This Instant Pot Pulled Pork is tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. The pressure cooker makes it in a fraction of the time. It is fall-apart pork that’s perfect for sandwiches, tacos, bowls, or meal prep, even on busy weeknights.

Pulled pork is one of those comfort foods that feels like it takes all day to make, but the Instant Pot changes everything. In just over an hour, you can have incredibly tender, flavorful pulled pork that shreds easily and tastes like it’s been slow-cooked for hours.

 

This Instant Pot pulled pork recipe is so simple, reliable, and incredibly versatile. It is great if you are feeding a crowd, or planning meals for the week, or just craving an easy dinner, this is a go-to recipe you’ll come back to again and again. 

You can served this pulled pork with barbecue sauce, serve on buns to make sandwiches, use for quesadillas, top your salads, turn into tacos, or just eat it like it is.  No matter what you do, this will quickly become your favorite! 

Ingredients You’ll Need

Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.

• Pork Shoulder – I also like Country Style Ribs, depends on what my store has and what the price is, which one I use.
• Dry Rub – I like to use my favorite Best Dry Rub recipe, but if you have a spice blend or rub that you like, you can absolutely use that.
• Chicken Broth or Water

How to Make Instant Pot Pulled Pork

• Prep Pork. Cutting a pork shoulder into 3 inch chunks lets it cook faster and cook evenly. This way you won’t get parts that are over cooked and parts that are tender.
• Season. Mix together all of the ingredients for the dry rub, if you are using this recipe. Generously season the pork on all sides so you get flavoring in every bite. 
• Cook. Use water or a little chicken broth in the bottom of the Instant Pot so their is enough moisture and you do not get the burn notice. Add the pork to the Instant pot and cook for 45 minutes under high pressure. Naturally release for 10 minutes and then quick release to finish.
• Shred. Once the Instant Pot unlocks remove the pork and use two forks to shred. Serve as desired.  

Recipe Tips & Suggestions

• Cutting Pork. You do want to cut the pork into equal size portions so they cook at the same rate. Have bigger chunks instead of a whole roast means your meat will be super tender and not dry out.
• Seasoning. There is a dry rub recipe included in the recipe card. It is super easy to mix together in less than 5 minutes. But if you have a favorite dry rub or a spice blend in your pantry, you can absolutely use it!
• Like It Saucy? If you want to add barbecue sauce, I like to do it after the pork is shredded. You can add it back to the Instant Pot, pour in the sauce and mix well to coat. This Homemade Barbecue Sauce is an absolute favorite!

Serving Suggestions

Pork goes with just about anything, you can serve with The Best Potato Salad or Best Cornbread Recipe for one epic meal.  You can use the leftovers in a million different ways too! Use it place of the chicken in these Chicken Tostadas to get dinner on the table in minutes. Chipotle Chicken Bowls is an easy way that you can just swap up the protein.

Storage

Leftover pulled pork is great to have on hand for meal prep for the week. You can add to salads, sandwiches, quesadillas, tacos, bowls etc. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. You can reheat in the microwave until warmed through, or I like to heat in a skillet over medium heat with just a tiny bit of water to keep it moist.

Freezing 

Place the pulled pork in an air tight container or even freezer safe bag and place in the freezer for 2-3 months.  Make sure the pork is cool before you seal the container.

More Instant Pot Recipes

• Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
• BBQ Beef
• Mississippi Pork Roast
• Instant Pot Corned Beef
• Instant Pot Bolognese