Mouthwatering, fall-apart BBQ Pulled Pork is the perfect recipe for busy weeknights. Pulled together in a fraction of the time other BBQ takes, this meat is juicy, flavorful and oh so tender!
Topped off with a sweet and smoky sauce this pulled pork is one meal that is sure to have everyone fighting for the leftovers.
Meals in the Instant Pot pressure cooker are a FANTASTIC way to get dinner on the table without heating up the house or creating lots of dishes to clean up later.
Seasoned to perfection this BBQ pulled pork is soooo easy and effortless to pull together. Just prep with a quick rub and let your pressure cooker do all the heavy lifting for you. Truly, it's never been easier to serve up tender and delicious BBQ pulled pork!
Looking to add other sandwiches to the menu this week? You’ve got to give these French Dip sandwiches and Chicken Salad sandwiches a try.
🥘 Ingredients
Infused with flavor filled this bbq pulled pork is easy enough to prepare! With just a handful of ingredients and basic seasonings we can get this meal ready quickly! Here is everything we are going to need.
- Vegetable Oil
- Brown Sugar
- Paprika
- Onion Powder
- Salt and Pepper
- Cumin
- Boneless Pork Shoulder
- Beef Broth
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Traeger Sweet and Heat BBQ Sauce or favorite BBQ sauce
🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
Firstly, turn your pressure cooker on to "saute" mode. Then add your oil to the pot and let it heat up for 2 minutes. Next, mix the brown sugar, paprika, garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper and cumin together.
Then you want to cut your pork into 2 inch sized cubes. When done add them to the bowl of spices and seasonings rubbing them in to the cuts of meat.
Once your meat is seasoned add it to your pressure cooker for searing. Try to keep the meat in a single layer so it can brown as much as possible. Then let it brown for roughly 5 minutes before flipping the meat to sear on the opposite side for another 5 minutes. After searing your meat on each side remove the meat from the cooker and set aside.
Once your meat is squared away add half a cup of broth to the pressure cooker. Carefully scrape up any of the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Then in a large bowl mix your vinegar, a cup of bbq sauce and any remaining broth. Move your BBQ Pulled Pork back to the pressure cooker and pour the sauce mixture over the top.
Place your lid on the pressure cooker and seal. Then choose the manual setting and set pork to cook for 40 minutes.
Once the cook time is complete allow the pressure cooker to naturally release for 10 minutes. Then quick release the remaining pressure.
Lastly remove the lid and place your meat into a large dish. Shred your cooked pork and mix with any remaining bbq sauce.
Serve up your BBQ pulled pork and enjoy with toasted buns for sandwiches or however you prefer.
💭 Top Tips
For a full infusion of flavor make sure you aren't skipping out on these few things. Each one really does make a large impact on the final flavor of your BBQ pulled pork.
- When applying your seasoning rub to the meat make sure you get it really rubbed in and incorporate to each cut.
- Don't skip out on searing the meat before cooking. This is going to REALLY add an additional layer of flavor.
- Be sure to use beef broth for this. You don't want to substitute this for water.
🍽 How to Serve
A classic option will always be to serve this easy BBQ Pulled Pork as sandwiches. But if you are wanting to change it up and do something different we've got you!
Serve this BBQ Pulled Pork on top of your favorite mac and cheese or or on top of creamy mashed potatoes for a filling and mouthwatering meal.
Or consider serving it up as the main show stopper and instead pair this savory, melt in your mouth pulled pork with your favorite side dishes! BBQ pulled pork is perfect for enjoying alongside favorites like cheesy funeral potatoes, cool coleslaw pasta salad, soft dinner rolls or sweet corn on the cob.
📋 FAQ's
What is the best cut of pork for bbq pulled pork?
When making this recipe we like to use a boneless pork shoulder. Both pork shoulder and butt have fat throughout the cut. Which totally makes them ideal because when they are cooked in the pressure cooker they literally fall apart. And the fat provides so much delicious flavor.
But you can absolutely use a pork loin roast if you are looking for a healthier option. It is a much leaner cut and will still be just as delicious.
Can you make bbq pulled pork in a slow cooker?
Yes, absolutely! BBQ Pulled Pork is easy to adapt for making in a slow cooker. Follow all the steps through instead, just searing the meat off in a pan first and then placing in your slow cooker. Then turn the slow cooker to low and allow to cook for 6-8 hours or until it is fork tender.
BBQ Pulled Pork
Full of flavor, this mouthwatering pork is tender and juicy. Prepared in the Instant Pot it is the perfect recipe for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder
- 1 ½ cups beef broth, divided
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups barbecue sauce, divided
- 8 sandwich buns
Instructions
- Turn pressure cooker on to "saute" mode. Add oil to pot and heat for 2 minutes.
- In a bowl mix brown sugar, paprika, garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper and cumin.
- Cut pork into 2 inch sized cubes and add to bowl of spices and seasonings. Toss pork till cubes are coated.
- Add the pork to pressure cooker for searing. Try to keep it in a single layer. Let brown for roughly 5 minutes and then flip the meat to sear on the opposite side for another 5 minutes.
- Remove meat from cooker and set aside. Add half a cup of broth to the pressure cooker and scrape up any of the browned bits from the bottom.
- In a large bowl mix vinegar, a cup of bbq sauce and remaining broth.
- Add meat back to pressure cooker and pour sauce mixture over the top. Place lid on cooker and switch to manual setting. Set to cook for 40 minutes.
- Once the cook time is complete allow the pressure cooker to naturally release for 10 minutes. Then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Remove lid and place meat into a large dish. Shred the cooked pork and mix with remaining bbq sauce. Serve on toasted buns and enjoy.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1077Total Fat: 57gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 204mgSodium: 2098mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 4gSugar: 33gProtein: 60g