Instant Pot Pork Shoulder

This is how to cook bone-in Instant Pot pork shoulder with barbecue sauce for easy 2 ingredient pulled pork sandwiches for dinner. Fork tender in just 90 minutes, this cooks right in the sauce for bold flavors our family loves.

This is our go to every time we have a large group over. Reason being is that it is quite inexpensive to feed a lot of people to fill them up quickly with a lot of protein. There are tons of ways to serve it up too. With rolls, larger buns, toast, or over rice. Add a cool item like coleslaw on top for extra pretty and yum.

Ingredient Notes

You are going to want about a 4-5 lb. pork shoulder that is fatty = moist and lots of flavor. I chose bone-in because it was cheaper. In this case it can be a bit heavier since the bone itself is making up some of the weight but stay in this range.

And you will need a bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce. You should not choose brown sugar variety as that one has a lot of sugars in it which may trigger the burn notice. I usually use the sweet and smoky Sweet Baby Ray’s which has a bit of sweetness but not overwhelming.

Dry rub

We make a killer seasoning mix that coats the outside to make it extra sweet and savory. We make this with Brown sugar (makes it just a bit sweet which we love), onion powder and garlic powder, paprika and chili powder gives it a bit of heat but we keep it mild. To make spicy I would add a pinch of red pepper flakes too.

You will want a small bowl to mix together the spice mixture first. A wooden spatula is handy to scrape the bottom of the pot after the saute function. This step will help you deglaze Instant Pot before pressure cooking to avoid the burn notice. And of course the needed pressure cooker with the high pressure function. If you have an Instant Pot I HIGHLY suggest you get a non stick pot

Variations and Substitutions

If you want a really quick way you can just use bottled barbecue sauce and a bottled store bought dry rub. But I have an even better homemade recipe below that is super quick too. You do need some cooking liquid that is not super thick

Can you cook frozen pork in an Instant Pot?

Yes. You. Can. To cook a piece from rock hard, without defrosting, follow our Instant Pot frozen pork shoulder recipe. If you wanted a a smaller cut, this is how to cook a frozen pork loin in Instant Pot instead. Good to feed about 4 vs. closer to 6 people or more depending on the size.

Cooking Tips

Remember that especially with a large hunk of meat like this you need to keep the steam in for 10 – 15 minutes at the end. This step will lock in the moisture so it doesn’t dry out if you chose to quick release instead.

Do you have to sear pork shoulder before pressure cooking?

I don’t bother because I want it to fall apart (which it does) when it is done and with the high pressure it already creates an environment where it locks in the moisture really well. You certainly have the option to do this with the saute function but ensure that you deglaze after that.

Ninja Foodi Option

If you’re looking for a Ninja Foodi recipe that pot will work just as well, no worries. Just remember that with this multi-cooker that you use the lid that is not attached. We don’t want to crisp it but if you did you could then close the lid that is attached to create crispy edges on the meat at 400 for about 4 minutes.

I bet you have all the ingredients in your house already, other than the meat. So it’s really easy to throw together once you have that. This would take all day normally, and usually does when I make my boneless Crockpot pork shoulder recipe, but not any longer.

Why I love cooking pork in a pressure cooker

It cuts the cooking time in at least half, usually less than that. To cook pork in a pressure cooker takes only about 90 minutes for a 5 lb. piece of meat cut in half. I’ve put it in whole too but cut in half comes out a bit more tender. You can use your Ninja Foodi to make this as well. Put some on a bun topped with cole slaw and it’s a fantastic meal.

If you want to make these into handheld sandwiches you will want Hawaiian sweet rolls – we use these when making sliders, the best! With cold dollop of mayo crunch is great to use for sliders, here’s an easy homemade recipe for Hawaiian cole slaw

What is the best cut of pork for pulled pork?

The best roast is the shoulder or pork butt. High in fat and connective tissue, the shoulder is also the most flavorful part of the hog. Pork shoulder is typically cut into two parts, the Boston Butt, and the Picnic Roast. You may see them called this too.

You could also use beef roast shoulder since both of these cuts have quite a bit of connective tissues and needs to be broken down. This one has less fat though so it won’t be as moist. If you don’t have all day this is how to get it done quickly, but still the perfect texture.

Since this is a large piece of protein it will take longer than let’s say cooking pork shoulder steak but there is so much you can make with shredded meat like this.

Other popular Instant Pot pork recipes

Instant Pot Hawaiian pulled pork makes for great sliders with easy rolls, or served over. This Instant Pot pulled pork recipe has an Asian twist.

How can I eat pulled pork without bread?

Tacos are great with a sauce like Instant Pot carnitas filled with your meat, avocado, sour cream etc and enjoy on Tuesdays (or any day of the week) Serve them on top of mashed potatoes with some gravy if you have it. Polenta is also a good alternative

Added it inside of a batch of Instant Pot chili – great idea for leftover pulled pork. Some like to add it to poached eggs, kimchi, or inside the potato cakes mixture. Serve it inside a wrap with hummus 

What do you serve with pulled pork??

If I make something like this I will make vegetables to go with it if you want. I do have more than one pot so I have them both going near the end, that is if I don’t make the meat into sandwiches. If you are making pork for tamales that is a whole other thing….

How long is leftover pulled pork good for?

Leftover pulled pork is the same as leftover ham or any other cooked meat. According to food safety guidelines, the safe storage life of these cooked meats is 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator if stored properly.

This means you need to either wrap leftover inside tinfoil, or I prefer to keep it inside a freezer bag with the air removed so it doesn’t dry out. You can make a whole new dish by using your leftover pork in a casserole!

Can you freeze leftover pulled pork?

Yes!! You can freeze the excess of a double or triple batch for future meals. This comes in handy if you are frequently short on time. Just store it properly inside airtight containers and you’ll have a quick and tasty meal for nights when you don’t have time to cook. Here’s the printable recipe to follow