My classic pulled pork recipe is seasoned with flavorful spices and slow cooked in the oven until it’s fall-apart tender. This easy recipe will have you making the best pulled pork you’ve ever tasted!
The Secret to the Best Fall-Apart Tender Pulled Pork
I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to share my classic oven pulled pork recipe! My Instant Pot Pulled Pork and Crock Pot Pulled Pork recipes have been longtime favorites with readers, and I promise this oven version is just as easy and delicious. The pork turns out so tender it practically falls apart, and it’s absolutely perfect piled onto my soft Brioche Buns with BBQ sauce and homemade Coleslaw.
The secret to making the best pulled pork is to season it well, brown it on the stove to build flavor, then finish it low and slow in the oven at 300°F for 3 to 3.5 hours. This gives the connective tissue time to fully break down into that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Cooking it in a mixture of chicken broth, orange juice and apple cider vinegar keeps the meat moist while the acidity tenderizes the pork and balances out its natural richness.
What Cut of Pork is Best for this Recipe?
The best cut of meat for pulled pork is a pork butt (also called Boston butt) or pork shoulder. These cuts have some fat marbling for flavor and will consistently give you juicy, flavorful results. I like to use a boneless pork butt, but you can also use bone-in. Just cut around the bone when cutting the meat into 4 pieces, leaving the bone in one piece.
How to Make Pulled Pork
Season the pork. Cut the pork butt/shoulder into 4 pieces and trim off excess fat. Combine the brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl and then rub the spice mixture over all sides of the meat.
Brown it on the stove. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned pork to the pan and brown on all sides.
Add liquid and bake. Pour the chicken broth, apple cider vinegar and orange juice into the pot around the pork. Cover the pot with the lid and cook in the oven at 300°F for 3-3.5 hours, until the pork is very tender and shreds easily with a fork.
Let it rest for 10 minutes, then shred with two forks and serve as desired.
Tips for the Best Fork-Tender Pulled Pork
- Don’t skip the step of browning the meat before cooking it in the oven. This step adds so much flavor!
- Cook it to an internal temperature of 200-205°F in the center. At this temperature the connective tissue will have broken down and you’ll get the most tender meat.
- Let the pork rest for 10 minutes before shredding. This allows the juices to redistribute back into the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- Save the braising liquid. After pulling the pork, skim the fat off of the leftover liquid and drizzle some of the juices back over the meat. They’re packed with flavor and keep the pulled pork from drying out, especially if you’re serving it later or storing leftovers.
What to Serve with Pulled Pork
These are some of my favorite ways to serve pulled pork:
- Served on hamburger buns with BBQ sauce and coleslaw.
- In a wrap with BBQ sauce, sliced avocado and cheese. (This is my favorite way to eat leftover pulled pork!)
- Serve it in a bowl over rice with shredded cabbage, pickled red onions, black beans, cilantro, avocado and lime.
- Make pulled pork nachos, pizza, enchiladas or tacos. Try my Carnitas (Mexican pulled pork) recipe next!
- My favorite side dishes for pulled pork include Corn on the Cob, Macaroni Salad and this refreshing Cucumber Salad.
Made this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
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
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Remaining ingredients:
- 3-4 pound boneless pork shoulder/pork butt*
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup orange juice
For serving:
- 8 burger buns, toasted if desired
- barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- In a small bowl, stir together all spice rub ingredients until well combined.1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Cut the pork into 4 pieces and trim off excess fat. Rub the pork on all sides with the spice rub.3-4 pound boneless pork shoulder/pork butt*
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned pork to the pan and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove pan from the heat.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Pour the chicken broth, apple cider vinegar and orange juice into the pot around the pork.2 cups low sodium chicken broth, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup orange juice
- Cover the pot with the lid and bake for 3-3.5 hours, until pork is very tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- Transfer pork to a large bowl. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Use two forks to shred the pork. Optional: Skim excess fat off the braising liquid and then stir a little of the juices into the meat. Serve pork on burger buns, with barbecue sauce.8 burger buns, barbecue sauce
Notes
- To make this recipe with a bone-in pork butt/shoulder: Cut the meat into 4 pieces, leaving the bone in one of the pieces to add extra flavor. Use the same cook time.
- Leftover pulled pork can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove, with some of the braising liquid or BBQ sauce, or in the microwave.
- To freeze pulled pork: Freeze the meat, sealed airtight, in a container that is just big enough for the pork. 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, then reheat before serving.
- Nutrition information estimate is for pulled pork only, not including burger buns or BBQ sauce.
