Heather’s Drool Worthy Instant Pot Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Sweet, tangy, spicy, this recipe uses lean pork tenderloin, an easy spice rub and an exquisite BBQ sauce to make the most incredible Instant Pot pulled pork sandwiches. This is the kind of recipe that turns heads and has everyone’s attention. It’s THAT good!

If ever there was a recipe that’s perfect for the Instant Pot, it’s pulled pork. Normally done in large smokers with a full day’s cooking times, getting good pulled pork can be time consuming, space consuming, and a big endeavor. Slow cooking pulled pork is an option of course, but with the Instant Pot, we can have the whole thing done in less than 90 minutes! Yep, a feast like his can actually be done in an under an hour and a half with our nifty little electric pressure cooker.

Go Lean with Pork Tenderloin

Pulled pork is commonly done with large cuts of pork shoulder/butt, which are large in size and contains lots of fat. Pork tenderloin, on the other hand, is a very lean and tender cut of pork. It’s also much smaller in size. The average pork tenderloin is usually about 1.25 lbs. in size. Often times, pork tenderloin is sold in packages of two and can be as inexpensive as 10 bucks.

Start with a Simple Rub

Our drool worthy pulled pork will start with some robust flavors to rub directly onto the meat. This includes chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion and garlic powder, salt, pepper and a little cayenne. Cut each pork tenderloin into 3 pieces. In a large bowl, mix all the rub ingredients together, then add the meat and get it all good and coated with the spice mix. You can even let the meat sit in a plastic zip-top bag with the spice rub overnight for an extra notch of amazing. But don’t worry if you don’t want to wait overnight, our pulled pork will still be drool worthy.

The Sauce… Oh the SAUCE

Our pork will cook in a combination of the spice rub and ginger ale. This alone would be enough for an excellent pulled pork. But, we’re taking this recipe to the next level with the most amazing sweet, tangy and spicy BBQ sauce. Don’t worry, it’s not too hot at all. Rather, it’s a carnival of flavors that will make every bite one to savor and remember. In fact, this recipe will make plenty of sauce for the sandwiches, but I often recommend doubling the sauce. I like to have these sandwiches smothered and dripping in sauce. Be sure to keep plenty of napkins on hand! The sauce is actually a combination of some pretty standard ingredients – ketchup, Heinz 57 sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, dijon mustard, brown sugar, honey, sriracha and apple cider vinegar. When all mixed together, this magical potion takes everything to the next level.

Pressure Cook for 45 Minutes

We’ve made our rub, we’ve made our sauce, now it’s time for the instant Pot do do it’s magic. Add a can of ginger ale to the pot and mix in a little apple cider vinegar and ⅓ cup of the BBQ sauce. Mix it well. Place the seasoned pork tenderloin pieces directly into the liquid. Secure the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. When the pressure cook time is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.

Time to Mix it all Together

Remove pork to a plate and set aside. Remove 1 cup of the liquid and discard the rest. Place pork back into the Instantpot and shred with 2 forks. Add about ½ cup of the liquid and about ½ the BBQ sauce. You can add remaining liquid as desired. Serve on brioche buns with BBQ sauce. Add some sliced pickles and/or jalapeno slices for additional amazingness.

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