Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Instant Pot pulled pork is the best way to make a mouthwatering, tender pork dinner with minimal effort for you! Using a pressure cooker is much faster than your standard slow cooker. Prepare some side dishes while the pork is cooking and you'll have a full meal in no time!

Easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork Butt

Your standard pulled pork recipes tend to take a long time to cook over low heat. However, we all know that using an Instant Pot can make any dish in just a fraction of the time!

Seriously, if you don't already have one in your kitchen, you need to invest in one now! Not only can you make this perfectly juicy pulled pork, but there are so many other delicious recipes to try as well!

Jump to:

• Easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork Butt
• 🥘 Instant Pot Pulled Pork Ingredients
• 🔪 How To Make Instant Pot Pulled Pork
• 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes
• 🥡 Storing & Reheating
• ❓ Can You Overcook Pulled Pork In The Instant Pot?
• ❓ Can Pulled Pork Be Made Ahead Of Time?
• ❓ Is It Easier To Shred Pork When Hot Or Cold?
• 😋 More Instant Pot Recipes
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Reviews

🥘 Instant Pot Pulled Pork Ingredients

You can pick up a bone-in or boneless pork shoulder butt roast because you'll be cutting it into cubes either way! Also, you can adjust the sweetness of the sauce by adding some brown sugar!

• Pork Shoulder Butt - 3-pound boneless pork shoulder butt roast, cut into cubes.
• Paprika - 2 teaspoons of paprika.
• Garlic Powder - 2 teaspoons of garlic powder.
• Onion Powder - 2 teaspoons of onion powder.
• Salt - 1 teaspoon of salt.
• Pepper - 1 teaspoon of pepper.
• Apple Cider Vinegar - ¼ cup of apple cider for coating the pork.
• Barbecue Sauce - 2 cups of barbecue sauce that have been divided into two 1-cup portions.
• Chicken Broth - 1⅓ cups of chicken broth (or beef broth) that has been divided into 1 cup and ⅓ cup portions.
• Brown Sugar (optional) - 1 tablespoon of packed brown sugar.
• Liquid Smoke (optional) - 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke for extra flavor if desired.
• Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or tallow) for searing the pork.

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Make Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Using the Instant Pot makes this pulled pork extra simple. Make sure you have an Instant Pot (or pressure cooker) as well as some mixing bowls!

A 3-pound roast will make about 6 servings, depending on how hungry you are!

Prepare The Meat & Sauce

1. Prepare the seasoning mix. Rinse and pat your 3-pound pork shoulder butt (or pork loin, or pork tenderloin) dry using paper towels. In a small mixing bowl, add 2 teaspoons each of paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder, and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
2. Season the pork. Next, coat the cubed boneless pork shoulder butt roast with ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar. Then season the pork generously with the seasoning mixture and set it aside.
3. Make the sauce. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the barbecue sauce, 1 cup of broth, and the optional 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, if using.

Saute The Pork

1. Preheat the pressure cooker. Turn on your Instant Pot and turn it to the saute setting. Add in the 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (or tallow) and allow it to heat up.
2. Saute the pork. Once heated, work in batches by adding half of the cubed pork into the Instant Pot. Saute for 5 minutes, making sure to rotate the pork in order to brown all of the sides. Once browned, transfer the pork to a plate and repeat with the second half of cubed pork.
3. Deglaze the pot. Add in the remaining ⅓ cup of broth and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pot by scraping all of the browned bits off of the bottom. Then, turn the Instant Pot off.
4. Transfer the meat. Next, add all of the browned meat back into the Instant Pot as well as the remaining sauce mixture.

Pressure Cook Your Pork Butt

1. Seal the Instant Pot. Close the lid and set the valve to 'seal.'
2. Cook. Cook on manual high pressure for 40 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before switching the valve to 'vent' for a quick release.
3. Shred the meat. Remove the cooked meat from the Instant Pot and shred it. Return it to the pot or a bowl along with the remaining 1 cup of barbecue sauce and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

This delicious pulled pork tastes wonderful on some homemade brioche buns! Add on a side of twice baked potatoes for a tasty meal! Enjoy!

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes

• Pork loin or pork tenderloin can also be used, just cube up the meat until you have approximately the same weight. *Both of these options have less fat, so plan for that by adding a bit more oil, bacon grease, or tallow.
• If you have a bone-in pork shoulder butt roast portion, cut the meat away and cube as you would a boneless portion.
• To cook from frozen (still cubed) add 10 minutes per pound, so an additional 30 minutes for this recipe.
• While you will set the Instant Pot to cook for 40 minutes, it will actually take longer than this because the timer does not begin until it has come to pressure. Depending on the size of your pot and the contents, the time for it to completely pressurize could range from 5 - 15 minutes.
• Once your Instant Pot is done cooking, leave the valve set on to 'seal' for 10 minutes for a natural pressure release (NPR), then you can carefully open the valve for a quick pressure release.
• Before serving, if you love crispy pulled pork bits, you can pan-fry the pulled pork. After searing, you can serve with or without additional BBQ sauce.
• Save the juices for storing and reheating your instant pot pulled pork.
• Since cooking time may vary depending on the size of your roast, an Instant Pot can be sealed and cycled for a few more minutes if the pork is not fully cooked and ready to shred.

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Place any leftovers into a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Wrap your pork tightly and place it into a sealed freezer bag or a vacuum-sealed bag and store it in the freezer. Allow it to defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheating Instant Pot Pulled Pork

You can reheat your pulled pork in a slow cooker with a splash of broth or water on low heat for a few hours. Additionally, you can place it into a baking dish, add a little liquid, and cover it with foil before baking it in the oven at 225°F (110°C) until heated thoroughly.

❓ Can You Overcook Pulled Pork In The Instant Pot?

While I guess it is possible to overcook the pork, it is highly unlikely. If you open your pressure cooker to find that the pork isn't tender, it probably wasn't done cooking. Even in an Instant Pot, pork shoulder can easily handle being cooked for long periods of time!

❓ Can Pulled Pork Be Made Ahead Of Time?

Yep! Pulled pork is a great make-ahead dish. Go ahead and make it the day before you need it and store it in the fridge.

The next day, put it into a slow cooker with some water, broth, or extra barbecue sauce, and cook it on low heat until it is heated.

❓ Is It Easier To Shred Pork When Hot Or Cold?

I recommend shredding your pork while it is still hot. In fact, the muscle fibers in the meat shred much easier when it is still hot. If you wait for the pork to cool, not only is it harder to shred, but your shredded meat won't be as fine.

😋 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!

📖 Recipe Card