This Instant Pot Pulled Pork is my all-time favorite pulled pork recipe! The meat is seasoned with a savory sweet and spicy dry rub, seared until golden, and then pressure cooked until it’s fall apart tender. Pulled pork doesn’t get any better than this!
The Only Pulled Pork Recipe You Need
Pulled pork is one of my family’s favorite meals. It’s a dinner that makes everyone happy, with tender shredded pork and sweet-smoky BBQ sauce served on soft toasted burger buns. This Instant Pot pulled pork is juicy, saucy, sweet and tangy, with a hint of spice. It’s everything you want in a pulled pork recipe!
I love making pulled pork in the Instant Pot because it’s faster than using the oven or slow cooker and pressure cooking makes the pork so tender that the meat practically falls apart on its own. If you prefer a recipe that cooks all day, you’ll love my Crock Pot Pulled Pork.
While this is one of those recipes that you can make year-round, I especially like to make it in the summertime. It’s the perfect meal to enjoy outside, after some time in the pool or relaxing on the patio.
Absolutely delicious! The directions made this recipe easy to follow, giving perfect results. This will definitely be a family favorite.
Monica
Ways I’ve Served This Instant Pot Pulled Pork
One thing I love about this Instant Pot pulled pork is that it is so incredibly versatile. Here are some of the many ways we’ve enjoyed it:
- In a pulled pork sandwich. This one’s the classic: saucy pulled pork served on a burger bun (I’m partial to these Brioche Buns) with extra BBQ sauce and coleslaw.
- On nachos. One of our favorite ways to enjoy leftover pulled pork!
- Wrapped in a tortilla with some shredded cheddar, chopped onion, avocado… whatever you like best.
- Over a baked sweet potato.
- In a burrito bowl or over rice with some sautéed or roasted veggies thrown into the mix.
What kind of pork should I use?
The best cuts of pork for pulled pork are a boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, also called Boston butt. These cuts of pork have plenty of fat marbled throughout for flavor, and they become especially tender after pressure cooking.
If you read through the comments below, you’ll see that many readers have also made and enjoyed this recipe with pork tenderloin. I have also tested this recipe with pork tenderloin, slightly reducing the cook time a bit (see the notes at the end of the recipe). I will say that pork butt/shoulder is a more budget-friendly option and will give you a more flavorful pulled pork due to the extra fat marbling. Pork tenderloin will give you a leaner pulled pork.
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to Make Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Here’s an overview of the key components and steps to making the best Instant Pot pulled pork. Find the full instructions with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Spice Rub. My pork rub is a flavorful mix of spices and seasonings that you probably have in your kitchen. For the rub you’ll need brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Sear the Meat. You can do this right in the Instant Pot using the sauté function. Don’t skip this step since it really builds flavor!
- The Sauce. The pork cooks in a delicious sauce made with BBQ sauce, chicken broth, apple cider vinegar (for additional tanginess) and honey.
- A Natural Release Keeps it Juicy. I always let meat naturally release after pressure cooking in the Instant Pot. This rest time lets the pressure dissipate naturally and gives you much juicier, more tender meat.
- You Don’t Have to Use All of the Sauce. After cooking, you can thicken the juices with a cornstarch slurry. As you can see in the photos in this post, there will be a lot of sauce. You don’t have to use it all! Just stir as much as you want into the shredded pork to reach your desired level of sauciness.
Kristine’s Tip: After you rub the spices onto the pork, you can continue with the recipe and cook the pork right away, or you can wrap the meat tightly and refrigerate it for up to one day. The rub will act as a marinade, flavoring the pork as it rests.
To Store, Freeze and Reheat
Leftover pulled pork can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Try to minimize extra air space in the container to reduce freezer burn.
To reheat pulled pork, heat the pork and sauce together, covered, in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Or, place the pork and sauce in a microwave-safe dish and warm in the microwave.
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Carnitas
- Instant Pot Pot Roast
- Instant Pot Ribs
- Instant Pot Pork Chops
- Instant Pot Spaghetti
Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Ingredients
For the spice rub:
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Remaining ingredients:
- 3-4 pound boneless pork shoulder/pork butt*
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup barbecue sauce, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey, or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 8 burger buns, for serving, toasted if desired
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together all spice rub ingredients until well combined.
- Cut the pork into 4 pieces and trim off excess fat. Rub the pork on all sides with the spice rub.
- Pour olive oil into Instant Pot insert and turn it on saute mode. When the pot is hot, place the pork in the Instant Pot and brown on all sides. You may need to do this in two batches. Transfer the browned pork to a clean plate.
- Turn off Instant Pot. Pour about half of the chicken broth into the pot and use a rubber spatula to scrape up any browned bits off of the bottom of the pot. Add the rest of the broth, the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar and honey (or brown sugar). Stir to combine.
- Return the pork to the Instant Pot. Close the lid. Turn the steam release valve to the sealing position. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook at high pressure for 60 minutes.
- The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to pressurize and then the cook time will begin. When the cook time is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes (just leave the Instant Pot alone). Then, quick release any remaining pressure by carefully turning the steam release valve to the venting position (use either the handle of a long spoon or a potholder to turn the valve).
- Transfer pork to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and water until dissolved. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the sauce in the Instant Pot. Turn the Instant Pot on saute and cook the sauce, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 4-5 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot.
- Meanwhile, use two forks to shred the pork. Stir it back into the thickened sauce. Serve pork on burger buns topped with additional barbecue sauce, if desired.
Notes
- To make this recipe with a bone-in pork butt/shoulder: Cut the meat into 4-5 pieces. You can leave the bone in one of the pieces to add extra flavor. Use the cook time given in the recipe.
- To make this recipe using pork tenderloin, reduce the cooking time to 45 minutes at high pressure. You do not need to cut the tenderloin into smaller pieces.
- Leftover pulled pork can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove, with some of the sauce, or in the microwave.
- To freeze pulled pork: Freeze the meat in some of the sauce, sealed airtight, in a container that is just big enough for the pork and sauce. If there is too much air space around the meat it is more likely to get freezer burn. Pork may be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the pulled pork overnight in the refrigerator and then gently warm the pork and sauce together, covered, in a saucepan over low heat.
- Nutrition information estimate is for pulled pork only, not including burger buns.
Great BBQ sandwiches! Thank you for sharing!!
That looks like an amazing recipe Kristine! Especially considering the time taken to prepare pulled pork! Agree with you, any fatty cut is great for pulled pork. Less fat often means that your pork would end up being dry.
This was amazing. Best pulled pork we’ve ever made
Well worth the effort!
Loved it
Thank you Kristine
Great recipe and very good instructions. Thank you!!
This recipe was wonderful. I used a pork loin and I would definitely do that again. Love this one!
Ah-ma-zing!!!
This was so good! I made it just like the recipe said. My only difference was that I doubled the recipe because I was cooking for a crowd. It just barely fit in my 6 Qt. Instant Pot and it was
fantastic! Thanks for the recipe. I will definitely make this again.
Can I adjust this recipe for a crockpot? Thanks!
I would recommend trying my slow cooker pulled pork recipe.
Hi,
If I just have 2 lbs of pork loin, how long will the cook time be?
Thanks
I would keep the cook time the same, but only cut your 2 pound piece of pork into 2 or 3 pieces instead of the 4 pieces stated in the recipe. Enjoy!
Why can’t we use the same ingredients in this recipe to the crockpot recipe?
You definitely can! I designed the crockpot recipe to be super simple, quick and easy, but the ingredients used in this recipe would work great in the crockpot, too. You could even brown the pork on the stove before adding to the crockpot to build more flavor, if desired. If you cut the pork into smaller pieces before cooking in the crockpot, the cook time needed will be reduced.
Thank you for this recipe! It’s perfect! I used Heinz Carolina mustard bbq sauce the first time, and a new one called Famous Dave’s devil spit bbq sauce. I can’t tell you which was better because they didn’t last long enough either time for a second taste. The family killed the sandwiches in 15 minutes both times. For real!
Thank you again!
This was perfect! I used a tenderloin and followed the above directions exactly. It came out moist and tasty. Definitely making this again!
I have a 1.5 pound pork tenderloin. Do I still cook it for 45 mins like I would a 3 pound tenderloin?
Pork tenderloin are usually smaller than pork shoulder/butt and so they won’t be 3 pounds. When I tested this recipe with pork tenderloin (about 1.5 pounds), I cooked it for 45 minutes and it worked well. With that being said, you could probably cook it for 30 minutes and it would still be fall-apart tender.
I have a bone-in pork shoulder. Will that work?
You can definitely make this with a bone-in pork shoulder, but you would probably need to increase the cook time if you can’t cut it into 4 pieces and the bone may also make it take longer to cook. If you are able to, I would try to cut it into pieces working around the bone.
I just made this last night with a bone-in shoulder. Cut it into 4/5 pieces and left the bone in one of the pieces to add extra flavor to the sauce.
I cooked for the amount of time stated in the recipe and it was still fall-apart tender!
Delicious! I used pork tenderloin and the 45 minutes were perfect. The only step I skipped was the sautéing, not my favorite thing to do, and it was still flavorful and moist. Thank you, yummy
Hi, can I use a pork loin roast to make this and if so, how much cooking time will it require?
Thanks in advance!
You can, but it may be a bit less tender than pulled pork made with pork shoulder/pork butt because a pork loin roast is leaner. I would cut it into 4 pieces as directed in the recipe and keep the cook time the same.
I used pork tenderloin for 45 minutes and it came out great!
I have a 7.5 pound pork butt. Do you know how much I would have to increase the cooking time?
I would cut it into 7 pieces, instead of 3 or 4. This way, the individual pieces of meat will be about the same size as in the original recipe. The pot may take longer to come to pressure since it will be more full, but you should be able to keep the cook time the same.
Hi! I’m using a pork sirloin. Should I do the 45 mins like a tenderloin? Thank you!
It depends on the size of your pork sirloin. If it’s only 1-2 pounds 45 minutes should work. If it’s bigger I would use the full 60 minute cook time but keep the pork sirloin whole, rather than cutting it as you would a pork shoulder. Since a pork sirloin is leaner than pork shoulder/butt it will not be as tender as pulled pork made with pork shoulder.
This was really good, thank you for sharing. We prefer a spicier, less sweet sauce, so I added one-half teaspoon cayenne to the rub, and reduced the honey to only one tablespoon. We were very pleased with the flavor.
Cooked for the time suggested. Was still bleeding in the middle. Not even close to done.
Hi Kristy, It sounds like your Instant Pot didn’t pressurize and cook properly. If you cut the 3-4 pound boneless pork shoulder/pork butt into 4 pieces and pressure cook it on high pressure for 60 minutes (as directed in the recipe) it will be fall apart tender and fully cooked. When cooking with the Instant Pot, always make sure that the sealing ring is fitted in place properly, the steam release valve is set to the sealing position, and make sure that the pin pops up once the pot starts the cook time countdown. I’ve occasionally had the problem where the cook time started counting down but the pin hadn’t popped up so the pot wasn’t pressurized (and thus wouldn’t cook properly). Hope this helps!
So good! My husband said this was his favorite of all the pulled pork recipes I’ve tried. I halved the recipe, and love that your site setup makes that easy. Thanks for sharing it!
Can you put the roast in frozen
Hi Terri,
Yes, but the cook time will be longer. This recipe calls for cutting the meat into 3 to 4 pieces so it will cook to fall apart tender in 60 minutes. If your meat is frozen and in one large piece, the cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your roast. I have not tested this but I would add 15 more minutes to the cook time and thermometer it after the 75 minutes to check for an internal temperature of 190F+ and do a second pressure cook if it is not fully cooked.
Way to much liquid had to serve over rice instead. But flavor is amazing.
Next time, you can stir just some of the liquid into the shredded meat, rather than using all of it. 🙂
Hello, this recipe sounds delicious! would I need to adjust the cooking time for a 2.5 lb pork butt?
Hi Elise,
If you cut a 2 to 2.5 pound pork butt into 2 equal pieces it should work well with the regular recipe cook time.
It worked perfectly! Absolutely delicious and fall apart tender. Thank you!
I made it with the pork tenderloin. The best pulled pork we’ve ever had. My family only wants this recipe now. It was so moist.
Definitely wanna give this recipe a try! However, my pork butt is is cut into smaller pieces rather than 3 or 4 big pieces. Will that change anything ??
Depending on how small the pieces are, you probably want to decrease the cook time some.
March 2021
This is DELICIOUS!!!! The pulled pork was so tender and flavorful. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Can I make this in my 3 quart instant pot (4 servings, not the full 8) or do I need to use a 6 quart?
If you use only two pounds of pork and cut it into two pieces that fit into your 3 quart Instant Pot it should work fine.
This was a great recipe! I had a 7.5 lb bone-in pork shoulder and I cut around the bone in chunks and did not cook with the bone. I did have some issues with the spice rub getting burnt onto the bottom of the instant pot during the saute stage but then scrubbed it down and put the pork back in. This made for a super tender, flavorful meal!
Super flavorful and delicious. I don’t usually make pork recipes, but this one was easy to follow and detailed! Everything turned out great and used the pork for nachos. The only difference is I used pork tenderloin on high for 40 minutes, and it work fine. Thanks for sharing!
My family loved this recipie. It’s a keeper.
I made this and it was super easy and delish. I made just a few tweaks…
I didn’t sear the pork first and think I’ll continue to skip this step next time.
I also used a gravy separator with the juice to remove excess fat. Put the juices back in the pot and then used the cornstarch to thicken.
Overall, great recipe and easy. Thanks for sharing!
Wait. You don’t really mean using a pork tenderloin to make pulled pork, right? A loin, maybe, but even that’s a stretch. Using a pork shoulder, though, the recipe is perfect.
I agree with you that pulled pork is best made with pork shoulder/pork butt. In a pinch a tenderloin can be used but it’s better suited to other types of cooking, such as this Honey Garlic Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin. 🙂
Excellent recipe, delicious! I would probably add less vinegar & spicy spices next time, but the flavor & timing on the IP were perfect. It really fell apart on it’s own! Thank you!
I have made this several times in my Instant Pot. The recipe is so easy to make and my grandson Braden ask me, Gramps, can you make me some of your pulled pork. Needless to say he is absolutely in heaven when I call him to come over for sandwiches.
Thanks for sharing!
Awesome! Lip smacking good.
Pulled Pork in Instant Pork was perfect. I am 78 and consider myself an excellent baker and cook, but I had not use the Instant Pot often. After reading your recipes on line for both slow cooker and Instant Pot I thought I would give it a try. You do know your stuff! I give you 10 stars! Thanks for the excellent advice in the recipe.
Hi Sandra,
I’m so glad this turned out well for you! Thank you for your kind words! I’m happy that I could help. 🙂
This turned out perfect in my 3qt pot! I used 2lbs pork tenderloin and cooked it for 45 minutes. I chopped it into 6 pieces so I only let it naturally release for 10 minutes. Cut all the ingredients in half except for the broth and cornstarch slurry. Needless to say but I made my man very happy tonight!
Excellent! I’m low carb so just left out the cornstarch and used no sugar bbq sauce. It was super yummy!!!
Does the brown sugar burn when sautéing?
No, it just caramelizes on the outside of the pork.
Can you make this in the morning and keep on “keep warm” in the insta pot? I want to make it in the morning and keep it warm and not serve until dinner? Thanks in advance
Hi Ashley, I wouldn’t recommend keeping this on keep warm for more than 2 hours. For food safety, foods should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking. You could make it in the morning and refrigerate it and then warm it back up at dinner time.
Hi Kristine,
Can I substitute the chicken broth for an equal amount of root beer? Or do you not recommend using it because it’s carbonated.
I haven’t tried that substitution. I have seen some Instant Pot pulled pork recipes that call for adding Dr. Pepper, though.
I tried cooking this per the recipe: made the rub, browned the meat, added the liquids… put my pressure cooker on high pressure for one hour, then let it sit off for 20min, and then took the meat out to shred it – the meat was very tough and chewy, and didn’t shred at all.
I don’t know what went wrong. 🙁 It smelled great. I didn’t know if it was safe (or even pleasant) to eat so sadly tossed it. I’d like to try again – suggestions on how to improve the end result??
Hi Jen,
Sorry this didn’t turn out for you. Instant Pot cook times can vary significantly depending on the thickness of the cut of meat you use which is why this recipe calls for a specific size, 3-4 lbs and cutting the meat into several smaller chunks. If you used a larger cut of pork or didn’t cut it into smaller pieces then it won’t be cooked to falling apart tender in the recipe time.
What if I wanted to try this but had family members that did not like BBQ sauce? I would want to just do this and those that wanted could add their BBQ sauce after it was done. What if anything would i replace the BBQ sauce during cooking time? Thanks in advance!
You can just leave out the BBQ sauce from the recipe. It will lose some flavor though.
What, if anything, can I use to substitute the chicken broth? I am making this vegetarian with jack fruit instead of the pork, and chicken broth violates vegetarianism or so I’ve heard. This recipe is easy and delicious using pork. I made it for 2 of us that aren’t vegetarian. So good, in fact, that I want to surprise the vegetarian with a version he can actually eat. Thank you! ❤
Hi Judy, I am happy to hear that you have enjoyed this recipe as written. You can substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. I believe you would have to make other modifications to this recipe to use jackfruit instead of pork, especially regarding the cook time. I’d recommend doing some research on how to make jackfruit “pulled pork” in the Instant Pot and go from there. Good luck!
I’m a very experienced cook but new to Instant Pot cooking, and this was only the 3rd recipe I’ve tried. Pulled pork is one of my favorite meals, and this was better than anything I’ve made in a slow cooker. The spice rub and searing made it perfect! Time for me to look at the rest of your recipes now!
A great and easy recipe. I made a couple months back. My husband loved it. I am making it again now. Only I did take the sauce out before I put the meat back in. I put it in slowly and did not use it all, probably used about half if it . Anyway it was great. Erin
Great recipe! I’ve made this twice within the last couple weeks and it’s turned out flavorful and perfectly both times. Will definitely continue to use this recipe!
I had cooked a 4 lb pork shoulder in my green egg and the meat came out very tough so I’m going to try and cook it in the instant pot need to hear your Opinion should I cook it for an hour or not
Hi Jim, This recipe calls for a 3-4 pound pork shoulder, to be cut into 4 pieces before cooking. You should be able to follow the directions in this recipe to cook the 4 pound pork shoulder to tender.
How would you cook this if the Pork was Frozen?
Hi Mark, I have not tested this with frozen pork, but here is what I would try. This recipe calls for cutting the meat into 3 to 4 pieces so it will cook to fall apart tender in 60 minutes. If your meat is frozen and in one large piece, the cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your roast. I have not tested this but I would add 15 more minutes to the cook time and thermometer it after the 75 minutes to check for an internal temperature of 190F+ and do a second pressure cook if it is not fully cooked.
Hopefully I didn’t ruin it, I put all the wet ingredients in the instant pot including the cornstarch and water…I thought the rest of the ingredients went in at that point. LOL! Then I read the rest of the directions and saw that is done after it’s done cooking. Fingers crossed it turns out okay.
My family loves this recipe. It’s so good and flavorful. The cooked sauce is tasty as is so we keep the sauce “au ju”. The last time I made this my mother in law hadn’t thawed the pork all the way (it was only thawed about a 1cm around but I cut it into pieces and everything was still delicious and pulled apart very easily. Thank you so much for a delicious recipe.
Great recipe. Simple to do and best homemade pulled pork we have made. Will definitely use this recipe again.
If you have leftovers makes beautiful pizza in wood fired pizza oven. Thanks for recipe.
Hi! I have an 8lb shoulder roast. Is it ok to stack the pork on top of each other? I know it won’t all fit in my insta pot. Without having to stack on top of each other, or do you recommend I do batches instead? Thx you!
Yes, it is fine if the pork is stacked on top of each other. Enjoy!
Just made it, it was wonderful. Thank you for sharing
This the best pulled pork I have ever done,
I give this 8 stars
Absolutely delicious! The directions made this recipe easy to follow, giving perfect results. This will definitely be a family favorite.
have not tried but for now I’m giving 5 stars for how you answer people’s questions…. 5 star thank you
This was absolutely delicious!!!! I used a lot of the spice rub. As much as I could pat into the meat. My 3-4 lb. pork butt had a bone in it so I left it whole but still cooked for 60 minutes and then let it sit the 20 minute before releasing. It read 195° on instant read thermometer. It was tender and juicy. Next time I might cook an extra 5 minutes for that fall off the bone tenderness. This is my favorite pulled pork! Thank you for sharing it!!
Hello, can i make this recipe in an 8 quart instant pot?
Yes, I’ve made this in my 8 quart pot and it works perfect! Enjoy!
Excellent recipe! It was a little spicy but my 3 y/o niece was the one helping me measure out the spices so she could have been a little heavy handed on the spice 🙈.
My husband has said it has ruined all other pulled pork he would get else where!
I freakin nailed it with this recipe! I used a smokey paprika and it made it even better. Best pulled pork I’ve ever made.
Thanks Kristine!!!
Hi!
I’ve made your recipe once and it was delicious!!! I was wondering what do to when I double the meat portion?
Double sauce right? But what about cook time?
Thank you! Warmly Jasmin
To make a double recipe, double all of the sauce ingredients but keep the cook time the same. I’m glad you enjoyed the pulled pork!
Wow, taste like a 5 star restaurant recipe! Will make this again.
If I’m using a 7lb pork shoulder would I increase the cooking time?
Hi Sandy,
I would recommend cutting it into 7 pieces instead of 4 and keep the cook time the same. Enjoy!
Outstanding recipe and so easy! Definitely a keeper recipe!! Thank you!
This was so so good. I used Tenderloin and it was perfect. The flavors were so right on! My family is coming this week from Canada. I haven’t seen them for a year, and the first night they’re here, we’re having this recipe.
My husband was craving pulled pork sandwiches today and our favorite spot closes on Mondays and Tuesdays, so I decided to search for a good recipe. This recipe did not disappoint! It was amazing! 😍
Yummm
Delicious and wicked easy! I used an 8lb shoulder cut into 5. Left the bone in for extra flavour. Rubbed it and then browned on the BBQ before throwing it in the Instant Pot.
Amazing – my husband said the best pulled pork he’s ever had. And easy!
This turned out great. Lots of flavour! Very easy to make. I used a pork loin (only because that’s what I had), still worked quite well. I will make this again!
My family and I loved this and will be making it often!
OMG IT WAS AWESOME!!! THANK YOU FOR THIS AMAZING RECIPES
I have a 7 lb butt pork, how long to cook in instapot?
Hi Marcia, I would cut it into 7 pieces, instead of 3 or 4. This way, the individual pieces of meat will be about the same size as in the original recipe. The pot may take longer to come to pressure since it will be more full, but you should be able to keep the cook time the same.
I’ve made this a few times and it’s been delicious and a crowd favorite!! I have a plethora of chicken breast and would love to use this recipe for it. Obviously the cooking time would be different. What would be your suggestions?
A simple and delicious recipe. One of my family’s favorites. However, I use pork tenderloin which comes out so tender that it literally shreds itself. Love it! Thanks for sharing
Just purchased an instant pot yesterday. Made this recipe today by your instructions. Thank you so much for explaining everything. My pork shoulder was so tender and delicious. Thanks again Kristine.
I have made this a couple of times and have my roast ready to make it again today. I used Bull’s Eye Guinness BBQ sauce. It is delicious! Highly recommend this recipe.
This is my favorite pulled pork recipe for a few reasons. 1 it’s easy 2 you can actually also taste the meat (as opposed to just chewing BBQ sauce). I used it as meal prep often because it’s something I can eat all week and not get tired of it. Nachos, sandwiches, loaded tots, or just with a sweet potato and some veggies. It’s comforting enough for winter but light enough for summer.
Got an Instant Pot for Christmas. Made this pulled pork yesterday, along with the barbecue sauce. I used a pork butt and it was so delicious! Also appreciated your guide for new users to the Instant Pot. Thank you for these great recipes and tips!
It pays to follow a recipe!! This was really good!
Hi, if I double the recipe should I adjust the time?
No, keep the cook time the same. Enjoy!
Is it possible to make this recipe in a slow cooker instead?
Hi Elaine,
Try my crock pot pulled pork recipe. Enjoy!
How should I cook a frozen 2.5# pork loin?
Hi Connie,
I don’t recommend using a pork loin in this recipe, as it is too lean. For pulled pork you need to use a pork butt or pork shoulder. I haven’t tested this recipe using frozen pork.
Will this. Work with a bone-in pork butt?
Hi Paula,
Other readers have made this recipe with a bone-in pork butt with great results. Cut the meat into 4-5 pieces and leave the bone in one of the pieces to add extra flavor. Use the cook time given in the recipe. I hope you enjoy!
This is my go to recipe for pulled pork!! I absolutely love the barbecue sauce this makes. If I don’t have apple cider vinegar, I usually use white vinegar and add a little apple juice if I have it! Also the prepared pulled pork freezes great!
This was a super easy recipe and the taste was awesome.
My first time making pulled pork and this was sooo delicious , I have a picky husband and he loved it!
Absolutely delicious. I altered it slightly by adding a can of drained peaches instead of the honey so when you tear your pork, you tear up the peaches too.
I’ve used many recipes for pulled pork but when I found this one I threw the others away. This is by far the best pulled pork my family has ever had. You can adjust ingredients to your liking and it comes out perfect every time.
It is the one thing family and friends request for get together, picnics, pot lucks and church functions..it’s a winner every single time.
Hi Vickie, Wow! I am thrilled to hear that! Thank you for trying my recipe!!
Thank you! This is a great recipe. We added a little more brown sugar and our favorite smokehouse seasoning, and used pork loin, and it worked out well for us!
I rarely use my Instant Pot but had a craving for pulled pork. Found this recipe and decided to dust off the IP and give it a go. It was absolutely delicious! Hubby gave it two thumbs up also. I’ve now found a new admiration for this kitchen gadget and will use it more often.
Does anyone know if I can make this with chicken?
I’ve done it with pork and love it, but we’re doing a reunion and folks are requesting chicken!
Hi Jessica,
You can either use my Instant Pot BBQ chicken recipe to make BBQ pulled chicken, or you can use boneless chicken breasts or thighs instead of the pork in this recipe and reduce the pressure cooking time to 15 minutes plus a 10 minute natural release.
First time making pull pork, first time using insta pot, first time de fatting the pork… was so good I highly recommend.
Hi!
Everything about the recipe came out perfectly except I followed the recipe to a T and it had far too much sauce. Leaving it soup-like despite adding cornstarch etc. Attempted to put in morn cornstarch/water mixture but didn’t do much at all and had to drain it upon serving time. Recommendations?
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe! I recommend shredding the pork in a bowl, then adding your desired amount of sauce to the meat in the bowl. You can’t reduce the overall liquid in the recipe because you need enough liquid to allow the pot to reach pressure and also to avoid the burn warning (which can happen more easily when cooking with BBQ sauce).
The first time I made this, I was in a time crunch. I did not realize I was supposed to rub the spice mix on the pork, and I dumped it in the pot. Then, I did not sear the pork. It was still amazing, and I’ve skipped these steps every time since. It’s a frequently requested meal from all of our kids. So delicious!
Awesome, best pulled pork I’ve made.
Hi
I used my Instant Pot to make pulled pork for the first time for eight friends. Short review. They all LOVED it and most of them said it was the best pulled pork they had ever tasted. Nuff said.
Didn’t have a lot of flavor. Very good will try to spice it up