The most tender and juicy Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe made with a pork shoulder, a delicious dry rub, and your favorite bbq sauce! Then, it’s pressure-cooked on high for around 90 minutes until fork tender.
We love this method of cooking pork in my housebecause you get the most perfectly tender pulled pork in half the amount of time ??
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This might be my all-time favorite Instant Pot pork recipe and I’m so excited for you guys to whip this up in no time for your family and friends to enjoy. I’ve made this Instant Pot pulled pork countless times since we first posted this in 2020 and my family loves it so much — especially since it’s so versatile. We’ve eaten it on a bun, in a bowl, as nachos, the list goes on!
The end result of this pulled pork is similar to if you slow-cooked it low and slow for hours and hours (similar to our slow cooker pulled pork), but it truly takes a fraction of the time. Our famous pork dry rub is used for a base flavor and then it’s slathered in bbq sauce.
First things first, let’s chat about what cut of pork you need for this recipe! Like our Instant Pot Carnitas, this recipe calls for a boneless pork shoulder roast. Make sure you find a roast that is around 2.5 – 3 lbs.
The reason why we suggest a pork shoulder roast is because it has a good amount of fat in it, making it the perfect cut of pork to shred.
Cuts of Pork
Not sure where all the different cuts of pork come from on the pig? We made it easy. Check out more details on everything pork in our favorite pork recipes round up!
Learn More
Unfortunately, we don’t recommend using a pork tenderloin for this recipe. Pork shoulder is a fattier cut of meat, which allows it to be “shredded.”
If you are interested in a delicious pork tenderloin recipe, we recommend trying our Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin!
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Make this wonderful pulled pork in the Instant Pot in just 6 easy steps! Here’s a quick rundown for yah.
- Rub: Use our homemade pork rub to add flavor to your roast before cooking! Don’t skimp on this step as it’s super important for flavor! Here’s what you need for the rub: brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, coarse salt, cinnamon, dried thyme, and ground pepper.
- Sear: Sear pork roast on each side for around 2-3 minutes in order to brown. This will add great texture in the end and also help heat up your Instant Pot so it doesn’t take so long to build pressure.
- Deglaze + Saute: Deglaze the pot with broth and then cook onions and garlic for a few minutes.
- Pressure Cook: Add pork roast back into the Instant Pot and seal. Turn Instant Pot to manual > high pressure > and set the timer for 90 minutes. Then, quick release the Instant Pot.
- Shred: Remove the meat from the Instant Pot and then remove any large pieces of fat. Use 2 forks to shred pork.
- Sauce: Don’t forget to keep around 1 cup of the liquid from the Instant Pot and discard the rest. Add the liquid to the shredded pork and then add your favorite bbq sauce. Feel free to add as much or as little as you’d like.
A 3 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast will take around 90 minutes on high with a quick release. Remember that the Instant Pot takes time to build pressure, so it will take around 15 minutes to start counting down from 90.
Our cook time might seem a little higher than other recipes on the internet, but that’s because we aren’t huge fans of the natural release. We like to quick-release whenever possible! Furthermore, fattier cuts of pork can’t really be overcooked, so don’t worry!
If you get the burn notice, that means that you don’t have enough liquid on the bottom of your Instant Pot. Add a few more tablespoons of broth and you should be good to go.
Make this pulled pork your own!
- Annie’s Original BBQ Sauce
- Homemade BBQ Sauce (Fit Foodie’s signature recipe!)
- Target’s Good and Gather Honey BBQ Sauce
Get creative with your IP pulled pork and use it in SO MANY WAYS.
- On a bun – get your favorite bun and serve your pulled pork with some creamy coleslaw.
- In a meal-prep bowl: we have the most delicious pulled pork meal-prep bowl recipe that this Instant Pot Pulled Pork would go delicious with!
- As the meat of a taco: instead of adding bbq sauce, eat your pulled pork as tacos! Check out our Instant Pot Pork Carnitas for some inspo.
- In a lettuce wrap: looking to keep things low carb? Serve this bbq pulled pork in a lettuce wrap!
- As the base of chili – instead of mixing in bbq sauce at the end, simply use the pulled pork for the meat in chili. Check out the flavors in our Instant Pot Pork Chili.
- In a burrito: whether you’re craving a breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs or a Mexican burrito with rice and beans, this pressure cooker pulled pork would be such a filling!
More of our Favorite…
Pulled Pork Recipes
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Pulled Pork Carnitas
- Smoked Pulled Pork Tacos
- Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
Can you overcook pulled pork in Instant Pot?
You can absolutely overcook pulled pork in Instant Pot. For a 2-3 lb. roast, the sweet spot is right around 90 minutes in order to get fall-off-the-bone shredded pork. Anything more will start denigrating the pork.
Is pulled pork better in Instant Pot or slow cooker?
We love pulled pork in the Instant Pot because it cooks faster, but is just as tender.
What is the best liquid to cook pulled pork in?
The best liquid for cooking pork in the Instant Pot is broth because it adds flavor and a little salt.
How long do you cook pulled pork for?
Cook a 2-3 lb. pork roast in the Instant Pot for 90 minutes on high pressure.
Store pulled pork in an air-tight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
Reheat: reheat in the microwave on high or pan fry on the stovetop.
More of our Favorite…
Instant Pot Pork Recipes
- Instant Pot Pork Roast
- Instant Pork Carnitas
- Instant Pot Pork Chops
- Instant Pot Pork Chili
- Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
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- 2-3 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast we used a 2.5 lb roast
- 1/4 cup pork rub*
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth or any kind
- 1/2 white onion chopped
- 3 whole garlic cloves smashed and minced
- 1/2 cup bbq sauce
- First, (if you haven't already) mix together all of the ingredients for the spice rub in a bowl using a fork to get rid of any lumps! You only need 1/4 cup of this rub, so you can save the rest for later.
- Next, rub the spice mixture all over your pork roast with your hands. Be sure that every inch of the roast is covered. Set aside.
- Turn on the Instant Pot’s saute feature and add two tablespoons of olive oil.
- When olive oil is fragrant add pork roast and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side to brown the pork.
- Remove pork from Instant Pot and deglaze your Instant Pot by pouring half of the broth (1/2 cup) onto the bottom of the pot. Scrape all of the brown bits from the bottom the Instant Pot with a spatula.
- Next, add onion and garlic to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Then, add the rest of the broth to the Instant Pot and place the pork roast back into the Instant Pot.
- Turn off the saute feature and then put the lid on. Seal the Instant Pot and set it to manual high pressure for 90 minutes. It should take a little bit to build pressure before it starts to count down from 90.
- Once the timer goes off, quick release the pressure from the Instant Pot and remove the pork roast. Save 1 cup of the cooking liquid for later. Discard the rest of the liquid.
- Place the pork back into the Instant Pot and shred it with two forks The pork should shred very easily. If it doesn’t, you likely need to continue cooking.
- Once shredded, Pour the remaining cup of cooking liquid and the bbq sauce over the pork and mix well.
- Turn the saute feature on the Instant Pot and let the pork cook for 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately on your favorite bun!
- If you don’t have our pork rub made, here’s what you need: 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ tablespoon coarse sea salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and ½ teaspoon ground pepper.
- To make paleo: use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and use a paleo-friendly bbq sauce.
- To make keto: omit brown sugar and use a keto-friendly bbq sauce.
Calories: 348kcal Carbohydrates: 10g Protein: 25g Fat: 21g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 5g
Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.
