Make the most delicious pulled pork in an Instant Pot, in a fraction of the usual time. Cooked quickly with brown sugar and spices before being tossed in a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, this shredded pork is wonderfully tender and juicy. It makes for great sandwiches and sliders.
BBQ Pulled Pork
I’m addicted to this easy pulled pork recipe! Slow cooking it in the oven is great, but it takes around 3 hours. This Instant Pot Pulled Pork cooks in less than an hour, but is just as tender and flavorful!
Perfectly seasoned and spiced, this pressure cooker BBQ pork is great for delicious dinners, or make sandwiches as an addition to your game day feast!
Be sure to try my Smoked Pulled Pork and Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese Sandwich too!
Why You’ll Love this Instant Pot Pulled Pork Recipe:
- One Pot: All cooked right in the pressure cooker, even the clean-up is a breeze!
- Make Ahead: Cook this up a couple of days before you plan to serve it to save yourself some time and effort on the day.
- Great for a Crowd: This Instant Pot pulled pork recipe will easily serve eight, so it’s ideal for gatherings. The leftovers taste great the next day too!
I just love how quick it is to cook a pork shoulder using this method! Super easy to prep too, just let the Instant Pot do all of the hard work!
How to Make Instant Pot Pulled Pork
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Pat the pork shoulder dry and rub with the spice mix.
- Add chicken stock to the Instant Pot and place in the pork.
- Cook and naturally release.
- Remove the pork and shred.
- Whisk the BBQ sauce in with the chicken stock.
- Add the shredded pork back to the Instant Pot and toss to combine.
Yes. If using bone-in pork shoulder, add 5 minutes to the cook time.
Absolutely! Instead of following this recipe to make your own spice rub, use 4 tablespoons of your favorite spice rub in step 3.
I used a 6-quart Instant Pot for this pulled pork recipe. Use a similarly sized pot for best results.
To make pulled pork in a slow cooker, follow this recipe for crockpot BBQ pork.
Homemade pulled pork is so versatile! Some of my favorite ways to enjoy pulled pork are as sliders, sandwiches, tacos, on salad, with rice, or with scrambled eggs.
Store leftover pulled pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve this Instant Pot pulled pork in burgers or sliders. Plate it up with these favorite BBQ sides:
However you decide to enjoy this BBQ shredded pork, one thing is for sure, you are going to LOVE it!
Tips!
- Use pork shoulder for the best pulled pork. It has the perfect ratio of fat to meat, making it perfectly tender and flavorful.
- Pat the pork dry before seasoning it. This helps it cook more evenly and helps it to get nice and juicy.
- Once made, you can keep the BBQ pulled pork on the warm setting in the Instant Pot for up to 2 hours before serving.
This pulled pork is so simple to fix in the Instant Pot. It takes very little effort and requires minimal hands-on time.
What kind of BBQ sauce should I use?
Use your favorite kind of store-bought or homemade BBQ sauce.
What can I use instead of chicken stock?
Chicken stock prevents the pork from burning on the bottom. Instead of chicken stock, use water or beer.
How can I make this pork spicy?
For spicy pulled pork, add 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the spice rub and mix in a little hot sauce with the BBQ sauce in step 9.
This Instant Pot pulled pork recipe makes it easy to cook up the most tender and flavorful shredded pork. Give it a go, I know you are going to love it!
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Recipe
Instant Pot Pulled Pork Recipe
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Instant Pot Pulled Pork is a quick and easy option for making everyone’s favorite game day or easy weeknight meal.
Instructions
Pat the pork shoulder dry with a paper towel.
5 pounds boneless pork shoulder
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and pepper together.
2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Rub the spice mixture over the pork, making sure to evenly coat it on all sides.
Pour the chicken stock and place the pork into the Instant Pot. Attach the lid and ensure the valve is in the “sealing” position.
1 cup chicken stock
Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook – Manual for 45 minutes.
Once the Instant Pot finishes cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes.
Switch the valve to the “venting” position to release any additional pressure.
Remove the pork from the Instant Pot and use 2 forks to shred the pork.
Pour the barbecue sauce into the Instant Pot and whisk it with the chicken stock.
½ cup barbecue sauce
Add the shredded pork back into the pot. Toss to combine, serve, and enjoy.
Becky’s tips
- Use pork shoulder for the best pulled pork. It has the perfect ratio of fat to meat, making it perfectly tender and flavorful.
- Pat the pork dry before seasoning it. This helps it cook more evenly and helps it to get nice and juicy.
- Once made, you can keep the BBQ pulled pork on the warm setting in the Instant Pot for up to 2 hours before serving.
Storage: Store leftover pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 416kcal (21%) Carbohydrates: 12g (4%) Protein: 65g (130%) Fat: 10g (15%) Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 4g Trans Fat: 0.04g Cholesterol: 171mg (57%) Sodium: 963mg (42%) Potassium: 1158mg (33%) Fiber: 0.3g (1%) Sugar: 9g (10%) Vitamin A: 44IU (1%) Vitamin C: 0.3mg Calcium: 32mg (3%) Iron: 3mg (17%)
