Tender, savory pulled pork made easy using the instant pot. Add your favorite BBQ sauce and pile it high on a brioche bun for a delicious pulled pork sandwich. It makes a large batch, and leftovers are great in tacos, baked potatoes, or on a pizza or salad.
Pulled pork sandwiches make a delicious dinner and this instant pot version is super easy to prepare.
Serve it with creamy mac & cheese or crispy air fryer sweet potato fries for a complete meal.
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We love pulled pork sandwiches, but we often don’t have the time it takes to prepare the meat on the grill or in the smoker.
While most pulled pork recipes take several hours or all day, this one takes about two hours, which is a lot of time saved.
This instant pot recipe is really easy to prepare. Besides searing the pork, this recipe is hands-off while the pressure cooker does all the work.
Because this pork is seasoned with a simple seasoning blend, and isn’t coated in thick sauce, it is extremely versatile. This pork is great in sandwiches, wraps, tacos and so much more.
Pile it high between a brioche bun and top it with creamy coleslaw and Cajun Crispy Fried Onions for a pub-style sandwich.
We like to serve our pulled pork sandwiches with simple Air-fried French Fries, Creamy Street Corn Pasta Salad, or crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings.
Ingredients & Substitutions
For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Boneless pork shoulder: You will need a pork shoulder weighing between 3 and 4 pounds. Pork shoulder works best for this recipe as it has a higher fat content, making it more tender, easier to shred, and giving it flavor. This recipe will not work well with lean cuts such as tenderloin or sirloin.
Seasonings: This recipe uses a homemade seasoning blend of dried mustard, garlic powder, smoked paprika, brown sugar and salt and pepper. This blend gives the pork a savory and slightly smokey flavor. If you have a favorite seasoning, you can use that instead. BBQ seasoning works, as do many of the other seasoning rubs available in the grocery store.
Olive oil: You need a small amount of olive oil to sear the pork before pressure cooking it. You can substitute this with other oils such as vegetable oil or avocado oil if you prefer.
Onions & Garlic: Fresh onion and garlic add a ton of flavor to the dish. You can use dried, if you prefer.
Apple juice: The apple juice adds a bit of sweetness and acidity to the liquid, which will flavour and help break down the pork. If you don’t like apple flavor you can leave this out and just use chicken broth instead.
Chicken broth: When using an instant pot, liquid is a must to bring the food to pressure. The chicken broth will help add flavour to the pork. You can use vegetable or beef broth if you prefer, or you can use water. If using water, you will probably want to add extra seasoning.
Pro Tip – If you have a favourite seasoning rub, you can use that in place of the homemade seasoning blend.
Preparing The Pork Shoulder
Begin by mixing the dry seasonings and brown sugar in a small bowl.
Cut the pork into 3 or 4 pieces, depending on the size, and trim any large pieces of fat then season it well on all sides with the seasoning blend.
While you would typically want to keep the fat on the pork if you were doing a long smoke, you will want to remove any large pieces when cooking in the instant pot. The instant pot will not cook and render the fat in the same way as a smoker.
Serving Suggestions
Because this pork is not cooked in a sauce, it works well in many different dishes.
Our favorite is to pile it on a brioche bun, add our favorite BBQ sauce, and make pulled pork sandwiches.
But it works extremely well for tacos, wraps, on pizza, or on top of an English muffin with poached eggs.
Because it is seasoned with a simple seasoning blend you are free to add whatever sauces, gravies, or spices that you like.
It is great served with mashed potatoes, creamy Mac & cheese, or piled into air fried baked potatoes.
Storing Leftovers
You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
The leftovers will keep well in the fridge for about 3 days and several months in the freezer.
Leftover pulled pork can be reheated in a skillet over medium heat. Add a bit of water or chicken broth to help steam the meat, heating it through, and keeping it moist.
More Delicious Sandwiches
If you like this sandwich, you may also like these recipes.
Printable Recipe
Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pound pork shoulder
- 2 tsps dried mustard
- 2 tsps smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- ½ cup apple juice
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup sliced onion
- 3 cloves garlic
Instructions
- Begin by mixing the dry seasonings and brown sugar in a small bowl.
- Cut the pork into 3 or 4 pieces, depending on the size, and trim any large pieces of fat then season it well on all sides with the seasoning blend.
- Turn the instant pot on sauté and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the pork and sear it for a couple minutes per side until it begins to brown.
- Remove the pork from the pot and press cancel. Add the chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape any bits off the bottom of the pot, then return the pork to the pot.
- Add the onions, garlic, and apple juice, then close the lid, turn the valve to seal, and set the pressure to high for 70 minutes.
- When the timer is complete allows the pot to naturally release for 10 minutes then turn the valve to release the remaining pressure. When the pin drops, carefully remove the lid.
- Remove the pork from the pot and place it in a bowl. Shred the pork with two forks and then use as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.