Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
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Super juicy and tender, fall-apart tender Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork with slow cooker option. Easy to make and totally delicious, this is the perfect year-round recipe for bbq pork lovers!
In the mood for sandwiches? You’ll go crazy for these Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches. Loving your instant pot but can’t decide what to make? Here are some of my absolute favorites: Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos, Instant Pot Honey Teriyaki Chicken, and Instant Pot Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.
For some reason pulled pork just screams Summer to me, but honestly I make this easy Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork all year round, it’s SO GOOD.
Today I’m going to teach you how to make super juicy and tender bbq pulled pork in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker. And I’ve even got instructions for you if you’re still loving on that slow cooker and haven’t made the leap to a pressure cooker just yet!
This recipe is so family-friendly, even the pickiest of eaters will down this ultra tender bbq pork. My toddlers even had some and that is saying something because I have the toughest time getting them to eat anything but mac and cheese some days!
First things first, the bbq sauce. The recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of bbq sauce. Feel free to make your own bbq sauce from scratch (been there, done that, LOVE IT) if you’re feeling up to it.
But if you just want as quick and easy as possible, go ahead and use your favorite store bought bbq sauce. I do this all the time!
My favorite secret when using store bought bbq sauce in this pulled pork, is to choose two different, but complimenting bbq sauce flavors. Usually a sweet paired with smoky, spicy, or something tangy like a Carolina-style sauce. Using two kinds of bbq sauce really kicks up the flavor.
This recipe also calls for one can of Coca Cola. You can swap this out for Dr. Pepper, or Root Beer! Use your personal preference or whatever you’ve got on hand. The main purpose is to tenderize the pork and any of these will work great.
How do you Make Pulled Pork in an Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker?
- Cut pork roast into 4 equal pieces. Combine in pressure cooker with Coca Cola, Dr. Pepper, or Root Beer.
- Stir together bbq sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder and pour over pork.
- Cover and set to pressure cook setting for 45 minutes. Use natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release.
- Uncover pressure cooker and shred pork. Transfer pork to a bowl, discard juices, and stir bbq sauce into pork.
- Serve on hamburger buns.
Can I use Frozen Pork Roast?
Yes! For results, use thawed pork that has been cut into four sections. If you want to use a frozen pork roast, you will need to increase cooking time by about forty minutes to yield really tender pork.
Can I use a Slow Cooker?
Absolutely! Instead of pressure cooking, you can slow cook the pork in a crockpot for 6-8 hours on low for really juicy, tender pork.
Expert Tips
- I love to use this Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork in salads, tacos, wraps, and sandwiches!
- For sandwiches, I like to use hamburger buns spread with mayo. You can take it to the next level by adding extra bbq sauce and topping the pork with a heap of prepared coleslaw – I love that crunch!
- This is an easy recipe for bbq pulled pork, made super tender and juicy in your Instant Pot/pressure cooker, or even in your slow cooker. So full of flavor and easy to customize, this dish will satisfy your bbq cravings all year long without heating up your oven or dirtying a bunch of dishes.
More Popular Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Pork Chops and Gravy
- Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
- Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches
- Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
Did you make this Instant pot BBQ Pulled Pork recipe? FANTASTIC! Please rate the recipe below!
Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 3 pound pork shoulder cut into 4 large chunks
- 1 can coca cola, may sub dr pepper or root beer
- 2 ½ cups bbq sauce, see note
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 6 hamburger buns, for serving
Instructions
Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
- Add pork to a lightly greased pressure cooker/instant pot. Pour coca cola over the pork.
- Stir together 2 cups bbq sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and onion powder. Pour over pork.
- Place lid on the pressure cooker, sliding into the locked position. Set to pressure cook for 45 minutes. Do a natural release for 10 minutes, then turn valve to the vent position. Once float valve has dropped, remove lid.
- Use two forks to shred pork into small chunks. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pork to a bowl (discard liquid from pressure cooker) and stir remaining 1/2 cup bbq sauce with shredded pork.
- Serve pulled pork on hamburger buns. Optional sandwich toppings to take your pulled pork to the next level: mayo, extra bbq sauce, and cole slaw.
Slow Cooker
- Follow the instructions for preparation for Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, but to use a slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 6 hours before shredding pork.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this last night and it was delish! the only think that I would change next time is a reduction in the amount of sugar, but that is personal taste. hubby and mother in law loved it as it. Can’t wait to make it again.
Super excited to hear that you and your family loved this recipe, Kim! Thanks for your feedback!
Quick question…All i have is 7up on hand…can i use that or does it need to be a dark pop?
I recommend using a dark soda! However, I haven’t ever made it with a light soda like 7 up, so I can’t say for sure!
My Husband bought this 2.73lb.bone in Sirloin end Pork Roast(I never heard of this cut in pork before) when he was suppose to bring home a beef roast. Could I use it for this recipe in a slow cookeR? (I don’t know why this message is all in caps, my email is suppose to be lower case)
Hi Teresa- I haven’t used that cut of meat for this recipe before so I can’t say for sure but I think it might turn out alright in the slow cooker. Definitely let me know!!
Can you make this recipe with a beef roast? Dont eat pork and ive been looking for a bbq beef sandwich recipe!
I haven’t done this with this recipe but I think it would work!
Awesome! Used 2 defrosted pork TENDERLOINs and followed receipe tO a t. Used a hand mixer to shred, and then drained juices into a colander to drain. Yummy! Also…almost Forgot….no pop on hand, so used a lime-a-riTa. 👍
Great job!! Sounds like it turned out great with your substitution! Thanks for stopping by, Kandy!
Awesome! Used 2 defrosted pork TENDERLOINs and followed receipe tO a t. Used a hand mixer to shred, and then drained juices into a colander to drain. Yummy!
I agree with the 13 lb comments. I actually bought 13 lbs worth of boston butt .. this recipe REALLY needs to say 3 lbs of pork shoulder, not 1 3 lb pork SHOULDER. Fortunately i ended up buying two 6 lb boston butts so i just froze one package and will make a double batch.
I’ve changed it. Thanks for your feedback. This dish freezes well if you do make a double batch! Freeze half of it for a quick, easy dinner in the future!
just made this, and it was amazing!! I didn’t have any apple cider VINEGAR, so i just use white. but it was still amazing! I also used pepsi because that’s what i had on hand/ i live in the country so going to the store wasn’t an option. Thank you!
Leslie- great job using what you had on hand!! Thanks for sharing your input- glad that you loved this recipe!
I didn’t cut my roast into chunks…It almost done cooking..what should I do
Unfortunately your cooking time may have to increase! When it’s done cooking correctly you should be able to pull the meat apart with two forks easily. If you can’t, you need more time.
I could only find 4lb roasts and got 2 because i have a big family. Is that too much to make at once? What time would i Cook for?would i need to more than double ingredients?
Hi Amy- I am not 100% positive on this one… First, you’ve got to make sure that all that meat doesn’t make the pot too full! It has a max fill line, you can’t go past that! (it will make a huge mess!) If it fits with the wet ingredients, too.. perhaps it might be just fine? You’ll have to most likely double the cooking time for that much meat! If you take the lid off and the meat isn’t pull apart tender, it needs more time. To play it safe, you might need to do it separately. Double the wet ingredients should work. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try for sure!