How Long To Cook Pulled Pork In The Instant Pot
The amount of time you need to cook pork in the Instant Pot will vary based on the cut.
- Pork Loin. For a 4-to-5-pound pork loin, pressure cook for 40 minutes on high, then let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
- Pork Shoulder/Butt. For a 4-to-5-pound pork shoulder or pork butt, cook the pork for 1 hour on high pressure, then let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
- Pork Tenderloin. I do not recommend this cut for pulled pork, as it will be too dry. See more in the ingredients section below.
Best Cut Of Pork For Pulled Pork
The most popular cut of meat for pulled pork is a pork butt roast or Boston Butt roast. Butt roasts are well marbled and fattier, which adds tons of flavor.
It’s also sometimes called pork shoulder roast, although a true pork shoulder is a slightly different cut and usually sold with the skin on.
You can use a bone-in pork butt roast or a boneless pork shoulder roast. I’ve used both cuts of pork and I didn’t notice any difference in flavor.
Pork Butt Vs Pork Shoulder
The Instant Pot takes an inexpensive, tough cut of meat like pork shoulder or pork butt, and turns it into a masterpiece that tastes and feels like it cooked all day! If you’re wondering which one to use, there are some differences, but either will work for this recipe.
Pork butt, or Boston Butt, has more fat marbling that benefits from slow cooking and pressure cooking which tenderizes and falls apart when it’s pulled or shredded.
Porkshoulder, or picnic shoulder, has less fat marbling, so it’s a leaner cut that doesn’t fall apart as easily as pork butt, but will still work for this recipe.
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How Long To Cook Pulled Pork In An Instant Pot
I pressure cook this pork for 45 minutes at high pressure to get the tenderness I’m looking for. Pork shoulder holds up remarkably well to pressure I’ve done cooking times as long as an hour, and there wasn’t much difference in the result. I’ve never gone past an hour under pressure, but I have left it in “keep warm” mode for an hour after it spent 45 minutes pressure cooking, and it came out fine. Pork shoulder is very forgiving, and hard to overcook. You can do it, but you have to work at it.
Keto Recipes In The Instant Pot
This multipurpose kitchen gadget really is incredibly useful for keto cooking. Ive made so many wonderful family dinners, including creamy chicken and mushrooms and keto salsa chicken. Its even useful for desserts like keto pecan pie cheesecake.
Instant Pots have their limitations, of course and sometimes they arent any faster than than making the recipe on your stove top. Things like keto pork chops dont fare as well, as the fat tends to get rubbery and chewy.And if you want nicely browned meats with a crisp exterior, skip the IP and use your oven or an air fryer. But the Instant Pot does a spectacular job on tougher cuts of meat that require slow cooking with liquid, like stews, curries, and braised meats. And shredded meats, like keto pulled pork, are an ideal match. An oven braised pulled pork recipe will take upwards of 3 hours, but this Instant Pot Pulled Pork takes only about an hour and a half, start to finish!
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What If I Dont Have Dr Pepper
If you dont have a can of Dr. Pepper on hand, no worries! You can exchange the Dr. Pepper in this recipe with Coke or Root Beer. You could even try Cherry Coke.
The soda tenderizes the meat while adding flavor. Adding the soda helps make a tasty meat that falls apart and stays moist.
The soda also serves as the liquid you need for your Instant Pot to come to pressure. Dont worry about needing to add any extra water.
Why Use Dr Pepper For Pulled Pork
I know it may seem weird but trust me on this one. The meat doesnt taste like pop or soda at all, I promise. The reason I like to use it is it contains great caramelized sugar flavors, and it has acidity which is great for flavor balance and keeps the meat nice and tender. The chipotles I think add a nice kick, and the smokiness is fabulous with anything pulled, like pulled pork, pulled beef, or pulled chicken.
I REALLY hope you give this awesome Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe a try soon!
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Preparation: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos
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First, pat the meat dry with a paper towel and season all sides generously with salt and pepper. Place in the Instant pot or preferred slow cooker fat cap side up. Add in the sweet onion slices and celery . Pour marinade or sauce over the top of the meat. Top with the roasted herb blend.
Place on slow cook setting for 7 8 hours .
Remove the herbs and celery and discard. Use two forks to pull apart the meat and shred .
The hard part is over but it wasnt that hard was it? Now, is the fun part. Build your tacos using the recommended accoutrements below or create your own combination! If you need a recipe to quick pickle a batch of red onions or watermelon radishes you can find it HERE. These are great to have on hand in a jar in the fridge. At least we think so. Enjoy!
Making Easy Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork In An Instant Pot
An Insta Pot is one of the most popular brands of electric pressure cookers. They are easy to use and your Instant Pot can help you create these delicious Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork!
Since this is such an easy recipe, Ive gotten a number of repeat questions over the years. Heres what you need to know:
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How To Make Pulled Pork In An Pressure Cooker
Start With A Good Rub
Our pulled pork will be getting its flavor start by applying a rub. We use simple ingredients that include brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, ground mustard, salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and add the pieces of pork. Use your hands and toss it all together for a couple of minutes. Make sure that seasoning mixture is well incorporated into the meat.
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How To Make Pulled Bbq Pork In The Instant Pot
This Instant Pot Pulled Pork is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, dry mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cut pork shoulder into four large chunks. Rub pork with the bbq dry rub on all sides.
Turn Instant Pot on saute setting. Add olive oil to the pot. Cook pork pieces on all sides for a few minutes until starting to brown. Turn off the pot and add water. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits in the bottom of the pot. Cover the pressure cooker and seal lid. Cook on manual pressure or high pressure for an hour. Turn off and do a natural release for 20 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure. Remove the cooked pork from Instant Pot. Shred with two forks discarding any fatty pieces. Toss with your favorite barbecue sauce and enjoy!
Instant Pot Pulled Pork
See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.
This Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe makes the best BBQ pulled pork! The shredded pork is unbelievably tender, with a flavorful pulled pork rub and cooked in a delicious sauce. Its perfect for making pulled pork sandwiches!
Pulled pork is one of my familys favorite meals. Who can resist BBQ shredded pork served on a soft toasted bun?
You will especially love this quick and easy pulled pork recipe because the Instant Pot makes the most tender pulled pork in a fraction of the time. You wont believe how easy it is to shred the pork after it pressure cooks! The same is true of these Instant Pot carnitas, another of our favorite Instant Pot pork recipes.
This Instant Pot Pulled Pork is saucy, flavorful and melt in your mouth tender. Try it with my brioche bun recipe and some coleslaw for the most delicious pulled pork sandwich.
For a make ahead meal, try my slow cooker pulled pork recipe.
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Easy Instant Pot Bbq Pulled Pork Tenderloin
This easy pulled pork tenderloin recipe comes together quickly in the Instant Pot. Use my flavorful Kansas City style pulled pork rub to season the meat. This meal cooks in only 45 minutes and the moist, tender Instant Pot pulled pork tenderloin shreds easily with a fork. Youll want this classic BBQ on sandwiches, in tacos or even tucked into lettuce wraps for a healthier pulled pork dinner.
Making Pulled Pork Meal Prep
Okay, so we have all these delicious protein recipes for pulled pork, but how do we store it so it doesnt go to waste?? Here are some tips for how to make pulled pork meal prep for the entire week.
- As for the leftovers, store them in meal prep containers in the fridge for later use.
- Stored properly, in an airtight container, pulled pork lasts for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Can you freeze pulled pork to store longer? Yes! Keep reading for tips.
- Dont throw away the leftover sauce! Youll need it later.
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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos
Its definitely that time of year where we know yall have your slow cookers or Instant Pots working overtime. Theres no shame in that game. We do it, too. In fact, sometimes letting the appliance do most of the legwork is a great solution. Time and gentle heat can be your friend. Well, folks, wait until you try these Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos. The best part of this recipe, you ask? We think its the minimal prep, the flexibility of choosing what to place in the pot , and the creativity of choosing your toppings and condiments to make it your own.
So, put away the ground beef and those cheap yellow shells. Youre better than that
Hang with us for a second as we have a couple of quick notes you should know before we get started. First, this is a dump and go type recipe where we put very few ingredients in the pot, set it and forget it. As with any recipe, dont get caught up in the exact set of ingredients. For instance, our marinade was an old bottle sitting on the shelf that we decided might make a good combination with pork . If you cant find this exact marinade there should be something comparable on the shelf. Or, heck, dump a jar of salsa in the pot Trust us, it will be good. Pork is very good about taking on the flavors you want to give it.
OK, that was a lot so lets not waste any more of your precious time.
How To Season Pulled Pork For The Instant Pot
The dry rub for this pressure cooker pulled pork recipe consists of paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. There’s NO sugar and its not spicy at all, so its family-friendly and super versatile to use any way you like. Of course, you can make it spicy by adding cayenne pepper or chipotle powder to the dry rub.
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How To Serve Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Classic sammie? Pulled pork hash? Instant Pot pulled pork onions combo? You have tasty options!
- Sandwich. A pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw is a classic, cant-miss option!
- Salad. Make your favorite salad extra hearty and flavorful by adding some pulled pork. Or, pair with a fresh Fruit Salad for a delicious meal.
- Quesadilla. Take a note from these Pulled Pork Quesadillas and turn your pork into a scrumptious new meal with tortillas and a sprinkle of cilantro.
- Hash. Adding this pulled pork to a hash would be delicious .
- Tacos. Give pulled pork a creative new spin by serving it taco style .
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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More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes – Quick and easy mashed potatoes that are ready to enjoy in less than 30 minutes!
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken – This simple chicken is perfect for so many different recipes!
- Instant Pot Crack Chicken – This addicting chicken dish is incredibly simple to make and tastes amazing!
- Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs – Using the Instant Pot to make hard-boiled eggs is much simpler than boiling a pot of water!
- Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice – A perfectly cooked, fluffy rice dish made in the Instant Pot!
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs – These chicken thighs are juicy, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make!
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Stay in touch with me through social media @ , , , or ! Don’t forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!
Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork
Pressure cook the pork for 60 minutes on high pressure. If you are using pork tenderloin, cook it for 45 minutes on high pressure. When the cook time ends, let the Instant Pot sit for 15 minutes to naturally release most of the pressure. A natural release makes the meat more tender, and the pork will continue to cook during this time.
After 15 minutes, carefully turn the steam valve to venting and allow the rest of the steam and pressure to escape. Carefully open the lid of your Instant Pot and shred the pork. If desired, you can thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry. See the full recipe with ingredients and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
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Bbq Pulled Pork Recipe
You can absolutely use this recipe for BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. Simply mix the pulled pork meat with your favorite BBQ sauce. My family really likes the Stubbs Hickory Bourbon BBQ Sauce and the O Organics Original BBQ Sauce .
These Gluten Free Hamburger Buns make the BEST sandwich rolls for gluten-free pulled pork sandwiches! They are soft and fluffy, and will quickly become a family favorite!
Can You Use A Boston Butt For Carnitas
Here are other names youll see tossed around that refer to cuts from the same general area, but they all have the same characteristics and textures that make them good choices for carnitas: From the top of the shoulder: Boston butt, pork butt, fresh pork butt, Boston shoulder, Boston butt roast, or shoulder roast.
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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.
