Easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork

No BBQ season passes by without the delicious and flavorful pulled pork. I love it. Dustin loves it. The kids love it. Everybody loves it. It’s so delicious! Not to mention pulled pork is perfect for so many different occasions. Think BBQ summer parties, holidays, weeknight meals and so on.

The rich, tender flavor of Instant Pot Pulled Pork pairs perfectly with the tangy crunch of Quick Pickled Red Onions, adding a fresh and zesty contrast to every bite!

But, since the traditional pulled pork recipe is not the healthiest, I made it healthier. And dare I say easier? It involves the Instant Pot, which means little to no effort to make it because it significantly reduces cooking time.

If you love pulled pork and you have an Instant Pot, this is gonna be a game changer for you! (Note: This recipe can also be used in a slow cooker or in the oven, with some slight modifications.).

But I recommend learning if you don't yet know how to use an Instant Pot.

 Watch Me Make Instant Pot Pulled Pork

How To Make Pulled Pork In A Pressure Cooker

Ok, so we've all heard how amazing Instant Pots are, but… how do you make pulled pork in an Instant Pot? To be honest, I'd never used a pressure cooker to make anything before, but now I love pressure cookers!

For a traditional pulled pork recipe, you must cook the meat slowly to allow the pork protein to break down properly and achieve that juicy tenderness pulled pork is known for. 

However, since we’ll be making an Instant Pot pulled pork recipe, there’s no need to stress about this part. The Instant Pot takes care of it. It's magic.

All you have to do is…

1. Cut the pork butt into even chunks (if too large)
2. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients, then rub the pork with the mix and coat it well. You'll note there is no brown sugar here. While brown sugar is often added to pulled pork, it's unedssary to add and keeps it healthie.
3. In the Instant Pot, add a little bit of olive oil and set to Sauté
4. Once the Instant Pot is hot, add the seasoned pork
5. Sear for 3-5 minutes per side then remove from Instant Pot
6. Press cancel and add chicken broth to Instant Pot
7. Deglaze the bottom with a spoon
8. Place pork back into the Instant Pot, secure lid and pressure cook for 60 minutes
9. Let pressure release naturally for 20 minutes before opening

Feel free to add some hot sauce and soft rolls, and thank me later!

What's The Best Cut Of Pork For Pulled Pork?

The best pork cuts for pulled pork are called "Boston butt," "pork shoulder," "pork roast," or "pork loin."  For my Instant Pot shredded pork, I prefer using pork shoulder or pork butt because it's super flavorful. You can use either boneless or bone-in.

That being said, a lot of people say the best cut of pork for pulled pork is Boston butt because it's the most flavorful and high in fat, which makes for tender pulled pork. Pork loin would be the leanest.

How To Shred Pork

Once the pork is cooked and the pressure from the Instant Pot released, it is time to shred the pork and turn it into pulled pork. For this, I like to use 2 forks but you can do it with a food processor or even a hand blender, if you prefer. In my opinion, the mess of those doesn't seem worth it when the forks are very easy to use and clean.

How To Shred Pork With Forks

To shred pork with forks:

1. Transfer the pork from the Instant Pot to a large bowl or cutting board
2. Hold pork down with one fork and shred it with the other one
3. Discard any large pieces of fat

How To Shred Pork With A Food Processor

Shredding pork in a food processor takes seconds but it’s important to use the proper technique and blade to get perfect shreds. Here’s how to do it:

1. Transfer pork to the food processor
2. Use a slicer blade, not the shredder blade (the shredder blade is best for veggies but doesn’t work very well with meat
3. Pulse without pushing the top down and you’ll get perfect pork shreds

How To Store (Great for Meal Prep)

Okay, so we have all these delicious protein recipes for pulled pork, but how do we store it so it doesn't go to waste?  Here are some tips for how to make pulled pork meal prep for the entire week.

• As for the leftovers, store them in meal prep containers in the fridge for later use.
• Stored properly, in an airtight container, pulled pork lasts for 5-6 days in the fridge.
• Can you freeze pulled pork to store longer? Yes! Keep reading for tips.
• Don’t throw away the leftover sauce! You’ll need it later.

How To Freeze

Freezing excess pulled pork makes for delicious future meals. It will last for up to 8 months in the freezer. Awesome, right??

As for how to freeze pulled pork, it’s super easy. All you have to do is…

• Transfer the pulled pork to freezer-safe meal prep containers or Ziploc or re-usable freezer-safe bags
• Leave a little bit of space at the top of the container or freezer bag because pulled pork extends while frozen
• Place the airtight containers or Ziploc bags in the freezer

How To Reheat Pulled Pork

Here’s the tricky part. Many people avoid pulled pork meal prep because reheating pulled pork is problematic. Pulled pork tends to dry out when reheated. Sigh. No one wants to lose the tenderness and juiciness of pulled pork. And you don’t have to.

Remember when I told you not to throw away the leftover sauce? That leftover sauce is the secret to reheating pulled pork and keeping it tender and juicy.

In The Microwave

You can reheat pulled pork in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until heated through.

In The Oven

You can also reheat pulled pork in the oven. Here are the steps:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F
2. Place the pulled pork on a baking dish
3. Pour over the leftover sauce
4. Cover the dish with a lid
5. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes or until the pulled pork is heated through
6. Add more leftover sauce over the pulled pork before serving and mix

Flavor Variations For Pulled Pork

One of the best things about pulled pork is how easy it is to flavor it. That means you can easily swap a few ingredients and create a whole new flavor.

Here are some examples:

• Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork recipe: A well-loved classic. So yummy, so tasty, so perfect. The BBQ pulled pork recipe is made with a delicious homemade BBQ sauce that is clean and healthy.
• Carnitas Pulled Pork: If you want to make the best Instant Pot Pulled Pork for Mexican dishes, I recommend this Carnitas Pulled Pork recipe. This pulled pork is perfect for tacos and burritos.
• Carolina Pulled Pork: It's a little different from the BBQ pulled pork we discussed earlier, but amazing as well. It's less sweet and smokey and more tangy and spicy.

I honestly love all of these, and make them often.

More Instant Pot Recipes

Now that you know how easy it is to make pulled pork in the Instant Pot, I think you should use your Instant Pot more often. have a few to get you started.