Tender, smokey, and smothered in sweet-smelling BBQ sauce, this Instant Pot Pork Butt recipe comes together amazingly fast with little prep work. Make pulled pork sliders or sandwiches or use it however you like.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make. Instant Pot pulled pork butt is without a doubt my family’s favorite dinner. It makes the kitchen smell mouthwateringly incredible, and it feels like an extravagant meal even though it’s super simple to make — no meat smoker or slow cooker required!
- Quick. If you’re a fan of smoking meat you know the time and effort that goes into making things like pulled pork butt, but this is not like that at all. This recipe is done in under an hour and a half.
- It makes a ton. You’re guaranteed leftovers with this recipe, which you can use to make other recipes such as Pulled Pork Sliders or Brunswick Stew.
Ingredients Needed
- Pork Butt Roast: Use bone-in or out for this pork butt Instant Pot recipe.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar gets a rich caramlization, so don’t skip it!
- Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper mixed with the brown sugar brings out the smokey flavor.
- Beef Broth: Cooking the Instant Pot pulled pork butt in a hearty beef broth extracts way more flavor than you’d get from just plain water.
- Worchestershire Sauce: The secret ingredient that creates an intense, bold flavor throughout this Instant Pot pork butt.
- BBQ Sauce: A mouthwatering pulled pork sandwich just wouldn’t be the same without it!
How to Make Intant Pot Pulled Pork
I use a pork butt because it’s a perfectly tender, not too fatty cut of the meat. After giving it a quick sear right in the Instant Pot, all you’ve got to do is mix together a spice rub, toss everything in the cooker, and you’ll have tender, juicy pork that falls right off the bone in less than two hours!
- Prepare Your Pork – Cut the pork butt into four large pieces, trimming any access fat as needed.
- Create Spice Mixture – In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add the pork chunks to the mixture at toss them to coat evenly.
- Brown the meat – Set the Instant Pot to “sauté” and add olive oil. Let pork chunks sear in Instant Pot on each side for about two minutes. Cook in a single layer, in batches if necessary. Set aside.
- Add Liquids to deglaze – Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce to deglaze the pot, using a wooden spoon to scrape any stuck bits off the bottom.
- Cook – Return the pork butt to the Instant Pot and cover. Set the vent to sealing and use the cooking option “manual” for 60 minutes.
- Vent – After 60 minutes, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes. Then, remove lid carefully.
- Shred Pork – Carefully remove the pork using tongs and place it into a large mixing bowl to shred with forks or meat claws.
- Toss With BBQ Sauce – Mix in your desired amount of BBQ sauce and serve your Instant Pot pork butt!
Pork Butt vs Pork Shoulder
The differences between these two cuts of meat is small, but it comes down to preference on which you think is best. When cooked in the Instant Pot pork butt tenderizes easily and falls apart more readily than pork shoulder. The pork shoulder also has less marbling and fat than pork butt does, but tends to come in larger portions.
Either cut will work and both taste delicious. I recommend trying them both out to truly decide your favorite.
Recipe Tips
- Freezing Instructions – to freeze any leftover pulled pork allow it to cool completely before placing it into an air-tight freezer-safe container. It will last for 3 to 4 months stored in the freezer.
- Serving Suggestions – I love to just spoon some of this pulled pork butt over slices of bread but you can also use it to make sandwiches or just add some sides such as mac and cheese, coleslaw, cornbread, baked beans, or potato salad.
- Wait to Release Pressure. When cooking the pulled pork, the Instant Pot should be sealed at first to lock in moisture. If you let pressure release too soon, you may end up with dry or tough pork.
- To crisp the outside of the pork roast add one more step. Just as with my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe I add an extra step if I want extra crispy pork. Spread the pulled pork onto a rimmed baking sheet and slide it into an oven preheated to 475º F for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Make your own bbq sauce. I can stress how flavorful homemade bbq sauce but I recommend making your own. One that works well with pork butt is Carolina BBQ Sauce.
- Save the Juices in the Instant Pot. Though you’ll be using some BBQ sauce, there is still plenty of robust, meaty flavor in all of the juices that will be left in your Instant Pot. Save this and drizzle on top to really wow your palate.
Instant Pot Pulled Pork: FAQS
The most common reason pulled pork in the Instant Pot turns out tough is because it didn’t cook long enough. You want to cook the pork for 20 to 25 minutes per pound. So if you’re pork butt is 4 pounds you’ll need about 80 minutes of cook time.
Once it’s done cooking allow a natural pressure release for 20 minutes (don’t touch the valve).
It is recommend to cook pork for 20 to 25 minutes per pound in the Instant Pot. If using frozen pork butt or pork shoulder then you will likely need more time.
There’s a reason you’ll see recipes that use both methods. In a slow cooker, the pork easily becomes super tender and juicy. However, slow-cooking pork can take around 8 hours. There is a higher chance of being left with tough meat when you use an Instant Pot, but if you simply follow this Instant Pot pork butt recipe, you’ll be fine! Select a good cut of meat and make sure to release pressure properly.
Related Recipes
If you enjoyed this easy recipe, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a photo and tag me on Instagram using @AimeeMarsLiving and #AimeeMars.
Instant Pot Pulled Pork Butt Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 4 lb Pork Butt or pork shoulder
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Onion Powder
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1¼ cup Beef Broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- ¾ cup BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- Cut the pork butt into four large pieces, trimming any access fat as needed.
- In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add the pork chunks to the mixture at toss them to coat evenly.
- Set the Instant Pot to “sauté” and add olive oil. Let pork chunks sear in Instant Pot on each side for about two minutes. Cook in a single layer, in batches if necessary. Set aside.
- Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce to deglaze the pot, using a wooden spoon to scrape any stuck bits off the bottom.
- Return the pork butt to the Instant Pot and cover. Set the vent to sealing and use the cooking option “manual” for 80 minutes.
- After 80 minutes, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes. Then, remove the lid carefully.
- Carefully remove the pork using tongs and place it into a large mixing bowl to shred with forks or meat claws.
- Mix in your desired amount of BBQ sauce and serve your Instant Pot pork butt!
Notes
- Freezing Instructions – to freeze any leftover pulled pork allow it to cool completely before placing it into an air-tight freezer-safe container. It will last for 3 to 4 months stored in the freezer.
- Serving Suggestions – I love to just spoon some of this pulled pork butt over slices of bread but you can also use it to make sandwiches or just add some sides such as mac and cheese, coleslaw, cornbread, baked beans, or potato salad.
- To crisp, the outside of the pork roast add one more step. Just as with my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe I add an extra step if I want extra crispy pork. Spread the pulled pork onto a rimmed baking sheet and slide it into an oven preheated to 475º F for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Make your own bbq sauce. I can stress how flavorful homemade bbq sauce but I recommend making your own. One that works well with pork butt is Carolina BBQ Sauce.
Liz says
The recipe instructions doesn’t seem to provide temp-setting adjustment after the sauté step for searing… Only to lock the steam setting. I don’t want to mess up this pork that I’m serving to company this afternoon! Trying to figure it out myself from here… 😕 Wish I would’ve caught the detail was missing before I started.
Aimee Mars says
Hello Liz, my apologies. Set your Instant Pot to the “manual” setting and cook it for 80 minutes. Let me know if that answers your question.