Go Back
–+ servings
Recipe: Pulled pork made quickly using an instant pot.
5 from 8 votes

Instant Pot Pulled Pork Recipe

Get tender, juicy Instant Pot Pulled Pork in no time! Start with a pork rub on your pork shoulder, sear it, pressure cook it for 90 minutes, shred it, and then toss it in BBQ sauce.
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 1 hour 30 minutes
Total 1 hour 50 minutes
Fat 21
Carbs 10
Protein 25
Yield 8

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.
    Seared pork in Instant Pot.
  • 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.
    cooking onions and garlic in Instant Pot.
  • Then, add the rest of the broth to the Instant Pot and place the pork roast back into the Instant Pot.
    An Instant Pot filled with pulled pork.
  • 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.
    shredded pork in Instant Pot.
  • Once shredded, Pour the remaining cup of cooking liquid and the bbq sauce over the pork and mix well.
    bbq sauce on pulled pork in Instant Pot.
  • 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 Facts

Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 21g | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 5g