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A bowl with pulled pork and two woden spoons on a white table.
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5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork

Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork made with dry rub is the best easy recipe to cook pork shoulder. This tender, juicy meat just falls apart and will be great for a party!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 -10 people
Calories: 209kcal

Ingredients

  • 3-4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce

Instructions

  • Rinse and pad dry the meat. Then cut in into 8 equal pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.
  • Mix dry rub ingredients ( 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp salt, ½ tsp garlic powder and ½ tsp onion powder, and ½ tsp cayenne pepper) in a small bowl and sprinkle is over the meat.
  • Using your hands, rub the spices all over the meat, making sure it’s all equally distributed.
  • Set your Instant Pot to Sauté. Add 3 tbsp olive oil to the pot and brown the meat in two batches not to overcrowd the pot (3-4 pieces at a time). Sauté for about 4-5 minutes each side or until it gets a golden/brown crust. Then remove the meat from the pot.
  • Then add 1 cup of water and scrub the bottom of the pot to remove burned bits and cancel the “Sauté” function.
  • Put the meat back to the pot and cover the lid. Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Make sure that the venting knob is turned to “Sealing”!
  • When it is done, let it naturally release the pressure for 15-20 minutes. Then switch the knob to venting position and release the steam. Make sure the steam is fully released and the valve is completely down before opening the pot!
  • Take the meat out and put it on a plate. Using two forks, shred the meat. I like to remove any fat pieces, leaving only meat in the plate.
  • After it’s done, you can put shredded pork in a large mixing bowl or back to the pot. If you put it back to the pork, make sure you pour out the remaining liquid.
  • Add your favorite BBQ sauce to the meat and mix it until well combined.

Video

Notes

  1. Brown the meat in 2 batches not to overcrowd the pot. Otherwise, it will release to much juices and the meat will boil instead of browning.
  2. You can keep the meat for 3-4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
  3. In the freezer, it will last for up to 6 months.
  4. To reheat the pulled pork, I like to cover it in foil but leave some room on top for air. Sprinkle a little bit of water on top, so it will steam while reheating. This way the meat will stay moist and won’t dry out.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.9g | Protein: 20.6g | Fat: 7.5g | Saturated Fat: 1.6g | Cholesterol: 60.4mg | Sodium: 725.1mg | Sugar: 11.1g