Tender, shredded Instant Pot Pork Butt is the perfect meal for a party or for an easy dinner idea! Delicious eaten as is, or served on a bun for a pulled pork sandwich with a drizzle of bbq sauce and even topped with cole slaw if desired.
Instant Pot recipes are one of our favorites here because of the ease and how tender meats turn out in this pressure cooker. Our Instant Pot roast is another recipe that you’ll want to keep on hand for go-to dinner, and then these Instant Pot brownies are something to try to conquer that sweet tooth.
I love a good sandwich! Barbecue pork feels like you were cooking all day and is a lovely meal to share with friends. Sometimes you want a hot meal such as Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches but there’s also something truly refreshing about a cool Egg Salad Sandwich.
Make this pulled pork for a fun summer gathering or even as a delicious meal in the wintertime. You can set the Instant Pot to cook while everyone enjoys company or takes a dip in the pool. Then simply shred and let everyone make their own custom sandwich, making BBQ pork sliders, or enjoy alone, or even topped on a baked potato!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super tender meat: Combining this specific cut and cooking method will yield a tender meat that shreds easily and makes a delicious sandwich.
- Make-ahead recipe: You can cook this up whenever you have time and freeze the meat ready to go! This makes for a quick and easy dinner.
- Don’t heat up the house: The Instant Pot is perfect for making meals in summer so you don’t heat up the house with the oven.
Ingredients Needed
I’ve highlighted a couple of ingredients below with some relevant notes. Aside from this, the ingredients needed are pretty basic.
- Pork – Select a pork butt or shoulder for the best result. We’ll go into the differences in the FAQs below!
- Seasonings – We are mixing up our own barbecue dry rub to layer on the flavor to our pork.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Adding an acid helps to break down the connective tissue in the meat as it cooks.
- Liquid Smoke – If you haven’t used this, it’s the perfect secret ingredient to have in your kitchen. It adds a touch of color and a smokey flavor.
Substitutions
Sometimes substitutions are necessary because of ingredients that are unavailable or needed for dietary restrictions. Here are some suggestions that can help:
- ACV – white vinegar doesn’t have the same tang, but it can be used in a pinch. You definitely don’t want to leave out the vinegar entirely as it helps break down the meat.
- Sauce – while this is typically served with barbecue sauce, you can always skip it and let the pork shine by itself.
Equipment
A 6-quart Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker is required to cook this tender pulled pork.
How to Make Instant Pot Pulled Pork Butt
The pork is easily prepared:
- trim fat and bone and portion into chunks
- rub on seasoning and sear
- pressure cook in liquid
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
Prepare the roast to be ready to cook, then let the Instant Pot heat up while you mix the rub.
STEP 1. Prepare the pork. Remove any bone that is present, and trim up excess fat around the edges. Some cuts may have skin still which should also be removed (Image 1). Cut the roast into several large chunks (Image 2).
STEP 2. Make the rub. Combine the seasonings and brown sugar into a rub, then rub it into all sides of the cut pork.
STEP 3. Heat the pot. Let the Instant Pot heat on sauté mode, then add the oil (Image 3). Brown the chunks of pork on all sides, working in batches (Image 4).
STEP 4. Deglaze the pot. Remove the browned pork and add water. Be sure to carefully scrape up all of the browned bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon!
STEP 5. Whisk. Add the remaining ingredients to the Instant Pot and whisk to combine.
STEP 6. Cook pork. Add the browned pork to the liquid and pressure cook.
Tip: Ensure the pork is all in a single layer in the liquid. This will allow it to all cook evenly. It’s ok to squish it in!
STEP 7. Shred the pork. Remove the cooked pork to a plate and shred with two forks to serve.
Recipe Pro Tips
- Deglaze the pot. Don’t miss this step! If you leave any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, you risk them burning. This causes an error and the pot won’t come to pressure and cook the pork.
- Allow a natural pressure release. One of the most important steps with the Instant Pot is to let meat have a natural release. This allows the juices to settle instead of pulling them all out by performing a quick release immediately when cooking is complete.
Recipe FAQs
Stick with pork shoulder or pork butt. Contrary to the name, the pork “butt” comes from the same area of the animal as the shoulder! The butt is often fattier and sometimes comes with the skin attached. The shoulder will generally have a bone left in and is a leaner cut. Both work well here and both will need to be trimmed of excess fat before cooking. Remove any bone and skin as well.
The answers are often mixed on this. Searing locks in the juices – but because we are using the Instant Pot, this also locks in juice compared to roasting in the oven. However, it does add a lot of flavor to the pork and the cooking liquid, so it is a must in my book.
You read the recipe right – we did 80 minutes! While certainly not “instant” it a hands-off way to create tender pork for sandwiches. This is also why we cut the pork into chunks. While more surface area seared equals more flavor, it also helps the meat to cook evenly and perfectly. It would take even longer if left whole!
Usually the culprit is releasing the pressure too quickly! The pressure is all nicely contained from cooking the meat, and if we release it as soon as the cooking time is up, it can pull the juices from the meat. By allowing 20 minutes or so for the pressure to come down on its own, we are ensuring the juices have settled and will remain in the meat.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Pulled Pork
I love to serve this on a bun (on large buns or sliders) but it is also great just piled on a plate.
You can also serve your favorite coleslaw right on top or on the side, and pickles are the perfect companion! Love a gravy on your shredded pork? This pork gravy recipe is a hit on a lot of pork recipes!
I also love this honey lime fruit salad as a refreshing palate cleanser or a red potato salad for the perfect pairing.
Storage
Allow any leftover pork to come to room temperature, then store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also freeze in a container or bag for up to 6 months. I recommend storing the meat as-is and adding sauce once reheated.
Reheat in a slow cooker with some broth or water, or you can easily reheat on the stovetop.
More BBQ Pork Recipes You’ll Love
Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!
Recipe
Instant Pot Pork Butt
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds pork butt or pork shoulder
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar Divided
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
Optional Serving Ideas
- Barbecue sauce
- Hamburger buns or slider buns
- Coleslaw
- Pickles
Instructions
- Cut pork into 3-4 chunks, removing bone and excess fat.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. While warming up, mix all of the dry spices with 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar.
- Rub the sugar and spice mixture onto the chunks of pork.
- When the Instant Pot reads HOT add the oil. Tilt the pot back and forth to evenly coat the bottom. Then place the seasoned meat chunks into the instant pot. Be sure to get an even layer of meat; you may need to work in batches.
- Brown the meat on each side for 3-4 minutes. When all sides are brown remove the meat from the pot.
- Add the water to the pot to deglaze. Use a flat spoon to scrape the bits off of the bottom.
- Once the pot is deglazed, whisk in the vinegar, tomato paste, liquid smoke, and the rest of the brown sugar.
- Place all of the browned meat back into the pot in an even layer. You may need to wiggle and squish them a bit to do this.
- Pressure cook on high for 60 minutes and allow a natural release for 20 minutes.
- At the end of 20 minutes release any remaining pressure. Remove the pork from the pot. Place onto a plate and shred with two forks.
- Optional: you can use the juices left in the pot as a sauce, but depending on the cut of meat it may be very greasy.
- Serve the shredded pork with your favorite sides and barbecue sauce, or with all of your favorites on a bun.
Notes
- For a nice kick you can add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the seasoning rub.
- This reheats great and can be made the day before.
- Reheating in a slow cooker is best (so that it doesn’t dry out as easily) but it can also be reheated in the microwave or in a skillet. Be sure to save any juices from cooking to reheat the meat with if they aren’t too greasy.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Annette T. says
All I can say is…..I did it! It was fantastic! I froze in 1lb. bags and picked up another pork butt to do the same a few days later. Thank you for an awesome recipe.
Annette
Jessica says
Oh Annette, I’m so happy to hear you liked this pork butt recipe! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Olivia says
This was so easy to make in the Instant Pot! It turned out perfectly tender and super flavorful, will definitely be making this recipe again!
Fran V says
My family loved this recipe! Loaded with flavor and so easy to make. They had sandwich buns and I made lettuce wraps for me.
Gina says
The pork was tender, flavorful, and a hit with everyone. Perfect for sliders with coleslaw!