Instant Pot Pulled Pork

When was the last time you made mouthwatering pulled pork at home without hardly any effort? This foolproof Instant Pot method delivers tender, flavorful pulled pork in a fraction of the time, ready for tacos, burritos, sandwiches, and more!

Instant pot pulled pork over rice on a platter.


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What makes this recipe work?

Sometimes, simplicity is the key to perfection, and that’s the case for this Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe. With just a handful of well-chosen ingredients, you’ll wind up with fantastic flavor without all the fuss.

Pressure-cooking the pork not only slashes the cooking time but also locks in moisture, ensuring the pork is fall-apart tender and perfectly seasoned every time. 

Why you will love this recipe 

Cooking pulled pork is easy. What isn’t so easy is waiting for it to be done. In a slow cooker, you’ll need to plan up to 8 hours in advance for the tenderest meat, but you get similar results when you cook a pork butt in a pressure cooker much quicker.

But how long to cook pulled pork in an Instant Pot? All you need is about an hour for this Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe, giving you much more flexibility when it comes to planning dinner!

Ingredients that you will need

For this pulled pork Instant Pot style recipe, you’ll need:

  • Garlic
  • Soy sauce
  • Brown sugar 
  • Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, canned and optional
  • Vegetable oil
  • Pork butt roast (Boston butt)
Instant pot pulled pork ingredients on a tray.

Ingredient notes

Even when you trim the pork butt, the marbling of fat throughout the cut provides excellent flavor and keeps the meat from drying out as it cooks. If you don’t want to use a pork butt, a pork shoulder or a bone-in pork roast make good alternatives. 

While you can skip the Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, they really add a deep, smokey flavor to the pulled pork that works particularly well if you are going to use the meat in a Tex-Mex style dish.

How to make Instant Pot Pulled Pork Butt

To prepare the sauce:

  1. Chop the garlic and place in a small mixing bowl. 
  2. Pour the soy sauce and brown sugar into the bowl.
  3. Whisk the sauce until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and set aside for later. 

To sear the pork butt:

  1. Set the “Saute” setting on the Instant Pot to HIGH.
  2. While the Instant Pot is heating up, trim any excess fat from your pork butt. 
  3. Add the vegetable oil to the hot Instant Pot.
  4. When the oil is hot, sear all sides of the pork butt. Turn off the Instant Pot. 
  5. Add the sauce to the Instant Pot. 
  6. Cook the pork at HIGH pressure for 60 minutes and let the Instant Pot release naturally.
  7. Remove the pork and shred it with two forks. Return the shredded pork to the Instant Pot and stir well to coat the meat with the sauce. 
Making instant pot pulled pork.

Recipe variation for Pulled Pork Instant Pot Style 

No pressure cooker, no problem. If you have the time, you can make this Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe in a slow cooker. 

  1. Prep the pork butt and sauce as above and set the sauce off to the side. 
  2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy, bottomed pan over medium heat. 
  3. Sear the pork butt on all sides and transfer it to the slow cooker. 
  4. Pour the sauce and chipotle peppers over the seared pork butt and put the lid on the slow cooker.
  5. Cook for 6 to 8 hours on LOW or until the meat is very tender and easily pulls apart.
  6. Serve it over rice, on a bun with barbecue sauce, or in tacos.
Instant pot pulled pork on a platter and wooden serving spoons behind it.

What to serve this with Instant Pot Pulled Pork Butt

Whether you turn this recipe into Instant Pot Pulled Pork tacos or serve it as Instant Pot Pulled Pork Sandwiches, a few homemade toppings will make it even better. Here are three options:

Pico de Gallo. Made with fresh tomatoes, pungent white onions, spicy jalapeno peppers, and fresh cilantro, Pico de Gallo will brighten up the richness of the Instant Pot Pulled Pork tacos or burritos. This classic recipe for Pico de Gallo from Pancho’s is super simple to make. 

Guacamole. Creamy guacamole is great on pulled pork nachos or in a burrito. This copycat recipe for Chipotle Mexican Grill Guacamole uses simple ingredients for the freshest guac you’ve ever had. 

Coleslaw. Heap coleslaw on your Instant Pot pulled pork sandwiches for a bit of extra crunch. Houston’s coleslaw goes beyond the basics by adding buttermilk, sour cream, fresh green onions, and prepared horseradish for an extra zing. 

How to store the leftovers 

To keep your pulled pork in the fridge, spread it out on a baking pan to bring it to room temperature quickly. Once cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and put it in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze it in freezer-safe food bags. 

The pulled pork will last three to four days in the fridge and a month or more in the freezer. Thaw the pulled pork in the fridge before reheating. 

What is the best way to reheat this? 

One of the most reliable methods for warming up pulled pork is in a 250°F oven. Spread the pulled pork on the bottom of a baking dish. Add about a half-cup of apple juice, BBQ sauce, or water per pound of meat and cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Reheat the meat until hot, 30 to 40 minutes.

For quick reheating, microwave it for 30 seconds to 2-3 minutes, depending on the amount.

Instant pot pulled pork on an oval platter.

Love pork? Try these recipes!

More Instant Pot recipes

Check out more of my easy recipes for pork and the best Instant Pot recipes on CopyKat!

Instant pot pulled pork over rice on a platter.

Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Make the best pulled pork in an Instant Pot pressure cooker or Crockpot slow cooker with this easy recipe.
4.50 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Instant Pot Pulled Pork, Instant Pot Recipes, Pulled Pork, Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 271kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 5 or 6 garlic cloves chopped
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 boneless pork butt roast ~4 pounds
  • 7 ounces chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Instructions

  • Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Pour the oil into the Instant Pot and press the Sauté button. Once the oil is hot, add the pork butt and sear until browned on all sides. Turn off the Instant Pot.
  • Add the soy sauce mixture and chipotle peppers to the Instant Pot and pressure cook on high for 60 minutes. Release naturally and pull the pork apart with two forks.

Video

Notes

To prepare this recipe in a slow cooker, sear the pork butt in a skillet over medium heat before placing it in the slow cooker with the soy sauce mixture and chipotle peppers. Cook on low until the meat flakes easily when pricked with a fork, about 6 hours. Pull the pork apart with two forks.

Nutrition

Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 1433mg | Potassium: 650mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 1.8mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1.7mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Terri

    4 stars
    I use my pressure cooker for everything. I have never heard it called an instant pot. I wasn’t sure what you were talking about.

  2. James

    Hello, Stephanie.

    The pulled pork recipe looks great. I usually do it in a crock pot but want to try it with the Instant Pot this time. My question is do we still add the minimum one cup of water to the Pot before starting the cooking process, or is the marinade and subsequent juices from the pork serve in its place?

    Love your site. Thanks for all the work on it.

  3. frantasticfood

    Ok, you talked me into an Instant Pot. It’s on it’s way here. I hope to see it out of Customs this week. I’m looking forward to freeing up some pantry space now that I will be able to get rid of my rice cooker and slow cooker. I’ve got a buyer for my pressure cooker as well since I won’t need it now. I’ll have to get the ingredients to make something the night it arrives. Always in need of a quick weeknight meal, that’s for sure.

    • Stephanie Manley

      I hope enjoy the pot. It does yogurt too 😉 I am dying to try some saffron infused yogurt I have had at a restaurant recently. I need to get rid of a slow cooker now myself. I need to free up some space. Oh this also makes some lovely chicken curry.

  4. Lady Gourmet

    It’s been ages since I’ve had pulled pork. This looks wonderful…I love the idea of the using the slow cooker. How perfect and so much more convenient. Have a wonderful holiday weekend dear. xo, Catherine

  5. Cynthia Willis

    I grew up with a mom who used her Presto pressure cooker several times a week. She gave me one when I got married, and I now have both an electric and a newer stainless steel stove top version. Do you have a recipe for “ranch” style beans, the spicy pinto beans found in a can? I love beans cooked in a pressure cooker and would love to make these at home. Thanks! Love your You Tube videos.

    • Stephanie Manley

      I have done some refried beans in a pressure cooker, I think they are amazing done in a pressure cooker. I did a side by side same recipe, different cooking techniques, and the pressure cooker version wins. I will see what I can do about some Ranch Style beans soon.

  6. bastisraul

    That is the great thing about a shoulder roast, you don’t have to decide before hand what spice level you want. You make a small decision by your rub but just salt and pepper works just as good. When it goes in the ice chest for a couple hours, covered with bath towel is when you must pull the trigger on your BBQ sauce and heat level. We go medium spice at our house, to answer your question, finally. ha ha

      • bastisraul

        Ok Steph, here goes. 8lbs pork shoulder (oven cooked at 250 degrees) marinated overnite in 3/4 cup apple juice, brown sugar, kosher salt or powdered salt, 1/2 cup each and 2 tbl worcesteshire. Rinse.Sliver 4-5 garlic cloves and insert all around roast. Score roast on fat cap all the way down to the meat. Slather roast all over with yellow mustard and then with your mild, medium or spicy rub. Place roast on a rack and double cover with tin foil tightly. Cook till internal temp reaches 200 degrees. Turn the oven temp up to 550 degrees for 5 min. This step inflates the fat under the skin and gives it a crunchy and golden brown color. ( I always BBQ by temp not hours). Remove and open foil and slather with your favorite BBQ sauce. ( mild, medium or spicy). Reseal tin foil and place it in an ice chest covered completely with bath towels for 2 hours. Don’t worry in will remain nice and warm. Now pull apart and add more sauce if desired. I always do. You are looking for that secret number of 205 degrees which you will achieve in the ice chest. Roast fat side up.

      • bastisraul

        I don’t believe you will be disappointed at all. One key ingredient is using powered salt, if available. It penetrates so much better than any other salt. I always use powdered salt when I fry chicken or fish.

4.50 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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