Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Pulled pork in a slider with slaw and pickles

5 from 4 votes

Instant Pot Pulled pork is the BEST. Tender shredded pork drenched in a flavorful tangy, smoky BBQ sauce. The only thing this shortcut skimps on is the time!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 244kcal

Author Diana

Equipment

6-quart instant pot

Ingredients

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
3-4 pound boneless pork butt or pork shoulder excess fat trimmed, cut into 3-4 inch pieces.
1 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
½ cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¾ cup BBQ sauce plus extra for serving

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, chilli powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Season the pork with the seasoning mixture from all sides.
On the Instant Pot, press on SAUTE-NORMAL setting. When the HOT message is displayed, add the seasoned pork and brown it from all sides in 2 batches (2 minutes per side). Remove the pork onto a plate.
Add chicken stock, and deglaze the pot with a wooden spoon scraping off any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Switch off the sauté setting.
Add the vinegar, and stir in the barbecue sauce. Return pork to the Instant Pot.
Secure the lid and set the vent to SEALING. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL-HIGH setting and set the cooking time for 45 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take around 10 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking. When the cooking program ends, allow the steam to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quickly release the rest of the steam.
Carefully remove the lid, and transfer the pork onto a cutting board or a baking sheet. Using 2 forks, shred the pork into bite sized pieces. If there are large pieces of fat, discard them.
Simmer the sauce using the SAUTE setting until it thickens (about 15 minutes). Return the shredded pork to the liquid.
Serve immediately with extra bbq sauce if desired. I like to serve on buns with slaw and pickles.

Notes

You'll need 3 or 4 lbs of pork for your Instant Pot pork roast. Cutting them into pieces that fit helps to cut down on cooking time, but if you want to cook it whole you can. Just consider the size of your pot.
Smoked paprika can be substituted with regular paprika.
For an alternative to brown sugar, you can swap with raw honey for a little less refined sugar. The BBQ sauce will probably have enough of it!

Nutrition