Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Fork tender pork served on a bun with coleslaw! This mouth watering, perfectly seasoned Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe is just right for weeknight dinners or holiday parties!

The Instant Pot is perfect for taking a large cut of meat and tenderizing it in no time. We love cooking our pot roast in the Instant Pot as well as making juicy Instant Pot Shredded beef.

Shredded pork in the Instant Pot with tongs pulling it up.


Pulled Pork

One of my family’s favorite dinners is pulled pork. It’s versatile with flavors, and the leftovers are amazing too!

Today’s pulled pork recipe is made in the Instant Pot, which cuts down the cooking time while still resulting in a tender bite of pork.

The flavor of the pork is delicious, while it cooks in the Instant Pot, the extra barbecue sauce is completely optional!

Next up: Be sure to try this super flavorful Instant Pot Pork Steaks.

Tools and Ingredients

Ingredients needed to make Instant Pot pulled pork.

Instant Pot. I use a 6qt Instant Pot for all my recipes. It’s the perfect size for my family of 6.

Pork.

  • You’ll want to find a 4-5 poud pork shoulder or pork butt for pulled pork.
  • A pork loin or pork tenderloin will dry out, while the pork roast stays moist and tender! Perfect for shredded pork recipes.
  • Whether you cut your roast into chunks or keep it whole depends on the size of the roast! I had a 4 pound roast that I kept whole. Cutting into chunks would create an even more tender shredded pork.

BBQ Sauce.

  • The flavor of this pulled pork is NOT overly bbq flavored. The combination of bbq sauce, apple cider vinegar, and all the seasonings creates a delicious base.
  • After the pork is done, you’ll drain off most of the excess liquid (which has already infused flavor into the meat).

I love topping my pulled pork with extra bbq sauce and coleslaw, but my husband is a purist who thinks the flavor of the meat is better without extra sauce on top!

How to Make Pulled Pork in the Instant Pot

Step by step photos showing how to make pulled pork in the pressure cooker.

Ingredients.

  • In bottom of pressure cooker, add beef broth, bbq sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Whisk every thing together.
  • Add the pork to the Instant Pot. Pressure Cook.
Step by step photos showing how to shred pork.

Shred Pork.

  • Once cook time ends, allow to naturally release pressure for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the pork from the Instant Pot to a cutting board and shred the meat. Discard the juices in the pot (saving just a little bit for extra moisture).

What to serve with Shredded Pork

Regardless of the time of year, shredded pork is delicious with a variety of potluck style salads!

Serve your pork on a bun or on a plate with extra bbq sauce.

We also love ours topped with homemade cole slaw!

Can Pulled Pork be made in the Slow Cooker

Absolutely.

Combine all the ingredients (minus the broth) in a large slow cooker. Add the whole pork butt or pork shoulder.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove from crockpot and shred meat. Discard juices and serve.

Pulled pork on a bun with cole slaw and bbq sauce.

Leftover Pulled Pork

Our family loves to eat the leftovers for a few days, on buns with sauce and kfc coleslaw.

However, you can also freeze leftover pulled pork. Place pork in a ziploc freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight.

To heat, add pork to a sauce pan with beef broth. Cook on medium heat until meat is heated throughout. Serve and enjoy.

Leftover pulled pork can also be used on quesadillas, tacos, tostadas, and nachos!

MORE Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot Pulled Pork

5 from 7 votes
By: Aimee
Fork tender pork served on a bun with coleslaw! This mouth watering, perfectly seasoned Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe is just right for weeknight dinners or holiday parties!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup beef broth
  • cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce any variety
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar packed
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3 cloves garlic pressed
  • 5 pound pork shoulder
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Instructions 

  • Cut roast in half or chunks if desired. In bottom of pressure cooker, add beef broth, apple cider vinegar, barbecue sauce, cumin, salt, pepper, onion powder, brown sugar, paprika, red pepper flakes, and garlic. 
  • Whisk everything together, then add the pork to the Instant Pot.
  • Secure the lid in place and make sure the valve on top is set to "SEALING."
  • Select "HIGH PRESSURE" for a cook time of 90 minutes. Once cook time ends, allow to naturally release pressure for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the pork from the Instant Pot to a cutting board and shred the meat. Discard the juices in the pot.
  • Serve shredded pork with extra barbecue sauce, if desired. ENJOY.

Notes

  • I use a 6qt Instant Pot for all my recipes. It’s the perfect size for my family of 6.
  • You’ll want to find a 4-5 lb pork shoulder or pork butt for pulled pork. A pork loin or pork tenderloin will dry out, while the pork roast stays moist and tender! Perfect for shredded pork recipes.
  • Whether you cut your roast into chunks or keep it whole depends on the size of the roast! I had a 4 lb roast that I kept whole. Cutting into chunks would create an even more tender shredded pork.
  • Serve pulled pork on a bun with extra barbecue sauce and coleslaw!
  • See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.

Nutrition

Calories: 906kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 67g, Fat: 61g, Saturated Fat: 22g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 33g, Cholesterol: 255mg, Sodium: 827mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 13g
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!

Family Favorite Dinners

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Instant Pot Pulled Pork is the perfect weeknight recipe. Tender and flavorful the whole family will love this shredded pork!



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About Aimee

Aimee is a dessert lover (specifically rice krispie treats), workout enthusiast, self-taught foodie, and recipe creator.

Learn more about Aimee.

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Posted on February 14, 2024

Comments & Reviews

  1. My pork shoulder was almost 8 lbs, I cut it up but do I cook it with the bone and fat/skin? And should I increase my liquid amounts and time?

  2. I have the Insta pot ultra so do I do the pressure cook option of the meat option ??? I’m new to the Insta so this is only my 4th meal first 2 didn’t turn out staying hopeful with this recipe

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