This Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe makes tender, juicy meat from a pork shoulder roast in the pressure cooker in about 2 hours! Use the shredded porkt for sandwiches, carnitas, nachos or over mashed potatoes for an easy dinner the whole family will love!
I made pulled pork in the Instant Pot for the first time on New Year’s Day, and it was seriously the best pulled pork ever! Actually, it’s one of the best Instant Pot recipes ever!
You guys, I’m talking about fork-tender pork that just melts in your mouth in only 2 hours. Yes, two hours in the pressure cooker– much faster than the slow cooker!
Whenever I make a pork roast for pulled pork, I like to keep the seasonings as simple as possible. This way, I can make just about anything with the leftover pork. I usually serve BBQ sauce on the side for pulled pork sandwiches, and then I add different spices for carnitas and nachos.
How to make easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Just season the meat, and then add an onion and some garlic cloves along with a little water. And that’s really all you need.
I also like to cut the roast before cooking it in the Instant Pot. This is optional, but it helps the roast to cook evenly and fit better in the pot.
What kind of meat do you use for pulled pork?
The most popular cut of meat for pulled pork is a pork butt roast or shoulder roast. You can use a bone-in pork roast or a boneless one. I’ve used both, and I didn’t notice any difference in flavor.
How long do you cook pulled pork in a pressure cooker?
This, friends, is the $64,000 question! And honestly, you will get so many different answers. Since we’re dealing with a thick cut of meat, you need to cook it long enough to break down the fat and connective tissues to make it as tender as possible.
I found the best Instant Pot pulled pork cooking time to be 90 minutes followed by a natural release to be the perfect time for making pulled pork in the Instant Pot. And when the time was up, the meat was fork tender and perfectly shreddable, which is exactly what you want for pulled pork!
Looking for More Easy Instant Pot Recipes?
- Instant Pot Mississippi Chuck Roast
- Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs
- Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Recipe for Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 1 6-pound pork shoulder roast (pork butt)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 yellow or white onion cut into large pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
Instructions
- Cut roast into 3 large pieces, and season with sea salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper
- Add water, then add roast, onion and garlic
- Cover, move valve to sealing position, and hit PRESSURE COOK for 90 minutes
- Allow natural release, and when pin drops, open lid, shred with forks, and serve
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We’re crazy about this easy, perfect Instant Pot pulled pork! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Happy Cooking,
I’m amazed you can make pulled pork so quickly! This sounds amazing!
My husband is such a huge fan of pulled pork! He’s going to love this!
This is definitely something I will be making soon!! My family would LOVE it!!
I am sending this to my neighbor who has been looking for a recipe like this! YUM!
Wow! Sooo much faster than a slow cooker. How great! You cannot go wrong with these sandwiches!
I love how quickly you can make tender pulled pork in the Instant Pot! Looks yummy! 🙂
I just pinned your delicious Pulled Pork, it looks so good. Your post is awesome and thanks so much for sharing it with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
This looks like a great weeknight meal! Yum!!
I have a 6-quart Instant Pot. Would I have to adjust the time?
I don’t think the cook time changes, but you probably only need 1 cup of liquid for the 6 quart.
Does the meat need to be thawed out first?
I’ve always used fresh, but you can start from frozen.
Would it need to be cooked any longer from frozen?
I’ve never tried to make it with frozen meat, but I’ve heard that it just takes longer to come to pressure and the cook time would remain the same. Otherwise, the pasta would be overcooked.
I wouldn’t need to be cooked longer but would take longer to come to pressure (defrost happens here)
Did you cut the fat off?
I left the fat on while cooking, but I took it out before serving.
This is great! Planning on making it in my Instant pot this weekend. I want to send it to my sister who has a slow cooker – do you know how long it should be cooked in a slow cooker?
I’m not sure exactly, but I would guess about 8 – 10 hours or as long as possible.
Is it 90 min on high pressure?
Yes. It’s 90 minutes at high pressure. 🙂
Would you recommend placing the meat on a trivet or sitting right in the liquid? Can’t wait to try this in my instant pot..
I always cook the roast without a trivet. I just think it’s juicier that way. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Will do!????… Thanks so much!
Would you cook the roast for less time if it’s a smaller cut? Say, a 2lb instead of 6lb?
It really depends on how thick the cut is. I would still cook it for 90 minutes since that seems to work best for getting perfect pulled pork. 🙂
This was awesome! After shredding it I added some eastern NC BBQ sauce to it, put it on a bun then added a little bit of Texas Pete and homemade coke slaw. Definitely a keeper! Thank you!
Cole slaw not coke slaw. Sorry!
Ha! I was about to ask for the recipe! 🙂
Thank you so much for letting me know, Kathi. Glad you liked it! 🙂
Would you increase time for a larger roast? Say an 8lb?
If you cut it into pieces first, the time should be fine. You can leave it to release pressure naturally, and that would be even better! 🙂
Can you substitute apple juice for the water in an Instapot?
Yes. You can definitely use apple juice here. 🙂
How much longer do you think you’d need to increase the time if it was cooked on normal instead of high pressure
You mean for pressure cooking? Mine just has a high and low setting, and I use the high setting for everything, so I’m not sure about increasing the time.
I have made this recipe and it is exactly how you describe but I used 3 lbs in a 6qt and modified the spices accordingly.
Wonderful! Pulled pork in the Instant Pot is the best! 🙂
Made this one last night! Another new family favorite!
Thank you so much, James. I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it!
I got my Instant Pot yesterday, so this was the first recipe I tried. It was delicious, and I’ll definitely be making it again!
So happy to hear this, Erin. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Can I use pork loin??
I haven’t tried pulled pork with pork loin in the Instant Pot, so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out.
Made this last night and loved it! It was so simple, and is definitely a new family favorite!
Thank you so much, Deborah! I’m so glad your family liked it!
How long does it take to release pressure naturally for this recipe? Thank you!
It takes around 20 minutes or so for a natural release. 🙂