The ultimate Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe that will make your taste buds dance!
Need dinner quick? With only 5 minutes of prep time and a pressure cooker, this easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe makes the best barbecue sandwiches and tacos.
Easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Instant Pot Pulled Pork makes dinner a breeze! When you don’t have time to make dinner, this pressure cooker recipe will come to your rescue!
I’m not kidding when I say this is about the easiest pressure cooker meal I’ve ever made! You can tell from my all of my Instant Pot recipesthat I’m a little obsessed with mine.
I’ve made slow cooker pork, but this pulled pork is so much faster and perfect for when you need a fix it and forget meal much quicker!
All you need is about five minutes of prep time, then after your pork soaks up the spices, it’s ready to go into the Instant Pot!
There is no other work besides shredding your pork for sandwiches. Easy peasy, melt in your mouth pork!
What is the best cut of meat for pulled pork?
Wondering what cut of meat is best for cooking pulled pork? For this recipe I use a pork shoulder which is the most flavorful cut of pork roast. Thepork shoulder is cutinto two parts, the Boston Butt, and the Picnic Roast.
How long does It take to cook pulled pork in the Instant Pot?
It only takes 90 minutes to cook amazing pulled pork in the Instant Pot!
You’ll have to add at least 30 minutes of time to prepare the pork and for the pressure cooker to pre-heat. Best of all, it’s super easy!
I hope you enjoy this delicious pulled pork recipe! It’s now one of my son’s favorite meals, and that’s saying something because he is literally THE MOST PICKY kid in the world.Pair it with this amazing potato salad recipe and you have a winning meal!
Looking for more Easy dinner ideas? -> Check out our Recipe Index for more ideas!
Mix the paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, chili powder, ground mustard, and salt together in a bowl.
Cut pork in half, then rub the spice blend all over each piece of pork. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or overnight.
Turn the Instant Pot on Sauté and once it says “hot”, add the oil.
Sauté pork 3-4 minutes on each side until it is brown. Turn off Instant Pot.
Add co*ke, water and Worcestershire sauce then close the lid. Make sure the seal is closed.
Cook on “Manual” or “Meat/Stew” button for 90 minutes.
When done, let the pressure naturally release (about 10 minutes).
Turn pressure valve to release any more pressure and open the lid.
Place the pork onto a plate to shred with two forks.
If you like BBQ sauce on your pork, remove the excess liquid in pot and place the pulled pork back into the Instant Pot. Stir in about 1-2 cups of BBQ sauce, close the lid and place on warm until ready to serve.
Notes
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No matter which cut of pork you use, DO NOT release the pressure right away. The slow release will keep the meat tender. An immediate release can be why your Instant Pot pulled pork is tough. It will cause the meat to seize and toughen.
Transfer everything to a large slow cooker and add a splash of liquid — water is great, but so is broth, apple juice, or beer if you have them handy. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.
Slow cooking the meat means it never has the chance to toughen up and will be extra silky and tender. Pressure cooking is faster, though you may lose a little bit of the tenderness. If you're going for the pressure cook method, be sure to get a pork shoulder or pork butt, as opposed to a pork loin.
You can slow cook it in a slow cooker or oven at a low temperature for several hours until it's fully cooked and tender. This will help break down the tough connective tissues and collagen in the meat, resulting in a succulent and tender pork belly.
Try brine: Choose a wet marinade rather than a dry one. Dry rubs may work fine but brine or a wet rub will add that extra moisture along with the flavor that will penetrate deep inside the meat. Keep a spray bottle handy: Keep spraying the meat during smoking or reheating to replace the lost moisture.
After you've pulled your pork butt, drizzle over the meat and combine. The vinegar adds contrast to the smoky flavor and cuts through the fat in the meat. It also helps mellow out the darker, gamier-tasting parts of the butt. This makes enough for a 8 pound pork butt/shoulder.
Why add apple cider vinegar to pulled pork? Pulled pork relies on both the vinegar's acidity and the low-and-slow cooking process to tenderize the meat, breaking down the protein to give the dish its signature moist, fall-apart texture. Cider vinegar also provides a tangy counterpoint to the fatty pork.
Pour 1 1/2 cups liquid, such as low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, tomato juice, light or amber beer, white or red wine, orange juice, or a mix of several liquids (and optional liquid smoke) over the pork. The pork should be only partially submerged, with some of the pork remaining above the surface of the liquid.
Unfortunately, once you overcook a piece of meat in the pressure cooker, there's no going back. You'll be left with a pile of dry, crunchy, tasteless fibers and no amount of additional pressure cooking is going to put that moisture back into the meat. Earlier, I explained how ingredient size affects the cooking time.
I prefer to season the meat before adding it to the slow cooker with my favourite spices, along with salt and pepper. I also recommend browning the meat slightly prior to slow cooking which will help maximise the flavour. However, this is a step that can be left out if you don't have enough time.
Worgul recommends placing the pork in the slow-cooker fat side up. The fat will render thoroughly during the cooking process and by placing the meat fat side up, it makes it much easier to remove excess fat before serving. "The cooker will be nearly filled with fat and liquid after hours of cooking.
How do you tenderise pork for stir fry? Velveting is a Chinese technique that helps keep meat tender during stir frying. Adding cornstarch and bicarb to your meat during the marinating process helps to coat your meat, giving it a velvety feel that makes the meat feel extra soft.
The congealing and hardening of fat and connective tissue will make pulling more difficult as the temperature drops. Pulling while the meat is still hot allows you to serve it with the least amount of fat that drains away and the meat that has been neatly separated from fat, tissue, and skin.
Lemon juice and vinegar are often used in marinades for meat for several reasons: Acid: Both lemon juice and vinegar contain acid, which helps to break down the muscle fibers in meat, making it more tender. This is especially helpful for tougher cuts of meat, such as flank steak or chicken thighs.
Typically, when you make pulled pork, you'll cook it in barbeque sauce or another acidic ingredient like vinegar, citrus, or Worcestershire sauce, which work to tenderize the pork. Now think about soda like any other marinade, working to help break down the meat for pull-apart results.
You want to use the tough cuts of beef or pork. When you cook via a pressure cooker, moisture is required. Combine that with a sealed lid, the steam can't escape. This is a moist cooking method and will breakdown a lot of the connective tissue, tenderizing the tough cuts.
Brine the pork to maintain moisture by soaking it in a mixture of salt and water, baking soda, vinegar or even milk. You can also pour hot water over the loin to shrink the rind, which can enable better absorption of brine, milk, oil or marinade.
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