The most incredibly tender Instant Pot Pulled Pork, made with just 4 simple ingredients! Plus meal hacks to show you how to make it once, eat it 3+ times throughout the week!
Perfect for those summer BBQ’s or a casual weekday dinner, this pulled pork recipe is made with just 4 ingredients, and is ready in about an hour, instead of taking all day in the slow cooker!
This post is sponsored by the Ohio Pork Council. All opinions are my own.
Here in Ohio the weather is starting to warm up, and I’m trying not to get my hopes up (it is Ohio after all – we regularly get snow in March)… but it’s so hard! As soon as the temperatures rise and the sun comes out, all I can think about is my favorite food-time of year… cookout season!
Do you call them cookouts? BBQ’s? Whatever you call them, you know they are so fun. All that great outdoor party food like macaroni/pasta salad, baked beans, strawberry pie, and of course, pulled pork!
Up until this year, I always made slow cooker pulled pork, which takes about 8 hours, depending on the size and cut of your pork. But I recently picked up an Instant Pot and am blown away by how easy, and quick, it is to make pulled pork now!
Despite the name… it’s not “instant”, and you do have to wait for it to come up to pressure, and release the pressure after cooking, but it’s still a good 6.5 hours quicker than a slow cooker.
WHAT KIND OF MEAT DO YOU USE FOR PULLED PORK
You can use a pork shoulder, pork butt, or pork loin. Loin is readily available in my grocery store, and usually at a pretty good price! I buy them when they’re on sale, then freeze them.
CAN YOU FREEZE PULLED PORK
Yep! When you have some left over (and aren’t using my meal hacks detailed later in the post), portion it out into plastic freezer bags. To reheat, I like to set the frozen bags in the refrigerator overnight, then take the meat out of the bag, wrap in foil and reheat in a 225 F degree oven until hot.
HOW MUCH PULLED PORK DO I NEED PER PERSON
That’s the quintessential question… especially for a party! A good rule of thumb is 6 oz of cooked pulled pork per person (which can go up or down depending on the person’s appetite, but 6 oz is average). Notice I said “cooked pulled pork per person”, not pork. As you cook pork (or any meat), it loses weight as the water is released and cooked away. Basically you want to double the amount of cooked pork, and that’s how much raw pork you need. Also, know your guests… 10 hungry adults or athletes are going to eat more than 10 kids 🙂
So for a party of 10 people, 10 people x 6 oz = 60 oz of cooked pulled pork. 60 oz x 2 = 120 oz of raw pork meat. So you’d need to pick up 7 1/2 lbs of pork loin/shoulder/butt for your party. Make sense?
HOW TO MEAL PREP WITH PULLED PORK
I LOVE to make a big batch of pulled pork, then either meal prep or use the leftovers to make different dinners all week long. I call them “meal hacks”, and they’re super fun to whip up!
Here are some of my favorite ideas:
- Top a baked potato with a pat of butter and bbq pulled pork to have pulled pork potatoes!
- Char some tortillas, add pulled pork and some slaw to have pulled pork tacos!
- Jazz up breakfast by scrambling some eggs, adding pulled pork and cheese!
- Add some pulled pork to macaroni and cheese (or get crazy and make these fried Mac and cheese bites with pulled pork!)
- Top a burger with pulled pork… the sky is the limit!
WHY USE Dr Pepper FOR PULLED PORK
I know it may seem weird… but trust me on this one. The meat doesn’t taste like pop or soda at all, I promise. The reason I like to use it is it contains great caramelized sugar flavors, and it has acidity which is great for flavor balance and keeps the meat nice and tender. The chipotles I think add a nice kick, and the smokiness is fabulous with anything “pulled”, like pulled pork, pulled beef, or pulled chicken.
I REALLY hope you give this awesome Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe a try soon!
HELPFUL TOOLS:
- Instant Pot – I have this one and I LOVE it! I can’t wait to share more Instant Pot recipes with you all, so grab one today.
- Chipotles in adobo sauce – This is the brand I usually buy.
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Ingredients
- 4 lb boneless pork loin or boneless pork shoulder/butt
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
- 12 oz Dr Pepper soda
- your favorite bbq sauce
Instructions
- Slice pork into 4 pieces and season with salt and pepper. Place pork in instant pot insert and top with minced chipotle peppers. Pour Dr Pepper around the pork.
- Place lid on Instant Pot and seal. Press manual and set for 45 minutes. Instant Pot will start counting down once it comes up to pressure, which is usually 15 minutes or so.
- Once cooked, let naturally release for 15 minutes, then quick release to get rid of any remaining pressure.
- Carefully remove pork to a large mixing bowl (it will be so tender it may start to fall apart during the transfer). Shred using two forks and add bbq sauce to your tastes.
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Chef Tips
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Susan says
All I can say is YUM!!!! So easy and delish This is was the first thing I made with my instant pot and really helped me realize that it was a great tool. Thanks for this great recipe. Absolutely my 4th of July go to
Nicole Boivin says
This is amazing!! My husband usually helps me with the Instant Pot, but he’s gonna be late tomorrow night and the instant pot kind of freaks me out could I do it in the crockpot instead?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes you could do that, I would suggest 6-8 hours on LOW or 3-4 on HIGH.
Lancerlady says
Omg! I’m from the Memphis area and this weekend it’s Memphis in May bbq so I tried this recipe! I’m telling you it’s incredibly moist and Felicia and so easy! Thanks for helping me to avoid madness!!
DANIEL HARKNESS says
I have a 9 lb pork shoulder (butt), bone-in. I plan to cut it into some smaller pieces and remove the bone. Should i add 2 cans of dr. Pepper instead?
I have an 8 qt. Instant pot.
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, you should double all the ingredients.
Pam Ludgate says
Then how long would you cook it in the instant pot for a 8 or 9 lb pork loin?
The Chunky Chef says
That I don’t know for sure, as I’ve only tested the recipe as written.
kraal wiggins says
cook times dont change for pressure cooking
Amanda says
Yikes! I only have Diet Dr. Pepper…do you think it would really make a difference?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested it, so I can’t say for certain, but I think it would be okay.
Max says
I just found this recipe and made it using diet dr pepper. It came out terrific. I can’t guarantee it’s the same, but it was the best pulled pork I’ve made (I’ve tried a few recipes).
Emma says
I added 1 tsp paprika & 1 tablespoon minced garlic! I’m super excited for it to finish cooking!
Corrie says
This was the best pulled pork recipe I’ve found. My husband loved it, my son loved it. Absolutely delicious!! I put mine on a baked potato with a little coleslaw and it was soooo good.
Joan Thompson says
This. Is a keeper!! I. Made this last night and it was a fabulous hit for my husband and friends. There was no Dr. Pepper on hand so I used a 50/50 mix of spiced apple cider and water with a tsp of liquid smoke. I’ll up the liquid smoke next time. Oh, and I saved the balance of the cooking liquid, defatted it this morning and will add it to my chicken chili today.
Lish says
Attempting this this today…ive never used carbonated liquid in my pot… Very nervous!! Fingers crossed it comes out well. We love pulled pork!! It’s the only reason I’ve been holding onto my crockpot
Anna Markarova says
How much water do you put in the Instant pot to cook the pork? I am new to instant pot so i am not quite sure how much water to put for everything. Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
No water is necessary, as you’re using the 12 oz of Dr. Pepper 🙂
Rob says
Hi there! Was this made in a 6 or 8 instant pot? I’m using a 6 and just curious if I need to adjust anything. Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
I have a 6 quart, so you’re good to go 🙂
Amanda says
Is this low or high pressure? I don’t have the “manual” setting on my instant pot. I’m new to instant pot so maybe i’m missing something.
The Chunky Chef says
I think different models have different buttons, as mine doesn’t have a low or high pressure option, but I would go with high.
Lori says
If the pork butt s frozen how long do you cook it
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe with frozen pork, so I can’t say for certain.
Kelly says
Cook it for 65-70 minutes on high pressure. Let it release on it’s own. I once took a whole chicken straight out of the freezer, pulled the plastic wrap off of it and cooked it for 65 minutes and it was fall off the bone, so I would bet the pork would be the same, Especially if it’s a loin as it’s more tender than a shoulder or butt (I think anyway). You could always try that time and if it’s not enough, pop the lid back on for another 15 minutes. I’ve done that before for a roast.
Cleveland says
Can I use hatch peppers instead of chipotle?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested the recipe that way, so I can’t say for certain, but feel free to try it!
RyAnn says
Made these tonight and they were so delicious, my husband loved them and so did my picky children!
Harry says
Im fairly sure dr pepper has more than 4 ingredients.
The Chunky Chef says
Clearly… but Dr. Pepper is ONE of the ingredients used here.
Mark says
I’m fairly sure I’ve never seen a recipe that listed all the ingredients of all the prepared ingredients. Mustard is ONE ingredient, not Vinegar, Water, #1 Grade Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric, Paprika, Spice, Natural Flavors and Garlic Powder. There’s no pleasing some people ha
Ron says
This is the best. I’m Going to try 1T of liquid smoke next time.
Sue says
Made this with a bone in pork picnic shoulder for 60 mins on high, and it is super delicious and tender. So easy to do, thanks!
Debbie Murphy says
Did you cut it in pieces
Rebecca says
Would ginger ale work?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so I can’t say for certain, but I think that should work.
Humboldt Cherrybomb says
I’m trying it with Diet Sunkist right now… fingers crossed!
Sandra Russow says
If I double this recipe, how do I adjust the time?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested doubling it, so I can’t say for certain.