How Long To Cook Boston Butt In Instant Pot

Instant Pot Pulled Pork

by Susie Weinrich · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Instant Pot Pulled Pork is tender and flavorful pork shoulder cooked up quickly in your electric pressure cooker. The pork meat comes out fall-apart tender and makes amazing BBQ pulled pork sandwiches or tacos.

This is a complete guide to making pulled pork in your Instant Pot- everything from which cut of pork to buy, and how much to buy, to trimming, seasoning and cooking!

If you have a pork butt but want to use it in other ways, check out these two recipes: Instant Pot Carnitas or Instant Pot Pork Roast.

Also, if you love BBQ in your Instant Pot definitely make these Instant Pot Boneless Pork Ribs or Instant Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken!! You will not regret it!

What Is The Best Cut Of Pork For Pulled Pork

The best cut of pork for pulled pork is a boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, also called Boston butt. These cuts of pork have plenty of fat marbled throughout for flavor, and they become fall apart tender after pressure cooking.

You can also use a pork loin to make pulled pork. I have tested this recipe both with pork shoulder and with pork tenderloin. My family enjoyed the pulled pork made with both cuts of meat. A pork shoulder or pork butt creates a slightly more flavorful pulled pork because it is a fattier cut of meat. Pork tenderloin makes a healthier pulled pork because it is a leaner cut of meat.

A Note On Cooking Liquids

• I prefer broth to Instant pot pulled pork with Dr. Pepper, Coke, or other sodas. While pop is popular, as with bottled sauces, it makes the pork much higher in sugar than is needed.
• Instead, I rub the pork liberally with spices. Once its shredded, I reduce its cooking juices to create a sauce, then sweeten it to taste with pure maple syrup and molasses. The flavor is better, and its better for you too!
• I do not recommend bottled barbecue sauce as a cooking liquid for Instant Pot pulled pork, as thick, sugary, tomato-based products can trigger a BURN warning .

My favorite cooking liquid for pulled pork is beef broth.

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Recipes: Pork Shoulder Classics

These easy recipes represent the little black dresses of Instant Pot pork shoulder meals. They boast short ingredient lists and simple steps, making them a fundamental element of any home cooks first-time Instant Pot repertoire.

Slow Cooker Cuban Mojo Pork by Lemon Blossoms

Mojo criollo is a marinade made from bitter orange juice and a spice mixture. Whether you get it in a bottle from your local bodega or mix up your own, this citrusy elixir is flavor-magic, boosting any meat into the tart garlicky stratosphere. Take advantage of the Instant Pots slow cooker setting to coax the most flavor out of this Crock Pot pork roast.

Instant Pot Dr Pepper Pulled Pork

Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork serve this up for dinner tonight. In under one hour, you have Instant pot pulled pork that is tender, juicy, and jam-packed with flavor. You will feel like you ordered takeout from your favorite bbq pit stop. Pile on a sandwich or top some fries, and dive headfirst into this simple Instant Pot pulled pork recipe.

I make this recipe a lot, especially in the spring and summer months. We love bbq, and this recipe is outstanding. It is a recipe that my entire family can agree on, and leftovers are just as good as the first night you serve it up. Dr. Pepper adds a nice flavor to the pork, but it also helps tenderize it, so you have that juicy and tender pork.

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Can You Put Pork In Slow Cooker Without Liquid

Most meats also release liquids during cooking. Because of this additional liquid, you can cook fatty meats like lamb shank, beef shin, pork shoulder, chicken wings, and drumsticks without adding extra water or broth. However, leaner meats such as fillets and chicken breast will not turn out well if you dry cook them.

How Long To Cook Pork Roast In The Instant Pot

When you roast a pork butt in the oven, it takes about 40 minutes per pound. The Instant Pot is MUCH quicker.

In the Instant Pot, you should cook a pork butt for 15 minutes per pound. What does that mean? That means that you set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 15 minutes per pound. If the roast is 3 pounds, you set it to pressure cook for 45 minutes.

The roast ends up being in the Instant Pot for longer than just those 45 minutes though. Before the pressure cooking starts, the Instant Pot spends time coming up to temperature. That can take as long as 10-15 minutes.

Then, after the pressure cooking time is up, the pressure needs to be released. I do what is called a natural release for 10 minutes. A natural release happens if, when your pressure cooking time has reached zero, you do nothing. Basically, the heater of your Instant Pot stops heating at that point, and then the pressure inside slowly dissipates.

I do the natural release for 10 minutes whenever cooking meat in the Instant Pot because a quicker release results in a drastic change of temperature that can make meat seize up and get tough.

So do the natural release for 10 minutes and then switch the valve to Venting and let the remaining pressure escape. You then open up the Instant Pot and take out the roast.

Also Check: Instant Pot Burn Error

Cooking The Roast Until It Shreds

This roast is sliceable, which isnt usually how you want a pork shoulder but the pressure cooking renders such a tender roast that you can eat it like you would a normal roast. If you want a pork roast that shreds, you will need to cook it another 60 minutes. You have two choices with this recipe and both are great!

How To Serve Instant Pot Pork Roast

I like to serve this Instant Pot pork roast just like Id serve beef pot roast: with mashed potatoes, gravy, and vegetables like Instant Pot Broccoli or Air Fryer Green Beans. Its also delicious used as sandwich or taco filling and can be used in any recipe that uses pork .

I also love serving pork roast with fresh Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce!

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Use Both Thighs And Breasts For Perfect Pulled Chicken

This recipe uses both boneless skinless chicken thighs and breasts to make the prefect pulled chicken. Chicken thighs are dark meat and provide that extra flavor boost and super tenderness, while the breast meat provides the perfect texture while, especially once we sear the meat with our amazing rub. Speaking of rub

Start With The Best Damn Rub

To make the most delicious bbq pulled chicken in our Instant Pot, were going to start with an awesome rub that will provide such an amazing flavor. The rub is actually pretty simple brown sugar, salt, black pepper, white pepper , onion powder, paprika, ground mustard and a little cayenne. These flavors are the base for a great bbq chicken taste and will be infused in to the chicken during the pressure cooking process. If youve seen some of RecipeTeachers other popular recipes such as Best Damn Instant Pot Pork Chops, Best Damn Instant Pot Pulled Pork and Best Damn Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin, youll see that we use a similar rub. For chicken, were gonna bump up the salt a little, and also help bring out a robustness and a bit of a punch with some white pepper. White pepper is one of my favorite seasonings to use in chicken dishes. It doesnt have the heat of cayenne, but allows us to still kick up the zing and provides the chicken with that little extra something thats oh so good. White pepper is available at most supermarkets and will be a welcome addition to your spice/seasoning repertoire.

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Is It Better To Slow Cook On Low Or High

The LOW setting takes longer than the HIGH setting. Once that temperature is hit, the appliance stabilizes at that temperature to allow for the ingredients to be cooked. This means most recipes can be cooked on either setting. Or if a recipe calls for eight hours on HIGH, it can be cooked for up to 12 hours on LOW.

Here Are Some Of My Favorite Ideas:

• Top a baked potato with a pat of butter and bbq pulled pork to have pulled pork potatoes!
• Char some tortillas, add pulled pork and some slaw to have pulled pork tacos!
• Jazz up breakfast by scrambling some eggs, adding pulled pork and cheese!
• Add some pulled pork to macaroni and cheese
• Top a burger with pulled pork the sky is the limit!

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Pressure Cook Only 3 Minutes

After weve deglazed the bottom of the pot, we add some Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke to the chicken broth. Then we place the pork tenderloin right into the liquid, secure the lid, make sure vent is set to sealing, and pressure cook on high pressure for only 3 minutes. Yes, just 3 minutes. Then let the pressure naturally release. The NPR will take about 12-15 minutes.

When cooking in complete and pressure has naturally released, remove the pork and set on a plate for 5 minutes before slicing.

Why I Love My Instant Pot For Pork Roast

There are three things that I really love about cooking a pork roast in my Instant Pot .

The first is the sauté function. Using it creates a lovely, caramel-colored layer on the pork. Which means I dont have to pull out another pan and get it dirty. Love it!

After searing the roast, I remove it from the Instant Pot and put the trivet that was included to get the roast up out of the cooking liquid and off the bottom of the pot. I think it helps to maintain the color from the searing as well as ensuring that the bottom doesnt burn.

The second thing that I love is the fact that once the lid is locked on and cooking time is set, Im free to focus on something else.

Finally, the result is like a slow-braised, tender pork roast, but in the Instant Pot, it cooks in much less time.

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How Much Water Do I Put In Pressure Cooker For Meat

When you use a pressure cooker, you need to have enough liquid in the pot for it to come up to pressure and cook the food properly. The rule of liquids in pressure cooking is to always add at least 1 cup of liquid unless the recipe states otherwise. The liquid will help create enough steam to cook the meal.

How To Cook A Frozen Pork Butt

I have done this with all different types of protein. That is why I put together this list of how to cook frozen meat in Instant Pot post. If youve ever freaked out because literally all you have in the house is rock hard proteins in the freezer, this might save the day .

We first shared this Instant Pot frozen pork shoulder recipe because it was such a hit. I do realize that different cuts have slightly different liquids and cook times so I decided to add the butt as well.

Lets start with a few basic tips:

• Make sure to Bookmark our InstaPot recipes page. We add new ones each week!

For reference, this is the pressure cooker I have and use for all recipe creations.

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How To Get The Best Deal On Pork Shoulder

SHOPPING TIP Shop strategically. Even if you arent planning on cooking pork shoulder in the immediate future, keep an eye on the sales, try to find out your markets meat delivery schedule and know the butchers hours. My local Smart & Final gets their meat shipments once a week, on Wednesdays. Their sales end on Tuesdays, so by Tuesday evening, they are probably going to running low on meat. Even if I have no room in the freezer, Ill go down Tuesday night, and most likely, theyll be out of stock, and I can get a raincheck for the sale price that locks in the sale price for me whenever Im ready in the next 60 days.

Earlier today, I did a product and price check in the meat section of one of my local supermarkets. Its illuminating: they charged $5.99 a pound for pork butt cut up into cubes , but whole pork shoulder was less than $2.00 per pound, and the various pork shoulder products ranged in price from $3.49 to $4.49, around double the price. Id certainly be willing to buy in bulk and freeze some it for a 50% savings, wouldnt you?

Supermarkets Description of Meat Cut

My Favorite Way To Make Easy Pulled Pork Recipe Using Instant Pot

Whats great about this Pulled Pork Recipe is that it doesnt take all day to make. I recently bought the Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker, 6Qt/1000W and I LOVE IT!

I wasnt sure I would use it that much, but I seriously use it more than I dont!

It makes dinner time fast and easy. Not only is it a Pressure Cooker but a Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, you can use it for Saute/Browning, as a Yogurt Maker, Steamer & Warmer. Can you believe that one appliance can do the job of seven? I seriously love this pot!

You should check out how yummy this Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe turned out!

Be sure to check out our video tutorial near the end of the post.

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Can You Freeze Leftover Instant Pot Dr Pepper Pulled Pork

Yes. Take what you wont eat and allow it to cool down a bit, and then transfer into a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to two months in the freezer.

When you are ready to serve, thaw, and then reheat in a pan on the stove. You might need to add more sauce to help freshen it up, and then serve as you would like, whether a bun or topped on fries.

I think if you are a fan of bbq and love pulled pork, this recipe will be right up your alley! Let me know what you all think in the comments below.

How To Make Pork Shoulder Blade Roast

Though a pork shoulder blade roast takes a long time to cook, the preparation process is relatively simple: flour the roast, then sear each side in piping hot oil until the whole thing is brown and crispy.

I first made this pork roast by searing it in the Instant Pot, but I do not recommend it. Since the Instant Pot doesnt get quite as hot as a pan on the stove, it took roughly 10-15 minutes PER SIDE to sear. Even then, the sear wasnt very strong.

Because the Instant Pot saute feature times out at 30 minutes, I had to constantly monitor the pot. AND since the pot was searing for about an hour and the pot got super hot, the pot would not seal and come to pressure .

Place the roast into the Instant Pot and turn your focus back to the pan that you used to sear the roast.

To that pan, add the onion and garlic and saute for a bit, then add the chicken broth and soy sauce to deglaze. Pour that mixture over the roast in the Instant Pot, and the roast is ready to cook! Lock the lid and set the Instant Pot to cook for 120 minutes with a full npr. Thats it!

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Pressure Cook For 15 Minutes With 10 Minute Natural Release

After we deglaze the bottom of the pot, pour in another cup of low-sodium chicken broth, the Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke and lay the pieces of chicken directly into the liquid. Squeeze it all in there as best possible. Most all of it should be in the liquid. It doesnt need to be completely submerged. Then secure the lid, set vent to sealing, and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. When the cooking time is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. If the pin hasnt dropped after 10 minutes, go ahead and quick release the rest and remove the lid.

How Much Pulled Pork Do I Need Per Person

Thats the quintessential question especially for a party! A good rule of thumb is 6 oz of cooked pulled pork per person . Notice I said cooked pulled pork per person, not pork. As you cook pork , it loses weight as the water is released and cooked away. Basically you want to double the amount of cooked pork, and thats how much raw pork you need. Also, know your guests 10 hungry adults or athletes are going to eat more than 10 kids

So for a party of 10 people, 10 people x 6 oz = 60 oz of cooked pulled pork. 60 oz x 2 = 120 oz of raw pork meat. So youd need to pick up 7 1/2 lbs of pork loin/shoulder/butt for your party. Make sense?

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