Pressure Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
- Total Time
- 2 hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
- 1tablespoon garlic powder
- 1tablespoon onion powder
- 2teaspoons hot or sweet smoked paprika
- 2teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 3 to 4pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of skin and excess fat and cut into 4 large chunks
- 2tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1yellow onion, chopped
- 1(12-ounce) can dark soda, like Dr Pepper, root beer, cola or birch beer
- ½ to 1½cups homemade or store-bought barbecue sauce
- Hot sauce (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
595 calories; 40 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 695 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Mix the garlic and onion powders, smoked paprika, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the pork and turn to coat in the spice mix. Put the oil in a 6- or 8-quart electric pressure cooker and turn on the sauté setting to warm the oil. (Use the “normal” heat setting if your pressure cooker has that option.) Working in batches, add the pork and brown on two sides, about 2 minutes per side. If the bottom of the pan gets too dark or you get a “hot” or “burn” warning, turn the heat down to “less,” if your pot has that option, or turn it off entirely and allow the pork to continue searing. Turn it back on if the pot cools too much.
- Step 2
Add the onion to the pot. Add the soda and stir to thoroughly scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pot. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for one hour. Turn off the pressure cooker and allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Open the lid. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the pork and onion bits to a large serving bowl. Using two forks, coarsely shred the meat. Add ½ cup barbecue sauce and a few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid to moisten. (Discard remaining cooking liquid.) Taste and add salt, pepper, hot sauce, and more barbecue sauce as you like. Serve with soft rolls and extra sauce on the side.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Sierra
After shredding it, put it in a tray and stick it under the broiler for 5 minutes. Makes a huge difference in texture.
spcavenee
Used the barbecue sauce and slaw recipes from the link shown, and after figuring out I needed to return the pork to the pressure cooker, kicked in a decent amount of hot sauce when making the barbecue sauce, based upon a few comments it was too sweet. Quite pleased with the end result. I used right around 4 pounds of pork shoulder (pre-trimmed weight), and 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce wasn't sufficient, used between 3/4 cup and 1 full cup.
Anna
Just realized that this recipe doesn’t tell you to add the pork back into the pressure cooker!
Anaïs
That was my first homemade pulled pork and I loved it!! This recipe is fabulous and so easy. After receiving some very good advice from a few friends I have decided to season the meat and let it rest for ~6 hours or so. I then seared the meat in my cast iron skillet, put aside, then cooked the onion and deglazed using beer (winter ale) rather than a soda. Dump everything in pressure cooker and followed all instructions. Best choice I have made this week ;).
Carroll
To all those folks reminding us to be sure to put the pork back in the pot. The recipe NEVER told you to take it out before it was ready to shred!
Cfraser
Don't forget to put the pork back in. Used Lillie's hot smoky sauce and had pineapple coleslaw on the side. Would make again.
Bobbi
You don't have to add the pork back in. At this point in the recipe it is finished cooking. You're just shredding it and adding the sauce.
Mathew
This was amazing, the only addition that I made was I used some chipotle powder with the paprika to give a little heat with the smoke (1tsp paprika/1tsp chipotle). I thinned out my favorite store bought bbq sauce with maple syrup, bourbon, and apple cider vinegar. Serve this on some Frito's Scoops and you've got an easy, delicious appetizer/game food!
David
"Add the onion to the pot. Add the soda and stir to thoroughly scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pot. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for one hour." Might want to call out that all pork should be added back to the cooker at this point.
avp
First time using my instant pot and was very pleased with the results. Added some brown sugar, cumin, and smoked paprika to the rub. I browned the pork and sautéed the onions on my stovetop. Deglazed the pot with a little apple cider vinegar before adding the pork back in. Natural release took about 30 minutes. Finished with Stubb’s smokey mesquite bbq sauce.
Miranda
Delicious. A lot depends on the bbq sauce you use! Really try and cut off the fat before you fry - it will save you taking it off when you shred the pork!
LA
My grandmother would say add a bay leaf when cooking the meat...to which I would say, "Yes ma'am."
amelia
I like to add a little bit of liquid smoke to the soda to give it a Smokey flavor.
Christina
Could this recipe work with beef or chicken?
e
Added 1/2 cup of sriracha with the bbq sauce
SND
I'm not sure one hour is enough time on the instant pot. I might try 1.5 hours next time
Diane L.
I just made this recipe with chicken instead of pork. About 3 lb. of boneless, skinless thighs and 1.2 lb. of boneless, skinless breasts. Pressure cooked on high for 20 minutes, natural release for 20 minutes. Came out great. Added some liquid smoke to the Dr. Pepper since I had sweet & hot paprika but not smoked. I did run the pulled chicken under the broiler for about 5 minutes to get some crispy bits. Served on potato rolls with extra BBQ sauce & hot sauce on the side. Big hit!
No common sense
Since the recipe didn’t say to put the pork back in the cooker, my pulled pork was very oniony and the meat was raw and I was hospitalized. The recipe didn’t say to open the can of soda before putting it in the pressure cooker. Oops! After I received the insurance settlement, I rebuilt my kitchen and tried it again with the pork in the pot and opening the soda can and pouring the liquid in this time. It was much better and there were no explosions or hospital visits.
rhuttner
Delish. Love the instant pot for quick weeknight meals. Used a Memphis rub I got a some fancy spice store. Would a bay leaf next time and will definitely broil. Texture was a little soggy. Used a local VT BBQ sauce which is always a winner. Served on toasted bun with pickles. Mine on bib lettuce. Will make again.
Heather
This is my go-to pulled pork recipe. Can I tell you a secret? If you skip the browning step, it still tastes great and no one is the wiser. The last time I made it, I didn’t have dark soda, so I used spicy ginger beer and I loved the end result.
EugeniaH
I love this recipe! I'll be making it for Superbowl Sunday '24 (along with the obligatory coleslaw), and of course I'll use Kansas City Barbecue Sauce! Go Chiefs!
taz
Pork loin - cook 15- 20 min?
Gayle
Made this for the first time today, 90% followed the recipe. As someone else suggested, I used a dark beer instead of a soda. I also subbed some of the spices for what I had on hand and used a 7# shoulder. This recipe is excellent. It pulled beautiful. The only thing I can think of for those who needed to put it back in the pot is they didn’t allow the natural release time. Mine just melted off the bone.
Cindy
Actually, it never says to take the pork out, so it doesn't need to be put back in. In my attempt to make this a bit healthier, I used the rack that came with my pressure cooker to hold it up off the bottom but sadly it wouldn't pull. The next time, I left it in the bottom and worked like a charm but was swimming in fat. Ah, well, ç'est la vie. It turned out delicious the second time, so I should have stuck with the original
kitty
As expected, a three pound butt made lots of pulled pork for two people. The first night it was served on buns with Stubb Smokey Mesquite, the second night was tacos with bbq sauce and fixins, and the final dinner was pineapple fried rice without bbq sauce on the pork (used a soy sauce mixture). We enjoyed all 3 ways. This is a good dish if you like to do food prep for a few days.
meggins
Best use of the Instant Pot yet! Thank you!
Kim
Easy and good. Used a 8 pound bone-in pork shoulder, took a little more time browning meat and cooked on high presure for 2 hours, 15 minutes and allowed for natural release of presure. So good.
SteveD
The first time I made this, I used one of my favorite smoky rubs and it just OK. I made the rub as written tonight and it was fabulous. I used 1 tsp each of hot smoked and sweet smoked paprika, Dr. Pepper, and Montgomery Inn sauce (essentially a KC style) offering hot sauce on the side. Best pulled pork I’ve ever made by a wide margin.
Rotmanpr
A winner. So easy as opposed to slow cooking. Very tender. Be careful to not use sweet BBQ sauce; masks the flavour somewhat but be generous with the sauce. We added some hot sauce for a kick.
MikeyBee
Pretty much made as directed using pork butt which has a bit more marbling than shoulder. Real tender and easy to mash up with a potato ricer. 1/2 cup of brown sugar BBQ sauce gave just enough without masking the pork flavor.
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