Tender Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Published 3/11/2024 • Updated 6/30/2024
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The most tender and juicy Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe made with a pork shoulder, a delicious dry rub, and your favorite bbq sauce! Then, it’s pressure-cooked on high for around 90 minutes until fork tender.
We love this method of cooking pork in my house because you get the most perfectly tender pulled pork in half the amount of time 🙌🏻
This might be my all-time favorite Instant Pot pork recipe and I’m so excited for you guys to whip this up in no time for your family and friends to enjoy. I’ve made this Instant Pot pulled pork countless times since we first posted this in 2020 and my family loves it so much — especially since it’s so versatile. We’ve eaten it on a bun, in a bowl, as nachos, the list goes on!
The end result of this pulled pork is similar to if you slow-cooked it low and slow for hours and hours (similar to our slow cooker pulled pork), but it truly takes a fraction of the time. Our famous pork dry rub is used for a base flavor and then it’s slathered in bbq sauce.
this instant pot pulled pork is:
- tender
- juicy
- flavorful
- Saucy
- kid-friendly
- gluten-free
- easy made paleo
- easy made keto
What is the best cut of meat to use for pulled pork?
First things first, let’s chat about what cut of pork you need for this recipe! Like our Instant Pot Carnitas, this recipe calls for a boneless pork shoulder roast. Make sure you find a roast that is around 2.5 – 3 lbs.
The reason why we suggest a pork shoulder roast is because it has a good amount of fat in it, making it the perfect cut of pork to shred.
Did you know – a boneless pork shoulder roast is also referred to as a pork butt and Boston butt?!
Cuts of Pork
Not sure where all the different cuts of pork come from on the pig? We made it easy. Check out more details on everything pork in our favorite pork recipes round up!
Can I use a pork tenderloin for this recipe?
Unfortunately, we don’t recommend using a pork tenderloin for this recipe. Pork shoulder is a fattier cut of meat, which allows it to be “shredded.”
If you are interested in a delicious pork tenderloin recipe, we recommend trying our Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin!
How to Make Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Make this wonderful pulled pork in the Instant Pot in just 6 easy steps! Here’s a quick rundown for yah.
- Rub: Use our homemade pork rub to add flavor to your roast before cooking! Don’t skimp on this step as it’s super important for flavor! Here’s what you need for the rub: brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, coarse salt, cinnamon, dried thyme, and ground pepper.
- Sear: Sear pork roast on each side for around 2-3 minutes in order to brown. This will add great texture in the end and also help heat up your Instant Pot so it doesn’t take so long to build pressure.
- Deglaze + Saute: Deglaze the pot with broth and then cook onions and garlic for a few minutes.
- Pressure Cook: Add pork roast back into the Instant Pot and seal. Turn Instant Pot to manual > high pressure > and set the timer for 90 minutes. Then, quick release the Instant Pot.
- Shred: Remove the meat from the Instant Pot and then remove any large pieces of fat. Use 2 forks to shred pork.
- Sauce: Don’t forget to keep around 1 cup of the liquid from the Instant Pot and discard the rest. Add the liquid to the shredded pork and then add your favorite bbq sauce. Feel free to add as much or as little as you’d like.
How long do you cook pork in the Instant Pot?
A 3 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast will take around 90 minutes on high with a quick release. Remember that the Instant Pot takes time to build pressure, so it will take around 15 minutes to start counting down from 90.
Our cook time might seem a little higher than other recipes on the internet, but that’s because we aren’t huge fans of the natural release. We like to quick-release whenever possible! Furthermore, fattier cuts of pork can’t really be overcooked, so don’t worry!
Can you use a bigger roast? Yes, of course, you can! 1. Just make sure it fits in your Instant Pot and 2. Use 90 minutes as a starting point and go from there. You can always check how tender your roast is after 90 minutes and put it back in for longer if it’s not quite there yet.
Why won’t my pork pull apart? It is likely that your pork won’t pull apart because it hasn’t cooked long enough. If this is the case, continue cooking your pork shoulder for 5-10 more minutes.
what if I get the burn notice?
If you get the burn notice, that means that you don’t have enough liquid on the bottom of your Instant Pot. Add a few more tablespoons of broth and you should be good to go.
Make this pulled pork your own!
Shredding Size: Shred the pork as big or as little as your heart desires.
BBQ Sauce: Hoping to keep this gluten-free or keto? Use your favorite BBQ sauce that suits your needs. Remember, that this pork will take on the flavor of the BBQ sauce you use, so make sure it’s a good one! Here are our favs:
- Annie’s Original BBQ Sauce
- Homemade BBQ Sauce (Fit Foodie’s signature recipe!)
- Target’s Good and Gather Honey BBQ Sauce
Amount of BBQ Sauce: Love it nice and saucy? Add more BBQ sauce than we suggest? Or, take it to the other extreme and don’t use BBQ sauce at all!
How to Serve Instant Pot Shredded Pork
Get creative with your IP pulled pork and use it in SO MANY WAYS.
- On a bun – channel your inner pulled chicken sandwich and get your favorite bun and serve your pulled pork with some creamy coleslaw.
- In a meal-prep bowl: we have the most delicious pulled pork meal-prep bowl recipe that this Instant Pot Pulled Pork would go delicious with!
- As the meat of a taco: instead of adding bbq sauce, eat your pulled pork as tacos! Check out our Instant Pot Pork Carnitas for some inspo.
- In a lettuce wrap: looking to keep things low carb? Serve this bbq pulled pork in a lettuce wrap!
- As the base of chili – instead of mixing in bbq sauce at the end, simply use the pulled pork for the meat in chili. Check out the flavors in our Instant Pot Pork Chili.
- In a burrito: whether you’re craving a breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs or a Mexican burrito with rice and beans, this pressure cooker pulled pork would be such a filling!
FAQ
You can absolutely overcook pulled pork in Instant Pot. For a 2-3 lb. roast, the sweet spot is right around 90 minutes in order to get fall-off-the-bone shredded pork. Anything more will start denigrating the pork.
We love pulled pork in the Instant Pot because it cooks faster, but is just as tender.
The best liquid for cooking pork in the Instant Pot is broth because it adds flavor and a little salt.
Cook a 2-3 lb. pork roast in the Instant Pot for 90 minutes on high pressure.
Storage
Store pulled pork in an air-tight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
Reheat: reheat in the microwave on high or pan fry on the stovetop.
Instant Pot Pulled Pork Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-3 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast, we used a 2.5 lb roast
- 1/4 cup pork rub*
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth, or any kind
- 1/2 white onion, chopped
- 3 whole garlic cloves, smashed and minced
- 1/2 cup bbq sauce
Instructions
- First, (if you haven't already) mix together all of the ingredients for the spice rub in a bowl using a fork to get rid of any lumps! You only need 1/4 cup of this rub, so you can save the rest for later.
- Next, rub the spice mixture all over your pork roast with your hands. Be sure that every inch of the roast is covered. Set aside.
- Turn on the Instant Pot’s saute feature and add two tablespoons of olive oil.
- When olive oil is fragrant add pork roast and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side to brown the pork.
- Remove pork from Instant Pot and deglaze your Instant Pot by pouring half of the broth (1/2 cup) onto the bottom of the pot. Scrape all of the brown bits from the bottom the Instant Pot with a spatula.
- Next, add onion and garlic to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Then, add the rest of the broth to the Instant Pot and place the pork roast back into the Instant Pot.
- Turn off the saute feature and then put the lid on. Seal the Instant Pot and set it to manual high pressure for 90 minutes. It should take a little bit to build pressure before it starts to count down from 90.
- Once the timer goes off, quick release the pressure from the Instant Pot and remove the pork roast. Save 1 cup of the cooking liquid for later. Discard the rest of the liquid.
- Place the pork back into the Instant Pot and shred it with two forks The pork should shred very easily. If it doesn’t, you likely need to continue cooking.
- Once shredded, Pour the remaining cup of cooking liquid and the bbq sauce over the pork and mix well.
- Turn the saute feature on the Instant Pot and let the pork cook for 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately on your favorite bun!
Tips & Notes
- If you don’t have our pork rub made, here’s what you need: 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ tablespoon coarse sea salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and ½ teaspoon ground pepper.
- To make paleo: use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and use a paleo-friendly bbq sauce.
- To make keto: omit brown sugar and use a keto-friendly bbq sauce.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.
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If I wanted to cook from frozen, how long would it take in the instant pot?
We have made this a few times now and it’s truly so good. Don’t skimp on the the pork rub recipe, it makes this irresistible. The best part is it’s both easy and a crowd pleaser.
We’ve made this so many times and it is SOOOOO easy. Love switching up the bbq sauce at the end!
Made this last night in the IP and it was a huge success! Used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and flavor was amazing. The pork shredded so easily and with the addition of just a bit of BBQ sauce, the texture was a win for sure.
Glad coconut sugar worked for you guys!
Made this yesterday and it was super easy and so so delish! I made the homemade pork rub for the FFF sous vide ribs last week, so it made making this even easier. However – the brown sugar in the homemade rub mixed with the BBQ sauce did make it fairly sweet (no complaints from me, but my dad had a few words *eye roll*). Next time I think I’ll tweak the rub a bit to use a bit less brown sugar. Can’t wait to eat some leftovers for lunch!
Thanks so much for your feedback! I think it all depends on what bbq sauce yo use. Some are definitely more savory/spicy…but we should for sure update the recipe with a note! Glad you loved it 😀
Do you have a recipe for the slaw you used on the BBQ sandwiches?
That was just a prepackaged slaw for the photo <3
Can you use bone in?
Yes you can! Just remove the bone before pulling!
any reccomendations for making this in the slow cooker?
I was actually curious of the slow cooker option, as well 😉
I would suggest 6-8 hours on low in the slow cooker!