Who needs a grill or a smoker when you can count on your Instant Pot to deliver this delicious pulled pork? Perfect for barbecue sandwiches, topping baked potatoes, or for filling tacos, this pork is just as tasty as takeout for a fraction of the price.
This instant pot pulled pork recipe is truly effortless and super quick to make in comparison to oven baked or slow cooked recipes. This recipe is ready in under 2 hours and all you need to do is season the meat with your favorite spices.
Pulled pork is such a popular recipe because it’s not only super delicious but is so versatile and can be used in so many different ways not to mention the tasty recipes you can make with leftovers. With this recipe, you can be assured that the pulled pork will be soft, succulent, tender and packed with flavor!
The Best Pork to Use to Make Pulled Pork
I like to use Boston Butt or pork shoulder to make pulled pork. It’s tender and shreds beautifully because of the perfect marbling of fat throughout it.
Make sure to bring the meat out of the fridge around 10-20 minutes before cooking so it’s not cold, this helps the meat stay tender and prevents it from tightening up.
How to Make Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- First, mix the spice mix together in a bowl then rub it all over the Boston butt.
- Brown the Boston butt on all sides using the Instant Pot then add the chicken stock and garlic.
- Set Instant Pot to cook at High Pressure.
- After cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally.
- Shred the meat and return shredded pork to Instant Pot; stir together with reserved cooking juices (fat skimmed off) and serve.
Seasoning Pulled Pork
This recipe uses the perfect combination of smoked paprika, cumin, chili, garlic and brown sugar for added sweetness but you can easily adapt the seasonings to your preference whether you want to add more heat with red pepper flakes or chili powder or add in different herbs or citrus zest.
Can I Freeze Leftover Instant Pot Pulled Pork?
Absolutely, pulled pork freezes really well. My tip is to freeze it in smaller portions (freezer bags are better for saving space) then bring it out and thaw as needed. This is also a great idea for meal prep!
Leftovers will also store well in the fridge 3-4 days just make sure to seal it in a suitable container.
Tips and Ideas for Cooking Effortless Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- When shopping for a Boston butt for this recipe, be sure to stick to the specified size to guarantee it cooks properly.
- If you can’t find Boston butt in your grocery store, pork shoulder will work fine.
- If your Boston butt is too large to fit into the InstantPot to sear properly, cut it into large chunks, and sear the pieces in batches.
- If you have to cut the pork into chunks to sear it properly, reduce the initial cook time by 5 to 10 minutes.
- Draining the fat from the cooking liquid is an optional step, but it translates into to a more concentrated flavor, and a healthier finished dish.
- If you don’t have a fat separator, carefully pour the cooking liquid into a heatproof bowl, and refrigerate until the fat has solidified enough to scoop off and discard.
- Because there’s a lot of collagen in Boston butt, the resulting cooking liquid will develop a jelly-like texture when refrigerated. Don’t worry—that just means it’s extra good for you, like a nice bone broth.
- Enjoy this pulled pork in barbecue sandwiches, in tacos, over potatoes, or added to your favorite recipes, such as enchiladas, mac and cheese, or baked beans.
More Pork Recipes You Might Like;
If you’ve tried this Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- 3 ½ lb. Boston butt
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 4 smashed garlic cloves
- Barbecue sauce optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together salt, paprika, chili powder, cumin, sugar, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Rub spice mixture all over Boston butt. Set aside.
- Set InstantPot to saute; add olive oil. When oil is hot, add Boston butt.
- Cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
- Add chicken stock and garlic to InstantPot with pork.
- Place top on InstantPot; twist to seal and lock. Turn Steam Release Valve to “sealing.” Set InstantPot to cook at High Pressure for 65 minutes.
- After cooking is complete, let pressure release naturally (approximately 40 minutes). After
- that, manually release the pressure by turning the Steam Release Valve to “venting.”
- If desired, remove Boston butt from InstantPot; pour cooking juices into a fat separator. Skim off extra fat, and discard. Reserve remaining cooking juices.
- Using two forks, shred meat, discarding fat and bones. Return shredded pork to InstantPot; stir together with reserved cooking juices. Season with additional salt, if desired. Serve with barbecue sauce, if desired.
Notes
- When shopping for a Boston butt for this recipe, be sure to stick to the specified size to guarantee it cooks properly.
- If you can’t find Boston butt in your grocery store, pork shoulder will work fine.
- If your Boston butt is too large to fit into the InstantPot to sear properly, cut it into large chunks, and sear the pieces in batches.
- If you have to cut the pork into chunks to sear it properly, reduce the initial cook time by 5 to 10 minutes.
- Draining the fat from the cooking liquid is an optional step, but it translates into to a more concentrated flavor, and a healthier finished dish.
- If you don’t have a fat separator, carefully pour the cooking liquid into a heatproof bowl, and refrigerate until the fat has solidified enough to scoop off and discard.
- Because there’s a lot of collagen in Boston butt, the resulting cooking liquid will develop a jelly-like texture when refrigerated. Don’t worry—that just means it’s extra good for you, like a nice bone broth.
- Enjoy this pulled pork in barbecue sandwiches, in tacos, over potatoes, or added to your favorite recipes, such as enchiladas, mac and cheese, or baked beans.
I used this recipe to make a big batch for my weekly meal plan and it was amazing!