Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Name: Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 95 min
Ingredients: 4 lbs. pork shoulder roast (cut into 4 large pieces and trimmed of excess fat*); 1 tablespoon smoked paprika; 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar; 1/2 cup water; Barbecue sauce or your favorite sauce (for serving)

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by Marcie // January 10, 2019 (updated 6/1/21)

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Instant Pot Pulled Pork is the full proof way to achieve tender, flavorful pulled pork in about one hour! It’s so easy to make and requires just a few minutes of prep!

Instant pot pulled pork sandwich with bbq sauce and coleslaw

There are some recipes that I make time and time again that I just can’t seem to get around to posting. This Instant Pot Pulled Pork is one of them!

This is a recipe that I’ve been making on a regular basis since I got my Instant Pot well over a year ago, so I apologize for taking this long to share it with you.

At least I’ve made it a priority to get it to you in time for Super Bowl, so please forgive me?

If you’re looking for more great game day recipes, try my Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken and Instant Pot Shredded Chicken. They’re extremely versatile and may be served a variety of ways!

Instant pot pulled pork shredded in white bowl with bbq sauce

I’ve made slow cooker pulled pork many times, but my preferred method is the Instant Pot or pressure cooker. I’ve cooked pork shoulder in the slow cooker for 8-10 hours in the past only to find that it still wasn’t tender enough.

With the Instant Pot, pulled pork cooking time is only one hour, and you get ridiculously tender pork every single time.

You just can’t beat that!

What cut of meat to use for pulled pork

The pork shoulder is the best cut of meat to use for pulled pork due to the high fat content and flavor. The pork shoulder roast is normally split in half — one half is the Boston butt and the other half is the picnic shoulder.

Either one is a great option for this recipe.

Pork butt in Instant pot before shredding

How to cook pulled pork in the Instant Pot

The first thing to tackle in this pulled pork recipe is to prep the pork. Cut the pork into quarters and season it with a simple dry rub of smoked paprika, brown sugar, cumin, salt and pepper.

Next, heat some oil in the Instant Pot using the Sauté mode and brown the pork for 1-2 minutes per side. Remove it from the pan and add apple cider vinegar and water, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the pork back to the Instant Pot, secure the lid and close the sealing valve. Select High Pressure for 1 hour, then when done, quick release the pressure and remove the lid when safe to do so.

Remove the pork from the pot with a slotted spoon and place on a cutting board. Shred, remove any excess fat, then place in a bowl.

From there, add the desired amount of your favorite barbecue sauce and serve!

Instant Pot Pulled Pork in white bowl with bbq sauce and parsley on top

Recipe notes

I’ve used up to 5 1/2 lbs. of pork shoulder in this recipe. Bear in mind that if you use more than 4 lbs. of pork shoulder, you’ll need to brown the pork in batches in the Instant Pot which will make the cooking time longer.
You can always skip the browning step, but I recommend it as it adds a nice crust on the pork as well as more flavor.
The vinegar and water may be replaced with the liquid your choice. Beer, apple cider or soda are all great options.
Omit the brown sugar to make this keto instant pot pulled pork.
This is a great meal prep recipe! The pork will keep up to 4 days in an air tight container in the fridge.

How to serve this recipe:

Pulled pork is perfect served with the following sides:

More pork recipes you’ll love:

If you try this recipe I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and rating below, or tag me @flavorthemoments on Instagram!