Smoked Pork Shoulder
This smoked pork shoulder recipe is made with a 7-lb. pork shoulder, a delicious dry rub, and smoked for about 7 hours. It leaves you with tender and juicy smoked delicious pork.
Prep 2 hours
Cook 8 hours
Total 10 hours
Fat 19
Carbs 6
Protein 52
Yield 12
Ingredients
- 1.5 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1.5 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1.5 teaspoons paprika
- 1.5 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 7-8 lb. bone-in pork shoulder also known as pork butt, we used a 7.5-lb. shoulder
Apple Juice Spritz
- ¼ cup apple juice
- ¼ cup bourbon
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Other
- We used the Signature Traeger pellets feel free to use whatever pellets you’d like..
Instructions
- Add the salt, brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, mustard powder, and black pepper in a bowl. Mix until combined.
- Sprinkle half of the dry rub over the pork shoulder and massage the rub into the meat. Flip the pork over and sprinkle the rest of the dry rub on top of the rest of the pork and massage the dry rub into the meat. Be sure the whole pork shoulder is coated.
- Wrap the pork shoulder in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight for best results.
- Preheat the smoker to 250ºF and add your smoking pellets or smoking chips to the smoker. We used the Signature Traeger Blend pellets. prepare the apple juice spritz. Pour the apple juice, bourbon maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar into a small spray bottle and shake it until combined. Set aside.
- When the smoker is preheated, place the pork shoulder on the smoker and cook for 7-8 hours. Spritz the whole pork shoulder with the apple juice spritz every hour or hour and a half to keep it from drying out.
- When the pork shoulder has been on the smoker for 6 hours, lower the temperature to 200ºF.
- When the internal temperature of the pork reaches 195ºF-205ºF the pork is done.
- Remove the pork from the smoker and let the meat rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing or shredding.
- Serve on it’s own, on tacos, on buns, or in a burrito bowl.
Tips & Notes
- Timing for how long to cook the pork shoulder varies by smoker and by how large your pork shoulder is.
- Feel free to add your favorite spices to the dry rub for this pork shoulder.
- You can use whatever type of pellets or wood chips that you’d like for this recipe.
- You will need around 20-lb. pellets for this recipe.
Watch it
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 19g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g