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instant pot pulled pork | pulled pork instant pot | pressure cooker pulled pork | bbq pulled pork
4.98 from 49 votes

Instant Pot Pulled Pork 2.0

Recipe by Amy + Jacky | PressureCookRecipes.com
How to make Instant Pot Pulled Pork with homemade Dry Rub and BBQ Sauce. Irresistibly tender juicy pressure cooker pulled pork bursting with sweet, savory, smoky flavors. Deliciously satisfying yet easy meal to serve a crowd. Budget-friendly make-ahead meals for dinners, parties, potlucks, picnics, BBQs, and more!
Servings 6 - 8
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds (1730g) pork shoulder (pork butt meat) , cut into 2 – 2¼ inches cubes
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil or vegetable oil

Pulled Pork Dry Rub:

BBQ Sauce for Pulled Pork:

Thickener

  • 4 tablespoons (32g) all purpose flour or cornstarch
  • ¼ cup (63ml) cold tap water

Equipment

Instructions

  • Rub Pulled Pork Dry Rub: Mix all Dry Rub ingredients, then rub it all over the cubed pork. Put pork in fridge for 30 minutes up to overnight.
  • Optional – Saute Onion and Garlic: Heat up Instant Pot using “Sauté More” function. Wait until it says “HOT” on the screen (roughly 8 mins).
    Add 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil or vegetable oil in Instant Pot. Make sure the oil coats the whole bottom of the pot.
    Add in sliced onions and 1 tbsp (12.5g) brown sugar, then saute for 3 minutes.
    Add in minced garlic, then saute for another minute.
  • Deglaze Instant Pot: Add ¾ cup (188ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Then completely deglaze the bottom of the pot by scrubbing the flavorful brown bits with a wooden spoon.
  • Pressure Cook Pork Shoulder: Add ⅛ cup (31ml) maple syrup, ⅛ cup (31ml) honey, 2 tbsp (30ml) apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp (30ml) Dijon mustard, and 3 drops liquid smoke to the Instant Pot. Give it a quick mix.
    Place all cubed pork in Instant Pot.
    Amy + Jacky’s Pro Tips: Try to keep the pork's skin side facing up and make sure they’re at least partially submerged in cooking liquid.
    Layer 1 cup (250ml) of ketchup on top of the pork. Do not mix.
    With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 35 minutes, then Natural Release for 15 minutes. Open the lid carefully.
  • Check Pork Shoulder’s Tenderness: Check if the pork is tender enough. If the pork is still tough, Pressure Cook at High Pressure for another 10 minutes.
    Then, place pork in a large container.
  • Thicken BBQ Sauce: Bring BBQ sauce to a simmer with “Saute” function.
    In a container, mix 4 tbsp (32g) all-purpose flour with ¼ cup (63ml) cold water. Make sure to mix it really well.
    When BBQ Sauce is simmering, mix the flour mixture into the BBQ sauce one-third at a time until your desired thickness.
  • Season BBQ Sauce: Taste BBQ sauce and add more brown sugar or kosher salt as needed. For reference, we added 2 pinches of salt and 2 tsp brown sugar at the end to balance flavors.
    Taste test once more to make sure everything is perfectly seasoned.
    Option 1: Shred pork, place pulled pork in BBQ sauce, then serve BBQ pulled pork.
    Option 2 (proceed to next step): You can place the whole pork cubes in oven to further enhance the flavors.
  • Optional Flavor-Enhancing – Crisp Pork Shoulder: Coat pork cubes generously with BBQ Sauce.
    Place pork under a broiler or the top rack of a preheated 450°F toaster oven until the surface is crisped (roughly 8 to 10 minutes).
    Flip the cubed pork, brush each piece with more BBQ sauce, then place them in oven again until the surface is crisped.
  • Shred Pork & Serve: Shred BBQ Pulled Pork with 2 forks.
    If you like a saucier Pulled Pork, place pulled pork back in BBQ sauce. Then serve it in sandwiches, sliders, or with your favorite side dishes. Enjoy~

Video

Notes

1. Pork Shoulder:
  • Skin on vs. Skin off: Keeping the skin and fat cap on will keep the nearby meat very moist. But the BBQ sauce will be very oily. You can use a Fat separator to remove the oil from the BBQ sauce before serving.
  • Shopping Tip: It's already an inexpensive cut, but it's usually even cheaper in Asian markets. It’s often labeled as Pork Butt Meat or Char Siu Meat. 
  • Bone-in Pork Shoulder: Dry rub the bones too. You can cook the bones with the meat because they’ll add flavor to the sauce.
2. Dry Rub & BBQ Sauce: If you don’t want to make your own Dry Rub or BBQ Sauce, you can substitute them with store-bought Dry Rub and BBQ Sauce.
3. Spicy Level:
  • Medium Spicy: use ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • Mild Spicy: use ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
4. Storage Duration: Instant Pot pulled pork can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 – 5 days.
5. Leftover Pulled Pork: We seriously encourage you to try making BBQ Pulled Pork Savory Waffles!
Total Cooking Time: The total cooking time stated in recipe does not include inactive cooking time.
Rate Amy + Jacky's Recipe: If you've tried our recipe, rate the recipe in the Comments section. Thank you!
Author: Amy + Jacky
Calories: 307kcal

Nutrition

Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 729mg | Potassium: 674mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 332IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2mg