Instant Pot pulled pork is tender, flavorful pork shoulder cooked with barbecue sauce in a pressure cooker, resulting in juicy, melt-in-your-mouth shredded pork perfect for sandwiches, Leftover Pork Fried Rice with Spicy Mayo, or BBQ pulled pork nachos.
Pulled pork is so quick and easy to make in an Instant Pot compared to slow-cooking for 8 hours in a crock pot.
I’ll never go back to slow cooking because the Instant Pot gives the same great taste and is so tender but in a quarter of the time!
I’ve mentioned these before, and I’ll recommend them again. These Bear Paws are amazing for shredding meat!
They’re designed like bear claws (and we know bears can do some damage!) so that you can tear apart meat quickly and easily.
Ingredients
- Pork Shoulder
- Beef Broth
- BBQ Sauce
- Canola or Vegetable Oil
How to Cook Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- Set the Instant Pot to Saute, add oil, and allow it to get hot before adding the pork. Otherwise, it will stick. Cook pork for about 3-4 minutes per side until it is browned. Once all pork is browned (to get those nice caramelized edges!), return the pork to the pot and add beef broth.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, close the vent, set it to the Meat/Stew setting, set it to high, and set the timer for 65 minutes.
- Once done cooking, allow it to natural release for 10 minutes before releasing the vent (be sure to wear an oven mitt to prevent burning from the steam).
- Strain the beef broth and shred the pork on a cutting board. Return the pork to the pot and stir in BBQ sauce. Serve on a bun or eat as-is.
Substitutes
While pork shoulder is the traditional cut used to make pulled pork, you can also use a 4-pound pork butt with the same directions.
I have also cooked with 2 pounds of boneless country pork ribs before. I picked it up on my way to work for a potluck we were having and needed pork that was sliced into pieces already. This made it really easy and quicker to cook.
If you have boneless ribs on hand, follow the same directions, but cook them for 25 minutes and quick-release the pressure for 10 minutes.
Ways to Eat Pulled Pork
- BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos: Add pulled pork, red onions, mozzarella cheese, and drizzles of BBQ sauce and ranch over top of tortilla chips.
- BBQ Pulled Pork Potato Bites: Create a unique appetizer with a potato round, coleslaw, and BBQ pulled pork for a quick bite of your favorite flavors together.
- Leftover Pork Fried Rice with Spicy Mayo: Add leftover pulled pork to this tasty fried rice with homemade spicy mayo drizzled on top.
- Leftover Pulled Pork Chili: Add some spices, beer, peppers, beans, and onions to your pulled pork with this pulled pork chili.
- Leftover Pulled Pork Ragu: Make a tasty ragu sauce and serve with pasta.
- Pulled Pork Quesadillas: These tasty quesadillas are filled with pulled pork, black beans, onions, green chiles, and cheddar cheese.
- Pulled Pork Tacos: Add pulled pork, pickled onions, and jalapenos to a warm corn tortilla for a tasty taco.
Freezing Pulled Pork
We freeze pulled pork all the time. It’s so easy to buy a huge pork shoulder, cook it, and freeze it so that you can have it later. Pork shoulder makes a lot of meat at once so it’s nice to enjoy it for leftovers.
Be sure that the pulled pork is fully cooled after cooking in the Instant Pot.
I recommend storing the pork in small packages (like quart-sized resealable baggies with as much air removed as possible) so that you can take out what you need for meals down the road.
When it’s frozen in a big chunk, it’s hard to pull apart until it’s fully thawed.
Store cooked pork in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3-6 months.
When you’re ready to eat, thaw it overnight in the fridge or defrost it in a microwave-safe container in the microwave, being sure to rotate it so that it thaws evenly.
I sometimes like to put it in a pot on the stove and add some chicken or beef broth to it so it doesn’t dry out as it reheats.
Recommended Recipes
- 60 Best Pasta Salads for Summer
- Air Fryer French Fries
- BBQ Pulled Pork Potato Bites
- Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Instant Pot Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Applesauce
- Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
- Kraft’s Italian Pasta Salad (Copycat Recipe)
- Not Your Grandma's Potato Salad
- Smoked Sausage Baked Beans
Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Pork Shoulder cut into 3-4 large pieces
- 1 cup Beef Broth
- Favorite BBQ Sauce
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Saute, add olive oil, and allow it to get hot before adding pork. Cook pork for about 3-4 minutes per side until it is browned. Once all pork is browned, return all pork to the pot and add beef broth.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, close the vent, set to the Meat/Stew setting, set it to high, and set the timer for 65 minutes. Once done cooking, allow it to natural release for 10 minutes before releasing the vent (be sure to wear an oven mitt to prevent burning from the steam).
- Strain the beef broth and shred the pork on a cutting board. Return the pork to the pot and stir in BBQ sauce. Serve on a bun or eat as-is.
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