Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Instant Pot pulled pork is fall-apart tender and juicy beyond words! This easy pulled pork recipe makes the best bbq pulled pork with endless serving options for any occasion. It's another popular hands-free Instant Pot recipe.

Instant Pot pulled pork is a delectable and savory bbq pulled pork you can serve countless ways. It’s commonly made with pork butt or pork shoulder that's pressure cooked, slow cooked, smoked, braised, or roasted. Even though this pulled pork recipe only takes one hour start-to-finish, it yields tender, juicy results that taste like it cooked all day!

Instant pot pulled pork recipe ingredients

• oil
• boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
• kosher salt
• smoked paprika
• garlic powder
• black pepper
• chicken broth
• Worcestershire sauce

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What’s the best pork for pulled pork?

Pork butt and pork shoulder are commonly used for pulled pork, but they’re not to be confused as the same cut.

Pork butt (also called Boston Butt) has more fat marbling through the meat than pork shoulder. The marbled fat renders as it cooks, tenderizing the protein, giving it that fall-apart, melt-in-your-mouth, juicy shredded pork.

The less fat-marbled pork shoulder (picnic shoulder) will absolutely work for a pulled pork recipe. It's a leaner cut since it's less marbled with fat, which could make it a tougher cut that may not fall apart as easily as pork butt.

How to season pulled pork for the Instant Pot

Pressure cooker pulled pork seasoning is so...personal. You can keep it super minimal with salt and pepper, or add your favorite rub. You could go spicy or sweet, or go regional with Asian, Mexican, Cuban flavors …the sky really is the limit!

The rub for this Instant Pot pulled pork consists of paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. There's NO sugar and it’s not spicy at all, so it’s family-friendly and super versatile to use any way you like.

How to make Instant Pot pulled pork

Pulled pork is super easy to make and the Instant Pot makes it even easier! It's ultimately hands-free and turns out the juiciest, crowd-pleasing pot of delicious grub in 5 simple steps.

1. cut
2. season
3. sear
4. pressure cook
5. pull

1. To cut, I like to first trim any visible surface fat from the pork butt and the cut the larger piece into smaller, 1 lb pieces for easier handling during the whole process.
2. I season each piece with salt first, followed by the seasoning rub. You can do this up to one day in advance if it’s convenient, but it’s not necessary. Trust me, you’ll still get fall-apart mouthwatering pulled pork if you do it at the last minute.
3. To sear the pork, turn the Instant Pot to “Sauté", add oil, and when it reads “Hot”, sear each side of each pork piece for a few minutes until golden brown and transfer to a plate. Then add the liquids to the pot and scrape those beautiful brown bits off the bottom (also called deglazing). Note: you don’t have to sear pork, but if you don’t, you miss these extra opportunities to build flavor into it.
4. To pressure cook the pork, add the pork pieces back to the pot, secure the lid, close the pressure release valve, and cook on HIGH pressure for 45 minutes. Then allow a 15 minute natural pressure release (NPR).
5. Remove the pork from the Instant Pot and pull it apart with two forks, leaving you with a a gorgeous pile of shredded pork.

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Pork roast pressure cooker time per pound

According to the Instant Pot cooking time chart, pork roast gets 15 minutes of pressure cook time per pound. My recipe uses 3 lbs of pork and pressure cooks for 45 minutes, which yields perfectly cooked, delectable pork that melts in your mouth.

Instant Pot pork topping options

• bbq sauce
• mustard sauce
• coleslaw
• dill pickles
• pickled onions or jalapeños
• no toppings (it's so flavorful, I often eat it all by itself)

How to serve Instant Pot pulled pork

• nachos, tacos, enchiladas
• bbq pulled pork sandwiches or sliders
• mac and cheese topping
• poutine topping

What to serve with pressure cooker pulled pork

• Garlicky Roasted Mushrooms
• Smashed Potatoes Recipe
• Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
• Classic Potato Salad
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
• Macaroni Salad

Tools needed

• mixing bowl
• 6 quart Instant Pot
• tongs
• baking sheet or platter and two forks (to pull the pork)

Instant Pot Pulled Pork

This Instant Pot pulled pork is fall-apart tender and juicy beyond words! This easy pulled pork recipe makes the best bbq pulled pork with endless serving options for any occasion.

5 from 9 votes

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Prep Time: 5 minutes

Pressure cook time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 8 1/2 cup servings

Author: Traci - TheKitchenGirl.com

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Oil
• 3 lbs Boneless Pork Butt (or shoulder) cut into 1lb. pieces
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 1/2 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Recipe Instructions

• Add OIL to the Instant Pot and press “Saute”.
• Sprinkle SALT on both sides of the PORK.
• Combine PAPRIKA, GARLIC POWDER, and BLACK PEPPER, then rub into the PORK until well-coated.
• When the display reads “Hot”, sear both sides of PORK pieces and transfer to a plate.
• Pour CHICKEN BROTH and WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE into the pot, scraping the browned bits off the bottom to deglaze.
• Add the seared PORK pieces back to the cooker, secure the lid, and press “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” on HIGH for 45 minutes.
• When pressure cook cycle is done, allow a 10-minute natural pressure release (NPR). Flip the pressure valve to the "venting" position and release any remaining steam.
• Transfer pork to a plate or tray. Use two forks to pull the pork into smaller pieces.
• Serve warm scooped onto sandwich buns, nachos, tacos, pasta, you name it!
• Refrigerate pulled pork in an airtight container up to 5 days or freeze up to 90 days.
• Reheat pulled pork via microwave by placing it in a heat-safe dish and reheat on medium-high in one minute intervals until warmed through.

Tried this recipe? I'd love your review!Visit the comments below and tell me how it went.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 570mg | Potassium: 629mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 142IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg

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The Kitchen Girl

Recipe author and food photographer at The Kitchen Girl

I'm on a mission to help you eat healthy AND save money through simple, everyday recipes, product reviews, and budget-friendly kitchen tips.

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