauce to put on pulled pork, but this doesn’t need it at all. I followed the recipe exactly except for the Mustard. I have tried instant pot pulled pork recipes before, and they just didn’t have the flavor or tenderness of the slow cooked version. THIS DOES.
It melts in your mouth and the flavor of the rub gets fully infused into the meat.
Oh, I did add one thing, I just remembered. I caramelized a chopped onion in the instant pot before seeing the meat (I removed it while searing and put it back while pressure cooking). I think it would have been almost as good as written, but that probably did add extra flavor.
Rhonda says
Ok, this was the best! I mean, delicious. Juicy, tender, flavorful. I doubled the dry spices (not sugar) and added 1 tsp garlic powder to make sure I had enough rub. I omitted the smoke – we didn’t miss it.
Thank you for this! A total keeper!!!
RecipeTeacher says
Thanks so much, Rhonda!