Tender instant pot pulled pork begins with a perfect seasoning rub followed by a dousing of flavorful sauce creating a juicy, mouth-watering meal made entirely in the pressure cooker.
Why this recipe works
You’ll be drooling when the aroma hits the room from this instant pot pulled pork. When you throw a pork roast into the pressure cooker you’ll have an even juicier slab of meat just waiting to be shredded and devoured. Pile it onto a bun because, after all, who doesn’t love a messy hearty meal? They remind me of a good ole sloppy joe.
Pull apart pork is popular for many reasons. One of my favorite reasons being is that it’s hard to “overcook”. You don’t necessarily overcook pork roast, the longer you cook it, the more tender it gets. However, that doesn’t mean you can cook it for hours on end! Be sure you keep an eye on it so it doesn’t become too mushy. Regardless, it’s a pretty foolproof recipe for even the most novice cooks.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
PORK – We’re using pork shoulder for this recipe. You may substitute for pork roast, pork loin, or Boston butt. We prefer to use boneless, but a bone-in cut will be just fine.
SAUCE – Made with beef broth, Sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, and BBQ. If you have a preference for what kind of sauce you like on your pulled pork, by all means, use that instead!
How to Make Instant Pot Pulled Pork
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Trim any excess fat off of the pork shoulder and cut into quarter-pound chunks.
- Combine the brown sugar, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika in a bowl. Rub onto the meat covering on all sides.
- Add the olive oil to the instant pot. Turn the instant pot onto saute mode for 15 minutes. Working in batches, sear the meat on all sides.
- In a bowl combine 1 cup of the beef broth, sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, and BBQ.
- With all the meat removed from the instant pot, use 1/2 cup of beef broth to deglaze the instant pot.
- Add the seared meat back to the instant pot and pour the wet ingredients over the meat.
- Cook on manual High pressure for 50 minutes and allow to naturally release for 20 minutes. Quick-release the rest of the pressure.
- Shred with forks on a cutting board and return to sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Yes, you can make pulled pork in the slow cooker. I have a separate post for slow cooker pulled pork you can check out, but the recipe isn’t exactly the same. However, you can certainly use it as a backbone for making it in the crockpot if you want to stick to these same ingredients. Depending on the size of your pork roast, you’ll be cooking it on high for around 5-6 hours or until it’s pull-apart tender.
There’s are a few ways to shred pork. You can manually shred the pork using two forks. Begins with the forks touching each other facing in opposite directions and pull apart. Or, you can use a food processor fitted with a slicer blade to shred. Work in batches to not overload your food processor.
You can store your leftover pulled pork in an air tight container kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
If your pulled pork is tough, it hasn’t cooked long enough. Place it back into the instant pot and cook until pull-apart tender.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways to enjoy instant pot pulled pork. Not only does it make a filling meal, but it’s also popular for serving at parties or gatherings and makes for amazing leftovers. Below I’ve compiled a list of ideas on how to use this pulled pork recipe.
- Pulled pork tacos are a must
- Sprinkle over a homemade pizza
- Make a sandwich, don’t forget the coleslaw
- Add to a quesadilla loaded with cheese
- Turn them into individual sliders for parties
- Pile on top of mashed potatoes or rice
- Toss into a crisp salad for some added protein
- Mix into a sauce over cooked pasta noodles
- Wrap it up into a crunchy lettuce leaf
- Serve as is with a side of roasted veggies and cornbread
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Lasagna
- Instant Pot Sloppy Joe
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
- Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Beef Ribs
- Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs
- Instant Pot Ribs
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Instant Pot Pulled Pork
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 5 lb pork shoulder 5-6 lbs, cut into 1/4 lb chunks
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ cup beef broth or chicken
- 1 Tbsp Sriracha
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup BBQ sauce plus more for topping
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- You can store your leftover pulled pork in an air tight container kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat off of the pork shoulder and cut into quarter pound chunks.
- Combine the brown sugar, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika in a bowl. Rub onto the meat covering on all sides.
- Add the olive oil to the instant pot. Turn the instant pot onto saute mode for 15 minutes. Working in batches, sear the meat on all sides.
- In a bowl combine the 1 cup of the beef broth, sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, and BBQ.
- With all the meat removed from the instant pot, use 1/2 cup of beef broth to deglaze the instant pot.
- Add the seared meat back to the instant pot and pour the wet ingredients over the meat. Cook on manual High pressure for 50 minutes and allow to naturally release for 20 minutes. Quick release the rest of the pressure. Shred with forks on a cutting board and return to sauce.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Ellen says
I used smoked paprika and leave out the BBQ due to tomato sensitivity. I also started doing it the lazy way…leaving out the olive oil and skipping searing. Love it!!!
Debbie Vermaning says
I cooked pork (2 – 21/2 Ibs), for 30 minutes, naturally released for 15 minutes as per Amanda’s instructions to me. When I put shredded pork back in pot, I let it sit for 10 minutes on warm. I cut dry rub in half, except for brown sugar and kept the same amount of wet ingredients for the 5 Ibs pork instructions, and used the extra broth as a dipping sauce. Hubby loved it!!
Debbie Vermaning says
I want to try this recipe, however, it would be too much to cook for hubby and I , could i cut in half and if so what would the timing be?
I would really appreciate hearing back from you.
Debbie