Instant Pot Pulled Pork is a pork shoulder that has cooked long enough to become super tender, and it has a ton of flavor! The meat is shredded after cooking and can be used for pulled pork sandwiches, tacos, served over rice, or with potatoes. Making pressure cooker Pulled Pork that you make in your electric pressure cooker cuts the cook time down dramatically!
Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Pulled Pork is a recipe that can be made many ways. From spicy to barbecue. And with so many seasoning variations, you can make it just the way you like it!
Start with a pork shoulder roast that you have trimmed most of the fat off of. Then cut it in 1 lb chunks. This is a 3 lb roast, so I cut it in 3 equal pieces. This will ensure even cooking, and faster results. Use the size roast you have, but cut it into the 1 lb chunks.
Rub the spice rub mixture onto all sides of the pieces generously, and place in the pot on top of the onions and liquid (in this case, it’s Dr. Pepper® pop).
When finished cooking, remove the pieces of meat to a bowl and use 2 forks to shred the meat. It will be very tender. Then season a little more, add back some of the cooking liquid, and serve.
Make a fabulous Instant Pot Pulled Pork sandwich, served on a soft kaiser roll. Add any toppings you like, or just the meat. Mmmmmm. You can also serve on potatoes, rice, or make pulled pork tacos!
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If you make this delicious pressure cooker pulled pork recipe, please leave me a comment below. Let me know how you liked it!
Instant Pot Pulled Pork is a pork shoulder that has cooked long enough to become super tender, and it has a ton of flavor! The meat is shredded after cooking and can be used for pulled pork sandwiches, tacos, served over rice, or with potatoes.
- 3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 3 tsp Chili Powder
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Powder (optional), for heat
- 3-4 lbs Pork Shoulder Roast (Pork Butt) Fat trimmed off, and cut in 1lb chunks
- 1 Onion, cut in eighths
- 1 (12 oz) can Dr. Pepper or Cola (or 1 1/2 cups chicken stock)
- 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar (or more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp Salt (or more to taste)
Mix the spices together for the rub. Remove 2 Tbsps and set aside for later.
Rub all sides of the pork roast chunks generously with the spice rub. Set meat aside.
Cut the onion into 8 pieces (cut in half, then cut each half into 4 pieces). Put the onion into the inner cooking pot of the pressure cooker.
Pour the can of pop into the the pot over the onion.
Set the pork chunks on top of the onions. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the pork.
Place the lid on and lock in place. Set the steam release knob to the sealing position.
Press the Pressure Cook/Manual Button (or use dial) and then the +/ - button (or dial) to choose 65 minutes.
After the cooking time has finished, let the pot sit undisturbed for 15 minutes. Then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position (or push button) to manually Quick Release the remaining pressure/steam.
When the pin in the lid drops down, open it and remove the meat to a large bowl. Use a slotted spoon to get the onions out and add to the meat. Use two forks to shred the meat.
Sprinkle the reserved spice rub and 1/2 tsp salt onto the meat. Mix well. Taste and add more salt and/or brown sugar, if desired.
Use a large spoon (or a fat separator) to skim off the fat from the cooking liquid. Then add 1/2 cup of the liquid to the meat and mix in. You can add more of the liquid to the meat if you like it more moist.
Serve on buns, or over rice or potatoes, or in tortillas.
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The best pulled pork I ever had. Added some chipotle peppers for some extra spice.
Hi John! I love this with chipotle! I’m glad you liked it too. Thank you for your review!
Delicious! Way more flavorful and moist than a previous recipe I tried. It’s great even without bbq sauce. Even the 3 kids all approved, so I will definitely be making this again! Which is a good thing because I actually made an 8.5 lb. pork shoulder/ butt because that’s what I had on hand thawed and wanted to freeze some for meal prepping. I prepared 2.5 times the rub recipe and kept the liquid the same as mentioned in a previous comment. I also added 15 minutes to the cook time as suggested. I wouldn’t change a thing!
Would I need to double the time cooked if doubling the meat amount?
Hi Brandon, if you cut the meat into equal 1lb sized chunks, you should be able to make pretty good sized batch using the same cook time. If you are concerned, give it a few more minutes, it won’t hurt it. Pressure cooking time depends on the thickness and density of the food being cooked. If you didn’t cut the roast at all, it would take closer to 90 minutes.
Could you use pork tenderloin??
Hi Carla, pork tenderloin is very lean, and has such a short cook time, I’m not sure if this would dry out too much. I personally haven’t tried it with a tenderloin. If you do, cut the cook time down. Let me know how it turns out!
If this helps with time estimates, I did a half pork loin roast (2lbs) for 45 min pressure cook and it fell apart with just a push on top with a fork. I am trying the above recipe with a five lb pork butt roast… I too want feedback on tenderloin as I bypassed that cut for the roast this time. Thanks!
I have 3 tenderloin recipes. . Here is one.
This turned out perfect! My husband loved it and he is hard to please. Thank you!
Hi Sharee, yay! I’m so happy that you and your hubby liked this pulled pork! Thank you for your review!
Hi Sandy! Thank you for sharing this recipe. We recently got our instapot and have not found a recipe we love- until now! Seriously the best pulled pork for our street tacos, ever!!! The cook time was perfect, the seasonings were perfect and the flavor was out of this world!!! We liked it better than when we use our crock pot!! I don’t normally comment on recipes but I just had to let you know how great it turned out!!!
Hi Nina (love your name, it was my great grandma’s name, also!). I am so thrilled that you enjoyed this pulled pork recipe so much! Thank you for leaving a review, too, I appreciate it!
Hi can you stack the pieces on top of each other or do you only do the one layer? Trying to make enough for 40’people. And would I need to up the cooking time?
Also, what kind of onion do you use?
Thanks!
Yes, you can stack the meat. Use a yellow or sweet onion.
I never leave comments, but I felt like I needed to for this one. This was AMAZING!! Perfect for street tacos and BBQ sandwiches! I followed the recipe exactly but used Coke instead of DP.
That’s great! Thank you for your review!
Does the coke or Dr. Pepper make it sweet?
I would like to know this answer too.
Not too sweet. I think the onion and the spice rub cuts it with the savory edge. But this is a little sweet. I would cut out the brown sugar before cutting out the soda.
I chose this recipe because i was feeling lazy and it was the easiest one I could find. Little did I know that it would also become my favourite!
I’m new to instant pot cooking but will never use my slow cooker for pulled pork again.
The meat was tender, well cooked and delicious!
Awesome, Ola! Thanks for your review!
I’d like to double this recipe – would I double the meat, onions and spices but leave the liquid and cook time as is?
Yes, and be sure to cut the meat into the chunks to keep the cook time the same.
Hey Sandy,
i am trying this recipe today and I have the new instant pot. So there is no manual but there is pressure cook option. Do I cook it in high or low pressure for 60 mins?
Thanks!
Hi, it’s the Pressure Cook button, which defaults to High Pressure. So, cook on High Pressure.
Maybe I’m doing something wrong but my pot only goes up to 40 minutes.
Depending on which pot you have, press the Pressure Cook or the Manual button, or use the dial if you have the IP Ultra and turn it to Pressure Cook and press it.
Then use the + or – button, or the dial to select the time in minutes (mine goes to 240 minutes). If you are pressing any other buttons, you may have activated the timer, or something else.
What I have is a T-fal and I could only get it to 40 minutes. I’ll see how it turns out and if it’s not done, cook it a little longer. Thanks! Can’t wait to taste it!
I hope you like it!
Fantastic recipe! I just cooked this for my husband’s 70th Birthday dinner, and we both loved it! I used about 5 pounds of pork shoulder roast in the 6 quart Instant Pot. I did not have Doctor Pepper, so I used a bottle of beer, just of fun. It came out great: extremely tender and flavorful. Did not use the cayenne pepper, since he does not like spicey. He is a very happy husband! –Sue
Hi Susan, Happy Birthday to your hubby! I’m glad he enjoyed his birthday dinner that you so thoughtfully made for him! Thank you for your review!
Thanks for posting this. It was amazingly moist and tender.
I recently purchased an Instant Pot and was looking for a pulled pork recipe to make for a family lunch celebrating my Mom’s 77th birthday. I added a little BBQ sauce at the very en. This recipe was a hit, with no leftovers. My Dad told me it was the best pulled pork he’s had. Thank you so much for sharing!
Fabulous!
I had to modify the seasoning for personal reasons ( I used smoked paprika, cinnamon and onion salt), and I also used a Guinness instead of the pop. It turned out FANTASTIC! Thanks so much!
Yummy! Love using Guinness in recipes! Thank you for your review!
I just made this and it is the best pulled pork I’ve tasted! We decided to use it in nachos this time around, but we’re excited to try it on other things!
I have a 6.70 Lbs how long should I cook it for
Katherine, cut the meat into 1 lb chunks. Then add 15 minutes to be safe.
This was a great rub. We did 14 pounds of pork but between 2 instant pots. I quadrupled the spice recipe. Forgot to hold out some for after the meat was cooked. Used 1.5 cans of Dr.Pepper in each pot, and 1.5 onions each pot. Manual setting for 90 minutes. Yum. Tender and moist, but next timeI might use chicken stock instead of pop.
Sounds good! That bit of rub at the end makes a difference. This is just as good with chicken stock. Thank you for your review!
Woman, Holy s&@t, this has absolutely have to be the best thing I have ever ate ever. Please remove this recipe from off the internet and never give it out again! Freaking unbelievably delicious, so just so you know I’m gonna lie and say it was my grandmas uncles sisters dads recipe from panama ????
Kenya! LOL! I’m so glad you liked it! Your grandmas uncles sisters dads recipe from panama can become a family tradition. I won’t tell!
I made this and it didn’t disappoint, I am new to the instant pot. I did use the trivet and put the meat and onion on top of it and I seared the meat in a skillet first but other than that I followed your recipe and it was perfect! I give it a “10”. Thanks!
That’s great! I’m very happy that you liked this pulled pork recipe! We take it to potlucks and family picnics!
My pork shoulder has a bone. Will it cook the same in the instant pot or do I need to adjust the cooking time?
Just cut into large chunks where you can. Toss the bone with meat on it in with the rest of the pork. The meat will cook off of the bone. Same cook time. If the bone won’t fit in your pot, freeze it and use it for soup!
My family likes pulled pork with sauce. Do you recommend adding bbq sauce after it is shredded or could it be done during the cook cycle?
Hi Matt, you could pour the bbq sauce on top of the meat right before you close the lid to cook it. Just don’t stir it. This will reduce the chance of the sugars in the bbq sauce burning as the pot is heating up. Adding the bbq sauce after is fine as well, but maybe warm it up first.
I have a question please. I have a 5 1/2 pounds of pork tenderloin cut in thick slices I am tripling the spice and liquid. How long should I cook?
If it is a true tenderloin, and not a loin roast, the tenderloin will only need a few minutes, and a long natural release. I would try 3 minutes, and a 15 minute natural release. Tenderloin isn’t the best for pulling, it is best for slicing. If you were using the pork shoulder, you would keep the time the same because the roast is cut into chunks.
Can I use Diet Dr.Pepper, it is what I have on hand. I also have a diet ginger beer. What do you think? Or is the sugar necessary? Could I just add brown sugar to the rub? Thank you!!
If that was all I had, I would use it! Diet Dr. Pepper is my favorite of the diet sodas!
My husband said this was the best pulled pork I’d ever made! I would totally agree! Thank you!
Can you tell me the cook time if using the 8 qt. Instapot? Thank you.
Hi Pam, the cook time stays the same.
Hi There,
Would this recipe also work on the Instant Pot slow cooker setting? Have you tried it before? If so, would I change any of the preparation steps?
Thanks!
Tara
Hi Tara! Well it would, but the IP’s slow cooker setting is not very good. If you try it, be sure to use the “More” setting.
Hi, just got an instant pot and want to try this recipe. But all the pork butts I find are bone in…cant cut it into pieces. What do I do?
Kyle, it’s fine to cut around the bone, then throw the bone in to cook the meat off of it. I have to do that sometimes.
I have a 2.5 pound petite shoulder roast that is pre-seasoned. I’d like to go straight from package to pot without cutting into pieces. Would there be any drawback to keeping the roast whole other than the increased cook time? Thanks!
Hi Joanna, if it’s 2.5 lbs, but you are not cutting it, add 10 minutes to the cook time for it to be falling apart. That should do it!
Best pulled pork I’ve ever made! So glad I stumbled upon this recipe! The best part was that I didn’t start the recipe until 4:30 and it was ready at 6pm! Thank you so much!!
Hi Becky! I’m thrilled that you liked this pulled pork recipe so much! I hardly ever made it before getting my IP. Now it’s one of our regulars! Thanks for your review!
Super great recipe. Cooking time was spot on, meat was fall apart tender. My husband, a southern boy, loves pulled pork and he thought this was one of the best he’s ever had. Thank you for a great recipe.
Wow Dolly! I appreciate the high praise! Especially from a dear Southern boy! Thank you for letting me know, made my day!
Thanks for the great recipe. I made it as per your instructions (but added 1 tbsp of liquid smoke) and it worked out great! Will definitely make this one again!
Nice, Mojo! I’m glad you liked it! Thanks for the review!
I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised. I did not expect this BBQ to be so good, but I gave it 5 stars. I live in South Carolina, and we are serious about our BBQ. In fact, I have dubbed my husband the BBQ King because his slow roasted and smoked BBQ is scrumptious! Surprisingly, this Instant Pot recipe scores a close second to his recipe, but this one does not include a sleepless night maintaining a slow fire and an expensive grill to do the job. Thank you for this awesome recipe! I will definitely be using this one again.
Wow Patti! I am so thrilled to get aa review like this, from someone who knows their BBQ! Made my day! Thank you so much for leaving a review!
I declared myself a genius after making this pulled pork. Can’t even bring myself to order it at a restauarant as I am usually disappointed when I compare it to this recipe. This is a perfect meal for my family and I have made larger batches and frozen some so it keeps longer. Love the recipe. You are actually the genius, but I’ll still keep taking credit as I serve this to family and friends!
Hi Mike! No worries, you can be the genius! I’m so happy you like this recipe, and I appreciate your review!!
Sorry,meant to rate Five Stars!!!
New to the Instant Pot, but fairly experienced with the smoker – this is the best pulled pork I’ve ever made!
Really! That’s so awesome! Thank you for letting me know!
Just made this recipe in my new IP. Shoulder did come out very tender, but there wasn’t much flavor. Based on all the great reviews I think I did something wrong. I used chicken stock, so maybe that was the problem. I would make again, but I’ll try it with Dr. Cola next time around and see how it turns out. Thank you for posting.
Hmmm, well the Dr Pepper adds a sweetness. Also, the spice rub at the end is an important part of the process.
How long should I cook a 2 lb pork butt? The hubby and I don’t eat a lot!
Cut it in two equal pieces and cook for the amount of time in the recipe. It’s so good!
The recipe looks great! Has anyone tried making it with chicken stock instead of soda? I plan to make it tonight.
It’s delicious with any liquid you plan to use. The soda just adds a sweetness.
I made it last night with chicken stock, it was delicious ! I also added some bbq sauce at the end.
Best pulled pork recipe I’ve tried!! I followed the recipe/directions (thanks for the details), but doubled the meat. Because of this, I made 1 1/2 batch of spice mixture, and used a little extra coke. I increased the time to 70 mins because of the extra meat. It was amazing! Probably didn’t need the extra coke because it had plenty of juices by the end. It was not too sweet, and had a good smoky flavor. Definitely will be making this again in the future!
That’s great, Larissa! I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for your review!
I have 5 pounds of pork left over from a pig roast. Could I use this in the recipe and what modifications would you suggest?
I’m assuming the pork is already cooked? If so, I would adjust the seasonings based on what the pork was seasoned with when it was cooked. I would use an onion, the soda, and cook for 11 minutes, high pressure, as long as the pork is cut into large pieces, and not 1 big piece. Maybe five 1 lb chunks.
This was absolutely hands down the best pulled pork I have ever eaten. Super flavorful and very moist. No BBQ sauce was even needed!
I used a 3 1/2 pound pork butt and the cook time per the recipe was perfect.
I’ll never use any other recipe. The rub was sweet and smoky. Nice flavor.
Thank you, Lori! I’m so happy you liked this recipe so much!
Sandy, we put your 80 min Dr Pepper Pulled Pork Recipe against a 14 hour kettle smoke… It was a fantastic night!
Thank you for sharing your talents with us!
That was pretty fun! Wish I lived in your neighborhood! I was a little nervous, not gonna lie. Whew!
This pulled pork was delicious!!!! I had an 8 lb pork butt bone in and did like you recommended – doubled the spices, cut the meat but let it cook off of the bone, and kept the liquid the same. Because of the bone, I added an extra 5 minutes to the cook time because I wanted to make sure the meat was cooked through. It still came out very moist and tender. My family loved it! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Sounds yummy! I’m glad it worked well for you!
Sandy, you’ve got another winner. We’re fans of the potato and ham soup and now this yumminess! Thank you!!
Yay! So happy you liked it! Thank you.
Very good! The whole family loved it. I had it over rice, the kids chose buns, and hubby had corn tortillas and everyone was happy. The 6 year olds (twins) said it was “Epic”! We will make it again.
Hi Christina! Having the kids call it EPIC is high praise, indeed! Thank you!
Hi there
I actually don’t have a pressure cooker. Is there a good alternative method I could use that would only require the most basic of kitchen items (oven, pots/pans, stove etc). Many thanks from a broke college student!
Hi David. Why don’t you try this version for the oven: Pulled Pork.
Doing a 9 pound butt I have some turkey rub will that be ok and how long you think on cooking it
HI Tommy, The best thing to do is to cut it into smaller, 1 lb chunks. Then just follow the recipe!
Hello, So using stock instead of Pop plus Brown Sugar is that preferred or Pop and no Brown Sugar.. Just wondering what would give the better results… Thanks
The pop just makes it a little sweeter. Broth/stock will work just fine!
Thank you so much for this recipe – I am planning on making it this evening.
My cut of pork is 5.6 lbs. Should I double the seasoning and liquid? How would I adjust the time in my IP?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Megan! I would keep the liquid the same. You can add extra spice rub to season all of the meat. Save some to add at the end. Keep cook time the same, as long as you cut the meat as directed. I hop you like it!
Thank you for getting back to me. The recipe turned out better than I ever could have imagined. The meat is pull-apart soft and delicious. This is definitely going to be a staple meal in my house!
That’s awesome, Megan! Thank you for letting me know!
I have made numerous pulled pork recipes for the instant pot. Thankfully instead of using one of them I just searched and clicked on yours. Oh my goodness, this recipe is beyond amazing. We had it for supper last night, leftovers for lunch today, and I’m making another batch for supper tonight. I just got back two hogs from the butcher so with hundreds of pounds of pork in the freezer we will be eating this often.
That’s so great, Marie! Thank you for your review. I have some other yummy pork recipes here. You can search for pork.
My hunk of meat is only 2.75 lbs. if I chop it in half it will be a little less than 1.35 lbs each? As long as the pieces are equal in size, would I keep the cook time the same? Also I Don’t have Dr Pepper or chicken stock. Could I use a mixture of ACV and water? Was also thinking of adding a few drops of liquid smoke to the liquid. What are your thoughts? Thanks
Hi Melanie, Yes, cut the chunk in half and you can keep the cook time the same. I think some liquid smoke would be great! If you have apple juice, maybe try that, a little ACV, and some brown sugar. If not, water is fine.
Hi! The size of my meat is only 1 1/2 lbs. Do I need to adjust time?
Thank you very much
No. Since I have you cut the meat into 1 lb chunks, your piece is very close to that size. Keep the time the same.
Hi! I just came across your recipe and i want to try it this weekend. I wanted to make pulled pork on Friday for my daughters birthday party on Saturday. I was hoping to make the pulled pork Friday and store it in the fridge overnight.
Then put it in the Crock Pot at the party on Saturday set to ‘warm’ so people can serve themselves. Would this work or would it dry out since it doesn’t appear to be smothered in BBQ sauce?
Thanks!
Hi Stephanie, this recipe actually yields quite a bit of liquid. Use as much of it as you need to keep the meat moist. Maybe keep a container of it near by to add to the crock once in a while. I also have a great BBQ Crockpot version of pulled pork! BBQ Crockpot Pulled Pork
Bookmarking this for later, but I just wanted to say, I love that you said “pop” in the recipe! I’m from Michigan, but moved often and always had to adjust to saying “soda” instead!
Glad I came across this recipe. Fantastic!
That’s great, Karen! Thank you!
This recipe was so easy and SO SO GOOD!!! My husband who is from memphis LOVED it and he is a BIG BBQ critic.
WOW! That is major high praise! Thank you so much for letting me know.
AMAZING! Definate crowd pleaser!!!?
Love it ❤️ We will be enjoying this recipe
Over and over again‼️?? A+ ??
Thank You,
LeanJeanDancingMachine
Hi Sandy~ As I write this mine is in the istant pot cooking. My 8 qt instant pot says never to use it without using 2 1/4 cups liquid. So I added more Dr Pepper. I am cooking a 5.31 lb pork loin. I doubled the rub and cut into 1 pound pieces. My question is will it be tender and should I cook it less time ? I read a comment above that talked about pork tenderloin and am not sure if pork loin and pork tenderloin are the same? I am looking forward to serving this recipe with all the raving reviews you have gotten from it!! Thank you soooo much! ~ Martha
Hi Martha, I would cut the loin in half and cook as directed in the recipe card. Tenderloin is a different cut and requires much less cook time, but loin usually needs about an hour.
So I dont even have my Instant Pot yet (coming in 2d) but have decided yours will be my first recipe : ) Thank you for the motivation to not let it sit on my shelf as I get more nervous the closer the delivery date (I’m not a good cook). Can you please help with anything specific to change for doing in a 3qt Mini? Thanks!
How exciting! The main think for the mini is that you may need to cut some recipes in half. Keep the cook times the same, except where the size/thickness of the food, like meat, is smaller/larger chunks.
I have made this 3-4 times now for my family, and EVERY TIME, we cannot believe how delicious it is…right down to the 14 month old loving it! I am so thankful for Not only the deliciousness…hut also how simple it is to prepare! Thank you for sharing!
That’s great Kendra! Thank you.
5 stars – I used chicken broth and plus a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (which is from a recipe I used to use when I did this in a crockpot) and skipped the brown sugar as I am cutting back on sugar as much as possible. The pork was delicious and flavorful, and so tender, the pork was basically falling apart when I took it out of the instant pot. Shredded it and put it on brioche buns – my middle school boys devoured it and my discerning husband and I enjoyed it as well. A good and easy weekday recipe with leftovers!
I had a 3/4 lb. pork filet roast. I reduced the seasoning and cut the time to 45 minutes. I didn’t have Dr. Pepper or Coca-Cola, so I used chicken bouillon. My pulled pork was divine! I’m thinking that in addition to sandwiches, I can use it for tacos or spring rolls. This would have been perfect to take along for the arrival meal after driving to the beach for Thanksgiving week ~ back when my family still did that. As it is now, there’s plenty for me to have a sandwich before going to my 6 p.m. photography class.
Thank you so much!
I had a 3/4 lb. pork filet roast. I reduced the seasoning and cut the time to 45 minutes. I didn’t have Dr. Pepper or Coca-Cola, so I used chicken bouillon. My pulled pork was divine! I’m thinking that in addition to sandwiches, I can use it for tacos or spring rolls. This would have been perfect to take along for the arrival meal after driving to the beach for Thanksgiving week ~ back when my family still did that. As it is now, there’s plenty for me to have a sandwich before going to my 6 p.m. photography class.
Thank you so much!
Made this last night. Excellent flavor! (left out the cumin and brown sugar for us) Can’t wait to make it for a pot luck we have coming up! Thanks!!
I got an IP for Christmas and this pulled pork recipe is awesome. I had a bone in shoulder but I boned it out first. Should have thrown the bone in the pot but it came out great anyway.. A couple of small differences I did was placed the onion and pork on the trivet and left the onion in when I pulled it. only other change I made was to use Carolina vinegar based sauce instead of the broth or Dr Peeper. Personal preference as I like east Carolina style bbq. love the spice mix! 5 stars.