Instant Pot Pulled Pork is the best and easiest pulled pork recipe you’ll ever find! This dish is made with perfectly seasoned pork shoulder and is ready in just over an hour!
I received a Pressure Cooker years ago as a gift. And I left it unopened in the basement for years. After that, I tried this useful kitchen tool one day and haven’t looked back since. Seriously, your girl is hooked on this! I need this in my life because when my family wants to eat, they want to eat now, and a pressure cooker is the best way to make a quick and tasty dinner in no time!
This pressure cooker pulled pork recipe is a play on my absolute favorite smoked pulled pork recipe. Rub the pork shoulder with the perfect mix of spices, and then cook it under pressure in a delicious, slightly sweet and savory liquid. The result is tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork that you can’t stop eating!
However, many recipes say to sear the meat before putting it in the pressure cooker. I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to do this! You can enjoy the shredded meat in that thick, rich liquid after cooking, so why waste time? Therefore, you won’t even notice a sear, so don’t waste your time. You can thank me later.
So, when you want a hearty and soooo tasty pulled pork, make this simple instant pot pulled pork recipe. What a quick and easy meal! In just over an hour, the whole family will enjoy this tasty dish!
Boneless pork butt or pork shoulder is best to use for this recipe. If you can only find bone-in, though, go ahead and use it; it will be easy to take out when the time is up.
Coca-Cola adds the sugar and liquid needed for the recipe. As the pork cooks slowly, the sugars in cola slowly turn into caramel. This gives the dish its beautiful, slightly sweet taste. When paired with the beer, Worcestershire sauce, and spices, it makes this pork irresistible.
It went well with the other smoky flavors in this recipe. The craft brown ale I used has dark fruity and slightly burnt caramel notes. You can also use your favorite stout, Belgian ale, winter ale, amber ale, or dark lager in this dish.
Cooking a pork butt in an instant pot is a quick and easy way to make incredibly tender and flavorful pulled pork. With just a few simple ingredients and steps, you can have delicious pulled pork in about an hour and a half with no babysitting required. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to cook pork butt in an instant pot, from start to finish.
Benefits of Cooking Pork Butt in an Instant Pot
There are several advantages to using an instant pot to cook pork butt versus traditional methods like oven roasting or slow cooking in a crockpot
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Speed – Pork butt takes 6-8 hours in a slow cooker but only 60-90 minutes in an instant pot under pressure This drastically reduces cooking time
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Tenderness – The high pressure environment helps break down collagen and connective tissue, resulting in fall-apart tender meat.
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Convenience – Virtually no babysitting is required once the instant pot is sealed and pressurized. The instant pot does the work for you.
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Versatility – Shredded pork butt makes amazing tacos, sandwiches, bowls, and more. It’s a versatile base for many meals.
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Flavor – The meat absorbs flavors from spices, seasoning, and cooking liquid resulting in rich, delicious pulled pork.
Step-by-Step Instant Pot Pork Butt Recipe
This simple recipe results in delicious shredded pork butt every time.
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb pork butt (bone-in or boneless)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1⁄2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1⁄4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
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Trim excess fat from the pork butt then cut into large chunks to fit in instant pot. This allows for even cooking.
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Season all sides of the pork chunks with the dry ingredients – brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne if using. Rub seasoning into meat.
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Sear pork on saute mode for 2-3 minutes per side to brown it. This adds flavor.
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Deglaze by adding 1⁄2 cup broth and scraping browned bits off bottom of pot.
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Add remaining broth and Worcestershire sauce to pot.
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Pressure cook for 60 minutes on high pressure. Allow natural pressure release for 15-20 mins.
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Shred pork using two forks. Toss with more broth and sauce as desired.
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Serve shredded pork on sandwiches, tacos, nachos, baked potatoes, and more! Enjoy!
Tips for Perfect Instant Pot Pork Butt
Follow these tips for fork-tender shredded pork butt every time:
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Use boneless or bone-in pork butt, about 3-4 lbs. Larger cuts may need longer cook time.
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Cut pork into manageable chunks to allow steam to penetrate meat evenly.
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Generously season all over with spices, salt, pepper, brown sugar.
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Quick sear pork before pressure cooking for better flavor.
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Add liquid like broth, beer, or soda to create steam and moisture.
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Pressure cook on high for 60 mins per lb, then natural release 15-20 mins.
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Shred pork with forks once finished cooking and pressure is released.
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Mix shredded pork with cooking liquid to keep moist.
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Let pork rest 5-10 minutes before shredding for easiest shredding.
Customize Your Pulled Pork Flavor
One benefit of cooking pork butt in an instant pot is how easy it is to customize the flavors.
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For smoky flavor, add 1 tsp liquid smoke to the cooking liquid.
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For spicy pork, use cayenne, chili powder, or chipotle seasoning.
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To make it sweet, use barbecue sauce, brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
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For savory, mix in Worcestershire or soy sauce, beef broth, etc.
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For acidic taste, add vinegar like apple cider or red wine vinegar.
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Get creative with unique spices like cumin, oregano, garlic, onion, etc.
The cooking liquid imparts tons of flavor to the pork as it cooks under pressure. Don’t be afraid to experiment with ingredients to make each batch of pulled pork unique!
Serving Suggestions for Instant Pot Pork Butt
Pulled pork is incredibly versatile, which makes cooking pork butt in the instant pot so convenient. Here are just a few serving ideas:
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Sandwiches – Pile shredded pork onto buns with pickles and slaw.
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Tacos – Wrap pork in soft tortillas with salsa and toppings.
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Nachos – Top corn chips with pork, beans, cheese, jalapenos, etc.
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Baked potatoes – Fill baked potatoes with BBQ pork and toppings.
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Breakfast – Add pulled pork to scrambled eggs, hash, waffles.
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Salads – Toss shredded pork into leafy green salads.
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Soups – Mix pork with beans, veggies, broth for a hearty soup.
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Casseroles – Layer pork with vegetables and cheese in a casserole dish.
The possibilities are endless! Use your imagination to turn simple pulled pork into amazing meals.
Storing and Freezing Leftover Pulled Pork
One pork butt yields a lot of meat, so you’ll likely have leftovers. Here are some storage tips:
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Store pork in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days.
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Freeze shredded pork in portions in freezer bags or containers up to 4 months.
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Add cooking liquid to pork to keep it moist for storage.
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Use leftover pork for quick weeknight meals like tacos, nachos, salads, etc.
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Slice and reheat pork in the oven for easy pulled pork sandwiches.
With proper storage techniques, you can enjoy instant pot pulled pork all week long!
Cooking pork butt in the instant pot results in incredibly tender, flavorful pulled pork in a fraction of the time of traditional methods. With this simple recipe and guide, you can easily make amazing shredded pork to use in tacos, sandwiches, nachos, soups, and more. Experiment with different seasoning and spice combinations to put your own spin on it. With the versatility and convenience of the instant pot, you’ll be enjoying delicious pulled pork on a regular basis!
How to make instant pot pulled pork:
- Everything else should be put into the pressure cooker after the pork shoulder.
- Set the manual timer or meat timer to 1.5 hours.
- When the cooking period has ended, safely release the pressure.
- Take two forks and shred the meat. If the pork has a bone, remove it. Enjoy as-is, or top on your favorite bun with fixings!.
Ways to eat pulled pork
You can use pulled pork in many different ways all week long. All I do is add the tender meat to my favorite dishes to make something new. Here are some of the ways that I prepare it in different dishes for my family:
- Spread BBQ sauce and your favorite toppings on your favorite bun and make a sandwich.
- Use as a stuffing for tacos
- Top a homemade pizza with it!
- Top baked potatoes (or sweet potatoes) for a loaded potato
- Omelets
- Serve over a bed of rice or cauliflower rice
- Storage: Any food that is left over can be kept in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container.
- For up to two months, you can freeze leftovers in a container or bag that is safe for the freezer.
- Reheating: To reheat leftovers that have been stored in the fridge, put them in a saucepan over medium-low heat and stir them around a few times to warm them up. Do not heat up frozen pulled pork until the meat has thawed overnight in the fridge or for a few hours on the counter at room temperature. Once it’s thawed, put it in a saucepan over medium-low heat and stir it around a few times to warm it up.
The amount of time your pork will need to cook, depends on how many pounds you purchase. The general rule of thumb is 20 minutes per pound. So, if you have 3 pounds of meat, you will cook for 60 minutes.
Not at all! When it’s done cooking, there will be even more liquid than when you started because the fat will have evaporated.
I suggest you use a natural release for pork that is fork-tender. It will take between 20 and 30 minutes to release after the cooking time is over. The natural release does take a substantial amount of time but is totally worth it. I have found that using a quick release produces tougher pork that is more difficult to shred.
How to make Instant Pot Pulled Pork – Is Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork Good?
FAQ
How long do you cook a 8lb pork shoulder in the Instant Pot?
Why is my pulled pork tough in the Instant Pot?
What is the best liquid to cook pulled pork in?
Is pork butt the same as pork shoulder?
How do you cook pork in an Instant Pot?
Set the Instant Pot to the sauté function and heat half of the oil in the inner pot. Working in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pot, add the pork pieces and brown on all sides. This takes about 4-5 minutes per side. Once browned, set the pork aside. Add the rest of the oil and saute the onions and garlic until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
How to cook pork shoulder in Instant Pot?
Carefully place the seasoned side of pork shoulder in Instant Pot. Then, season the other side with salt and black pepper. Brown one side for 5 minutes before flipping over, then brown the other side for another 5 minutes. Finally, remove the browned pork shoulder, then set aside. Now, add sliced onions in Instant Pot, then saute for 3 ½ minutes.
Can You Instant Pot pork butt?
Pork butt, also known as Boston butt or pork shoulder, makes delicious pulled pork and is perfect for summertime cookouts. Usually, you cook it low and slow until the meat falls off the bone tender. But, there is a much faster way to prepare this ultimate guilty pleasure- the Instant Pot.
How to cook pork ribs in Instant Pot?
Trim the excess fat on the pork butt and cut it into four manageable pieces. Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Add the pork butt to the mixture and coat the pieces well. Work the seasoning into the pork with your hands. Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and set the mode to sautė.