Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Instant Pot Pulled Pork is a delicious, easy, family approved recipe! Made with a perfect blend of spices and a sweet and tangy homemade barbecue sauce, this Instant Pot Pulled Pork will be your family’s favorite Instant Pot Pork Roast recipe. 

This BBQ Pulled Pork is perfect to serve up on a bun with Homemade Coleslaw with a side of Homemade Baked Fries and Baked Beans or used to top a delicious Grilled BBQ Pork Pizza. 

One of my absolute favorite recipes to entertain with is BBQ Pulled Pork.

Why?

Instant Pot Barbecue Pulled Pork is a perfect recipe to entertain with because:

• inexpensive to make
• feeds a crowd
• loved by kids and adults
• AND my recipe is gluten-free–perfect for entertaining those with gluten allergies/sensitivities.

Pulled pork also happens to be one of the EASIEST meals to make as well. I have adapted my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe for the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Instant Pot Pulled Pork is just as delicious as my original recipe—it just happens to be done in a fraction of the time!

With a few tips and tricks, you will have the most tender pork enveloped in a perfectly seasoned sweet and tangy BBQ sauce.

What Cut of Pork is Best for Pulled Pork?

For pulled pork, I typically opt for a pork loin roast because it is lean, yet still full of flavor. However, pork butt (aka pork shoulder) is also both super flavorful cut of meat that is great to use for barbecue pulled pork. I do NOT recommend using pork loin for this recipe.

*Note: Cook time will remain the same regardless if using pork loin or shoulder for this recipe. 

How To Make Instant Pot Pulled Pork

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Step One: Prepare your Pork Roast

• Cut your pork roast into 3-4 inch chunks. This allows your pork to become SUPER tender and shred easily in your pressure cooker.
• Mix together the spices and rub over the pork.  If you have leftover spices after rubbing your pork roast, stir into the tomato sauce mixture. 

Step Two: Sear Your Pork Roast (OPTIONAL)

• To sear meat in your instant pot, turn your pressure cooker to Saute and pour in 1 tablespoon oil.
• Wait until your pressure cooker reads Hot.
• Add in 1-2 teaspoons of canola oil.
• Sear your meat 2-3 minutes per side until browned. 
• Turn OFF your Instant Pot.
• Pour in your apple juice and be sure to scrap up any browned bits on bottom of your inner pot, so that pressure can build appropriately and you won’t get a burn notice.
• Stir together the honey, apple cider vinegar, and tomato sauce and any remaining spice mixture together. Pour over the pork.

*Feel free to skip this step and simply place your seasoned pork pieces right in the pressure cooker with the homemade barbecue sauce. 

Step Three: Pressure Cook BBQ Pork

• Set high pressure on your Instant Pot by hitting the manual button or pressure cook button on your pressure cooker until high pressure lights up. To adjust the time use the + and – buttons. Read more about this on Instant Pot Functions. 
• Cook on High Pressure for 40 minutes.

Step Four: Allow Pressure to Release.

• It is very important to allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes when cooking large cuts of meat in your instant pot. If you release pressure, your pork loin can become tough, making it difficult to shred.

Step Five: Shred Pork

• Place your pork loin into a large bowl and use 2 forks or a hand-held kitchen mixer to shred meat.
• If you have difficulty shredding your meat, place your pork loin on a cutting board and cut into small chunks.

Step Six: Make Homemade Barbecue Sauce. 

• There is now lots of liquid left in the inner pot of your instant pot. This liquid will become your barbecue sauce.
• Simply turn your instant pot to saute function–on high.
• With the lid off your pressure cooker, let the sauce come to a boil and thicken. This takes me between 3-7 minutes.

Use the thickened sauce to spoon over shredded meat for barbecue shredded pork. Of course, you can skip the step of making the BBQ sauce from the cooking liquids and serve pork as is, or with your favorite bottled jar of barbecue sauce.

 Ways to serve Instant Pot Pulled Pork

• Top baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes with the pulled barbecue pork
• Make a Grilled BBQ Pizza.
• Top a bun with a generous serving of the pulled pork and a scoop of Homemade Coleslaw.

Instant Pot Pulled Pork with Frozen Pork

What if you forgot to thaw out your pork loin or pork shoulder and still want to make pulled pork? No worries, with a few simple changes and a bit more time, you can easily make Pulled Pork with a frozen pork roast. The biggest difference is that you will NOT be able to cut your pork roast into chunks before cooking.

• Place frozen pork roast in pressure cooker.
• Mix spices with apple juice and pour over pork in Instant Pot.
• Close Instant Pot and turn knob to vent knob to sealed.
• Because you can not cut your pork roast into chunks before cooking, the cook time will be longer. Cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes per pound.
• Once cook time has elapsed, allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes.
• Then remove pork loin to cutting board and cut into 4-5 inch chunks.
• Return pork to pressure cooker.
• Mix together the tomato sauce with honey and apple cider vinegar and pour into pressure cooker.
• Close Instant Pot and turn knob to vent knob to sealed.
• Cook an additional 20 minutes on high pressure.
• Once cook time has elapsed, allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes.
• Shred meat and thicken BBQ sauce as recipe directs.

How to Freeze Leftover Pulled Pork

If you have leftover pulled pork, you can freeze the leftover barbecue pork in 2-3 cup portions for up to 3 months. Pull out of freezer for a quick dinner.

To reheat frozen pork, first let pork thaw out overnight in fridge. Then follow one of these methods for reheating meat.

• Reheat thawed pork in the microwave for a couple minutes.
• Place frozen OR thawed meat in slow cooker with a 1/2 cup apple juice or stock and cook on low until reheated–3-4 hours.
• Place frozen meat into oven safe glass container that fits into your instant pot. Place trivet in instant pot and pour in 1 cup water. Place bowl with frozen pork in instant pot and cook on high for 25 minutes

More Instant Pot Recipes

• Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
• Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
• Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
• Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
• Pressure Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Made with a perfect blend of spices and a sweet and tangy homemade barbecue sauce, this Instant Pot Pulled Pork will be your family's favorite Instant Pot Pork Roast recipe. 

4.86 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: BBQ Pork, Instant Pot Pork, Pork Roast

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Pressure Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 174kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

For the Barbecue Pork

• 3 lbs boneless pork loin trimmed of fat cut into 4 inch chunks
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tbs paprika
• 1 tbs onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbs chili powder
• 1 cup apple juice or chicken stock or beer
• 2 tbps apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 2 tbps honey or maple syrup

Optional

• buns for serving

Instructions

For the Pulled Pork

• Cut the pork roast into 3-4 inch chunks (this will REALLY help your pork to get tender).
• Combine the dry spices and rub the pork roast with the spices.
• To sear meat in your instant pot, turn your pressure cooker to Saute and pour in 1 tablespoon oil. Wait until your pressure cooker reads Hot,  and sear your meat 2-3 minutes per side until browned. Turn off the Instant Pot.
  
• Pour in the apple juice, and scrap up any browned bits on bottom of your inner pot, so that pressure can build appropriately and you won't get a burn notice. Combine the vinegar, honey, and tomato sauce, and pour over the pork.  
  
• Cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Once cook time has elapsed, let pressure release naturally for AT LEAST 15 minutes.
• Once pork is cooked, remove pork loin from Instant pot and place in large bowl. Shred pork with 2 forks or hand held mixer. 
• Turn Instant Pot to saute function, on high. Let cooking liquid come to a boil and thicken for 3-5 minutes. 
• Spoon thickened sauce over shredded meat and serve. 

For Frozen Pork Loin

• Place frozen pork roast in pressure cooker. Mix spices with apple juice and pour over pork in Instant Pot.
• Close Instant Pot and turn knob to vent knob to sealed. Cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes per pound.
  
• Once cook time has elapsed, allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Then remove pork loin to cutting board and cut into 4-5 inch chunks. Return pork to pressure cooker.
  
• Mix together the tomato sauce with honey and apple cider vinegar and pour into pressure cooker. Close Instant Pot and turn knob to vent knob to sealed. Cook an additional 20 minutes on high pressure.
• Once cook time has elapsed, allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Shred meat and thicken BBQ sauce as recipe directs.

Notes

• If you don't want to sear your meat, simply place the pork pieces in your Instant Pot Combine the juice, vinegar, honey, and tomato sauce, and pour over the pork.  Proceed to cook the pulled pork as the recipe states. 
• Use Maple Syrup to keep this Pulled Pork Paleo. 
• Feel free to use brown sugar in place of honey or maple syrup as well. 

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Amount Per Serving

Calories 174 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5g 8%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 71mg 24%

Sodium 456mg 19%

Potassium 505mg 14%

Total Carbohydrates 4g 1%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 1g

Protein 26g 52%

Vitamin A 15.3%

Vitamin C 1%

Calcium 3.6%

Iron 6.7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I would love to know how you enjoy this recipe!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram or Facebook - I would love to see!