Recipe For Pulled Pork

This easy Pulled Pork recipe is made with pork shoulder (or butt), pantry spices and coke to tenderize the meat and add sweetness to the seasonings. The result if perfect, tender and juicy pork cooked in the oven, slow cooker or instant pot!

Whether you’re planning food for a party, BBQ, or a simple weeknight dinner, this pulled pork recipe is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Serve it with BBQ sauce and your favorites side dishes, or serve it in sandwiches, tacos, nachos and more. If you’re cooking for a larger gathering or party see my tips in the post for how to calculate how much pulled pork you’ll need per person.

How to make Pulled Pork

Tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked Pulled Pork you can make in the oven, slow cooker or instant pot.

Prep: 20min

Total: 320min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 310 kcal, Carbohydrate 9 g, Protein 36 g, Fat 13 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 124 mg, Sodium 554 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 7 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 4 lb pork shoulder (, or butt)
• 2 Tablespoons oil (optional if searing)
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 ounces coke (not diet)
• bbq sauce for coating meat (optional)

Instruction:

1. Trim pork of excess fat and cut into 4 pieces.
2. Combine spices in a small bowl and rub all over the pork. (This can be done the night before).
3. Sear (optional): Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven pot over medium-high heat. Add the meat and sear for a few seconds on all sides.
4. Oven Method: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Pour coke around the pork in the Dutch oven pot. Cover pot with lid and cook for 3 hours. Remove lid and cook for an additional 1-2 hours, until pork is tender and easily pulls apart with a fork. Remove from oven and shred meat. Toss in barbecue sauce, if desired.
5. Slow Cooker Method: Place pork in slow cooker and pour coke around it. Cover and cook on LOW (recommended) 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours, until pork is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
6. Instant Pot Method: Place pork in instant pot and pour coke around it. Cook on Manual/High pressure for 70 minutes. When timer beeps, allow the pot to naturally release pressure, about 15 minutes longer. Remove lid and shred the meat.

Pulled Pork Recipe: Slow Cooker or Oven Roasted

The BEST pulled pork recipe in the crock pot! Get the most tender, melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork with almost zero effort from your slow cooker. It’s such an easy recipe, the results are AMAZING, and you can feed a crowd an impressive dinner lickety-split. I’m also including instructions for oven roasted pulled pork!

Prep: 20min

Total: 860min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 664 kcal, Carbohydrate 15 g, Protein 72 g, Fat 34 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, Trans Fat 0.2 g, Cholesterol 227 mg, Sodium 1423 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 12 g, unSaturated Fat 22 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 5-7 pound pork butt or pork shoulder (leave the fat cap on)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (for rubbing on meat)
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke* (optional, for rubbing on meat)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for searing, more as necessary)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (use 2 and 1/2 teaspoons if using table salt)
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
• barbecue sauce (homemade or store bought)
• brioche hamburger buns (if you’re making sandwiches)
• butter (softened)
• Coleslaw (this is my favorite herby recipe!)

Instruction:

1. You can stir about 1 to 2 cups homemade or store bought BBQ sauce into the pulled pork, or serve it with BBQ sauce as an optional topping. Serve warm on sandwiches (more instructions on that below), top a salad, use for meal prep, whatever your little heart desires.
2. Pulled pork freezes very well. Seal in a ziplock bag (with or without BBQ sauce mixed in). It will freeze for up to 4-6 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight. Heat leftovers in the microwave, or place in a tin foil covered pan, sprinkle with water, and bake in an oven set to 300 for about 20-40 minutes, depending on how much there is.

Pulled Pork

This easy pulled pork recipe cooked in the oven makes the BEST pulled-pork sandwiches. Plus, those burnt ends are to die for.

Prep: 10min

Total: 3h20min

Yield: 6 – 8 serving(s)

Nutrition Facts: calories 951 Calories, Fat 60 g, Saturated Fat 19 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 215 mg, Sodium 1140 mg, Carbohydrate 40 g, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 30 g, Protein 55 g

Ingredients:

• 4 lb. boneless pork shoulder
• 3 tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 tbsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 12 oz. lager
• 1 1/2 c. ketchup
• 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 c. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Buns, for serving

Instruction:

1. Make pork: Preheat oven to 300°. Trim excess fat from pork and cut into large pieces to fit in a large Dutch oven.
2. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin, then season with black pepper. Rub all over pork. (This can be done the night before.)
3. In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, heat oil. Working in batches, add pork and sear on all sides. (Spices can burn quickly so don’t let it go for too long!)
4. Pour beer around pork and cover with lid. Transfer to oven and cook until pork is beginning to turn tender, about 3 hours. Remove lid and cook until pork is very tender and pulls apart easily with a fork, 1 to 2 hours more.
5. Remove pork from Dutch oven and let rest while you prepare barbecue sauce.
6. Make barbecue sauce: To the pan drippings in the Dutch oven, whisk in ketchup, apple cider vinegar, mustard, brown sugar and Worcestershire. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
7. Shred pork using two forks. Toss shredded meat with about half the barbecue sauce.
8. Serve warm with buns and more barbecue sauce.

Pulled Pork

The Pioneer Woman starts her 5-star Pulled Pork recipe with an overnight dry brine and then transfers to the oven for a low and slow roast, leaving you with fork-tender meat.

Total: 0 10h20min0

Yield: 16 servings

Serving Size: 1 of 16 servings

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 of 16 servings, calories 65, Fat 2g, Saturated Fat 1g, Carbohydrate 7g, Fiber 1g, Sugar 4g, Protein 4g, Cholesterol 11mg, Sodium 129mg

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 pork shoulder roast (also called pork butt)
• 4 onions, cut into halves
• 1 bottle good barbecue sauce and good-quality hamburger rolls, for serving

Instruction:

1. Stir together the brown sugar, chili, paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the pork shoulder. Wrap the pork in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or preferably overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
3. Place the pork in a large pot on a bed of the onion halves. Roast until fork-tender and falling apart, about 7 hours. Remove the pork from the pot and set it on a cutting board. Slice some of the onion.
4. Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat and add 1/2 to 1 cup of hot water. Scrape the pan to loosen up the bits and cook for 5 minutes to reduce. Pour in the barbecue sauce and stir to heat.
5. Shred the meat with two forks, add the sliced onions to the pork and then toss in the barbecue sauce until it’s coated to your liking! Serve on hamburger rolls.

Dinner: BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe – How To Make Pulled Pork

FAQ

What is the best liquid to cook pulled pork in?

What is the secret to tender pulled pork?

How to make pulled pork for beginners?

Is pulled pork better in the oven or slow cooker?