For a quick, simple, and tasty family dinner when you're craving comfort food, try this Pressure-cooker Pulled Pork recipe. It makes enough meat to enjoy for pulled pork sandwiches, and leftovers make tasty nachos or pulled pork pasta!
Comfort food isn't simply stews and soups (although We'll take a big bowl of this classic French beef bourguignon or vegan pumpkin soup any day!).
It's also the simple, flavorful, two-hand sandwiches. Loaded with tender BBQ-sauced pulled pork and piled high with apple sticks or slaw. When We have more time, We make this 2-Ingredient Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe from a few years back.
But more often these days, We'm whipping up this Pressure-cooker pork butt dinner on a busy weeknight in the Pressure-cooker or Ninja Foodi!
[feast_advanced_jump_to]🐖 Ingredient notes
Olive oil– you'll use this in the beginning to help sear the pork.
Pork – the best cut for pulled pork is the pork shoulder, or a pork butt. You want a cut of meat that has large amounts of connective tissue and relatively high fat content. These cuts result in tender, shreddable pork.
Apple cider vinegar – this magic ingredient helps tenderize meat while also helping it retain all of its juices.
Barbecue sauce – You can use homemade BBQ sauce or your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce
Beef broth – this adds more flavor to the pork as it cooks.
Brown sugar – for a hint of sweetness to the sauce.
Garlic powder and onion powder – these infuse beautiful aromatics into the pork as it pressure cooks
Paprika – We love the flavor that sweet paprika (not smoked paprika) adds to pulled pork. You could also use cayenne pepper for a bit of a kick instead of paprika.
Kosher salt and ground black pepper – season to taste and add more if needed before serving.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
First, chop the pork shoulder or pork butt into small pieces approximately 3-inches each. Place into a bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, ½ cup of the BBQ sauce, and ½ cup of the beef broth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and pepper until combined.
Season the pork.
Turn your pressure cooker to SAUTE and HI. Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker pot for simply about 2 minutes, until it heats up. Once the pot is hot, add the seasoned pork and saute for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or large spoon.
Once the meat has been browned on all sides, determine if the pot needs to be de-glazed: if there are brown bits on the bottom of the pot under the meat, remove the meat and transfer to a clean large bowl. Then pour a tablespoon or two of the beef broth into the pot, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the brown bits at the bottom.
If, however, there are no brown bits at the bottom of the pot, pour in the chicken broth and the BBQ sauce mix. Add the meat and stir everything together until the meat is well coated.
Seal the pressure cooker lid, making sure the pressure release valve is in the SEAL position, until the lid is locked closed. Select PRESSURE/MANUAL and HI, then set the time for 40 minutes. The pressure cooker will take about 10 to 15 minutes to come to pressure, and then start the 40 minutes of cooking.
Once the pressure cooking is complete, natural release* for 10 minutes and then quick release. Once all pressure has been released and the pressure release valve is all the way down, carefully open the lid.
You may have excess liquid in the pot. If you do, carefully strain out the meat, draining the excess liquid into a sick, then transfer the meat to a new large bowl or return the meat to the pot. Using two forks, shred the pork. Pour in the remaining BBQ sauce and toss together until the pork is well coated.
🍽 Serving ideas
We usually turn this Pressure-cooker pork butt recipe into pulled pork sandwiches, which go well with so many different side dishes.
Consider completing your meal with Mushrooms Marsala, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples, Air Fryer Broccoli, Summer Slaw, or Creamy Confetti Corn.
🍷 Wine pairings for pulled pork
Opt for a lighter-bodied red wine to pair with pulled pork.
We love serving either an Oregon or a California Pinot Noir, a Gamay, or a California Zinfandel.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Pork shoulder or Boston butt. Cuts of meat that have large amounts of connective tissue or higher fat content result in tender, shreddable pork that cooks beautifully in the pressure cooker.
What can you make with pulled pork leftovers?You can use pulled pork leftovers in so many different dishes!
– sprinkle some over tortilla chips and top with cheese and salsa for pulled pork nachos
– toss with pasta for pulled pork pasta
– enjoy with a fried egg for breakfast
– top mixed greens for a pulled pork salad
Pulled pork leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days.
How do We make pulled pork in the slow cooker?If you don't have an Pressure-cooker, Pressure-cooker, or other electric pressure cooker, you can easily make this in your slow cooker! We've got a great Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe on the blog, too!
Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe?
The first thing you'll need is an electric pressure cooker. We make this recipe in the Pressure-cooker 8-quart Deluxe XL 9-in-1 Pressure Cooker, or in the Pressure-cooker 8-quart XL 9-in-1 Pressure Cooker.
You will also need:
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Two large mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Forks to shred the cooked pork
More Pressure-cooker & Pressure-cooker Recipes
Be sure to check out more of our Pressure-cooker and Pressure-cooker recipes on the site!
- Pressure-cooker Beef Stew
- Pressure-cooker Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Short Ribs Ragu (Pressure-cooker recipe)
- Pressure-cooker BBQ Ribs with Homemade BBQ Sauce
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you truly loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Pressure-cooker Pulled Pork
By Marlynn Schotland Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 50 mins Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Servings: 6 servings Simple and satisfying, this instant pot pulled pork recipe makes for the perfect comfort food.Equipment
- Pressure-cooker, Pressure-cooker, or other electric pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork shoulder
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup barbecue sauce, divided
- 1 cup beef broth, divided
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Chop the pork shoulder into small pieces approximately 3-inches each. Place into a bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, ½ cup of the BBQ sauce, and ½ cup of the beef broth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and pepper until combined. Season the pork.
- Turn your pressure cooker to SAUTE and HI. Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker pot for simply about 2 minutes, until it heats up. Once the pot is hot, add the seasoned pork and saute for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or large spoon.
- Once the meat has been browned on all sides, determine if the pot needs to be de-glazed: if there are brown bits on the bottom of the pot under the meat, remove the meat and transfer to a clean large bowl. Then pour a tablespoon or two of the beef broth into the pot, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the brown bits at the bottom.If, however, there are no brown bits at the bottom of the pot, pour in the chicken broth and the BBQ sauce mix. Add the meat and stir everything together until the meat is well coated.
- Seal the pressure cooker lid, making sure the pressure release valve is in the SEAL position, until the lid is locked closed. Select PRESSURE/MANUAL and HI, then set the time for 40 minutes. The pressure cooker will take about 10 to 15 minutes to come to pressure, and then start the 40 minutes of cooking.
- Once the pressure cooking is complete, natural release* for 10 minutes and then quick release. Once all pressure has been released and the pressure release valve is all the way down, carefully open the lid.
- You may have excess liquid in the pot. If you do, carefully strain out the meat, draining the excess liquid into a sick, then transfer the meat to a new large bowl or return the meat to the pot. Using two forks, shred the pork. Pour in the remaining BBQ sauce and toss together until the pork is well coated.
Notes
Resting: Let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes after cooking before you pull it apart to let the juices sink in and so the meat doesn't dry out.Nutrition
Calories: 357 kcal, Carbohydrates: 25 g, Protein: 28 g, Fat: 15 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g, Cholesterol: 93 mg, Sodium: 1136 mg, Potassium: 648 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 20 g, Vitamin A: 167 IU, Vitamin C: 4 mg, Calcium: 47 mg, Iron: 2 mgNutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
