Pulled Pork is super tender and juicy and takes no time at all to whip up in your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker! When you need delicious pulled pork in a hurry, this is the recipe to turn to. This foolproof method always yields the very best results. I've been making it this way for years.
Instant Pot Pulled Pork Recipe (or Pressure Cooker)
We're cooking up a big batch of Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends! Pulled pork is great for just about any meal or occasion. It's perfect for game day, serving at a big party, or just for enjoying yourself.
What You'll Love About This Recipe
- The Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot is a huge time saver. You'll have juicy, tender pulled pork on the table in a fraction of the time it takes with your slow cooker.
- I've made this dish dozens of times over many years. It's a proven recipe that always yields the best results.
When you use your pressure cooker or Instant Pot to make pulled pork, you'll save so much time in the kitchen, and the pork is as good if not better than making pulled pork any other way.
Once you master this quick and easy kitchen hack, you'll be singing the praises of your Instant Pot to everyone you know!
Let's talk about how to make Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork, shall we?
Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork Ingredients
- Pork Shoulder. This recipe works for bone in or boneless.
- Dry Rub Seasonings. Use your favorites! I used a mixture of ancho powder cumin, Mexican oregano, paprika, cayenne and garlic powder.
- Vegetable Oil. For a quick sear on the pork.
- Water. Or use other liquid, like beer or stock.
How to Make Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Pork Shoulder - the Recipe Method
Dry and Season the Pork. Pat dry your pork shoulder and cut it into four large chunks about a half pound each. Rub them down with your seasonings. Use your favorites here.
Sear the pork. Heat a cast iron pan to medium heat and add olive oil. Add the pork and sear each side of the pork shoulder, about 5-6 minutes or so. This will help to seal in a lot of the flavor and moisture for the pork as it cooks.
Pressure cook the pork. Set them into the pressure cooker or Instant Pot and add water or other liquid. Get the lid on good and tight. Pressure cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Quick release the steam.
That's all the time it takes!
Shred the pork. Transfer the cooked pork to a large bowl, then shred the tender shoulder with forks and serve.
Boom! Done! Pressure cooker pulled pork is easy to make, isn't it? You won't believe how fast it cooks up compared to the hours and hours it takes to slow cook pork shoulder. Insane!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- The Pork. Pork shoulder (aka Pork Butt) is best for making pulled pork. You can use leaner cuts, like pork loin, but pork shoulder has a higher fat content and benefits so much more from this cooking process, and comes out so much more moist and juicy.
- The Liquid. It's OK to use water for pressure cooking, as you will get plenty of flavor from the seasoning and sear of the pork in the first step. However, you can definitely use other liquids, such as chicken stock or broth, beef stock, vegetable stock, beer, or pineapple juice.
- The Seasonings. Feel free to use your favorite seasonings. Today I used a blend of ancho powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, paprika, cayenne and garlic powder, but realistically, ANY rub will do. Cajun seasonings would be OUTSTANDING here. Add brown sugar for a touch of sweet to the final pulled pork.
- Gravy for Serving. If you'd like to make a gravy, use stock instead of water to pressure cook the pork. Strain the liquid, then bring 1/2 cup to 1 cup to a boil. Add a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with water and stir. Boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the mixture thickens. Add in other seasonings as desired. Make a wonderful gravy to serve over your pulled pork.
How to Serve Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork
Once you have the pork ready, shred it up with forks as you would normally do.
Serve cooked pulled pork with tortillas and fixings for pork tacos, or with buns, sauce and cheese for pulled pork sandwiches. Add along your favorite sides like coleslaw or potato salad.
Barbecue style? Yes! Don't forget the bbq sauce! Everything benefits from a bit of hot sauce or a great barbecue sauce on the side.
Try Some of These Recipes with Your Pulled Pork
Storage & Leftovers
Once the meat has totally cooled to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. It'll stay fresh for about 3-4 days.
Gently reheat your pulled pork in a pot on the stove top or slow cooker with 1/4 cup added liquid until it's warmed through and ready to enjoy again.
Try Some of My Other Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Recipes
If you enjoy this instant pot pulled pork recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe (Instant Pot Pulled Pork)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork shoulder
- 2 tablespoons Dry rub seasonings (or more to taste - I used a mixture of ancho powder cumin, Mexican oregano, paprika, cayenne and garlic powder)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups of water (or use chicken stock or broth, pineapple juice, or beer)
Instructions
- Pat dry your pork shoulder and cut it into four large chunks about a half pound each.
- Rub them down with your seasonings.
- Heat a cast iron pan to medium heat and add oil. Sear each side of the pork shoulder, about 5-6 minutes or so.
- Set them into the pressure cooker and add water. Pressure cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Release steam naturally.
- Shred the tender shoulder with forks and serve as desired.
Nutrition Information
Pegi says
Hi Mike,
I'm going to give this a try today! Would you suggest adding onion and jalapenos to the pressure cooker with the pork shoulder? Wasn't sure if putting peppers in the pressure cooker was a good idea.
Thanks for all of your awesome recipes!
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Pegi. Yes, you can do that for sure. Adds flavor! Let me know how it turns out for you. Enjoy!
Paula says
trying to find a good recipe for steak fajitas in the instant pot. I am using london broil for the meat and only want to cook the meat in teh pot. Should I slice the meat before I cook it or can I sear it and cook it whole and then slice it when its done? Also, I have it marinated in a fajita marinade so how much water would I add to teh pot? Thanks so much!!
REPLY: Paula, yes, you should cut and season the meat, then brown it in the cooker first. You only need maybe a half cup of liquid or so, perhaps a bit more. Let me know how it turns out for you. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Teresa D says
So I have always bought a sauce packet that I always added to the crockpot with the meat in the beginning. Nothing else was supposed to be added. Trying to switch this to a pressure cooker that I got for Christmas. How would that work?!? Or are the sauce packets not gonna work with the pressure cooker?? I've made 2 meals so far and one was good and the other was a major fail!! I don't know what I'm doing wrong but everyone is raving about their pressure cookers. I tried potato soup that turned out good. Then tried ribs that were HORRIBLE!! Followed the recipe online exactly and they were supposed to be fall of the bone tender. They were hard as rocks and I had to pitch it all!! ? We can't afford to keep waisting food trying to figure this out!! Please help!! I usually cook 2-3lbs of pork and use Campbell's slow cooker Apple bourbon pulled pork sauce!
REPLY: Teresa, so sorry to hear. You CAN use your sauce packet, but you'll need to also make sure you use enough liquid in the pot, as that is what helps build the pressure within and cook the food. Maybe you can cook the food in the pressure cooker with enough liquid, then finish it off by draining the liquid and heating the food (ribs or pulled pork) in a pan with your sauce. I just made both pulled pork and ribs and they turned out great for me. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Kirk Doherty says
Can frozen pork cushion meat be used as a substitute for pork butt?
REPLY: Kirk, yes, you surely can. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.