This sweet Asian Instant Pot pulled pork recipe is amazing! Tender pork roast in an hour using your pressure cooker make the best sliders ever!
Oh my goodness this Instant Pot pulled pork recipe one of my favorites!! I have made over 101+ easy Instant Pot recipes here on The Typical Mom site but this one is over the top fabulous. (originally published 6/18, affiliate links present)
With a sweet sauce with a bit of a kick and tender shredded pork ready to pile up on a soft roll and served as sliders during your next party or get together.
It will surely become one of your favorite dinners or appetizers too.
Let’s start with a few basic tips:
- Make sure to Bookmark our InstaPot recipes page. We add new ones each week!
- Then LIKE our IP Facebook page for new ideas daily.
- This is a great InstaPot cookbook to grab too.
- I HIGHLY recommend you buy this non stick pot. It is easier to clean and will avoid the burn message too.
- For reference, this is the pressure cooker I have and use for all recipe creations.
I like easy pressure cooker recipes and I also like being able to adjust the spice level. I do like a little spicy but not so overwhelming I can’t taste the other flavors so this one is great for everyone.
This pulled pork has a rich sweet sauce that is a bit like teriyaki but with the addition of honey and Sriracha.
So, it has a nice balance between spicy and sweet that we fell in love with.
- Asian Instant Pot pulled pork
We started with a pork roast that was about 2.5 lbs.
To say we have a lot of pork is an understatement. We bought a pig from a local organic farm recently and started with this pork roast that is about 2.5 lbs with the bone so let’s call it 2 lbs. To make it ultra tender I cut it into 3 equal parts around the bone before turning it on so the meat would become as tender as possible.
- If you are using a pork roast that is larger than mine you will need to increase the time a bit. I would also cut it into maybe 4 pieces so it will get as tender as possible.
In order to ensure you don’t get the burn notification after searing your roast watch this video on how to deglaze your Instant Pot
Then continue on to the next steps. If you have another brand like a Crockpot Express or Ninja Foodi these directions will work for you as well. 😉
I like onions for their flavor. You can dice them like this or leave them sliced and in larger chunks. Totally up to you and will achieve the same thing so go for whatever you choose.
- Cutting your pork roast into 3 or so equal parts will allow it to become really tender when it is cooked in your Instant Pot.
- If yours is larger than mine then maybe 4 pieces would work better. Make sure they aren’t overlapping.
Here are the basic steps that take approximately 60 minutes to pressure cook to perfection.
First you’ll want to rub the spices on your meat and set your pressure cooker to saute.
- Then brown both sides and turn your pot off. This step will take a total of about 15 minutes to heat up and then deglaze.
- If you haven’t cut your pork into 3-4 equal pieces, do so now. Smaller pieces will yield meat that is more tender.
Put meat back into your pot with rest of broth and onions and set to high pressure for 60 minutes.
- Do a natural release! This will take about 20 minutes and allow the meat to become extremely tender vs. doing a quick release.
- Use forks to shred. Discard fat, remaining liquid, and bones.
- Whisk together wet ingredients for sauce in a bowl and pour into pot with shredded pork.
- you can use bbq sauce instead if you prefer those flavors
- Saute until thick and then serve!
This is a great recipe to serve on small slider buns or on top of Instant Pot white rice.
Pulled pork in Instant Pot
- Pork roast – 2-3 lbs fed the 5 of us
- used it to make pulled pork sandwiches with a side of corn on the cob
- could use a pork butt or pork shoulder
- Honey
- Soy sauce
- Garlic – I use this already minced in a jar
- Ginger – in produce section, in a jar already minced
- Brown sugar
- Onion
- Salt free garlic and herb seasoning
- Cornstarch – to thicken sauce
- Sriracha – for a little heat, even a little doesn’t make it hot but adds a lot of flavor
Slider buns – can use this easy roll recipe
Instant Pot pulled pork recipe
If you’re looking for other pork recipes try some of our
- Pressure cooker pork chop recipes and
- This Instant Pot lo mein is yummy
This easy pork roast recipe is cooked in the oven if you don’t have a pressure cooker yet
What is the best cut of meat for pulled pork?
- Pork shoulders are the most popular typically. I have used a pork butt, which is half of the shoulder, and a center cut pork loin when that is all the store had. All of the above have worked fine.
Does pork tenderloin work for pulled pork?
Many people use this cut in their crockpot. If you can find one large enough, this recipe calls for 3 lbs., then yes.
The center cut loin I used in my Instant Pot Hawaiian pulled pork sliders turned out great. (seen below) It turned out tender and has a sweet barbecue sauce taste vs. these Asian teriyaki like flavors.
What should I serve with pulled pork?
Shredded pork is fabulous in omelets and inside burritos. You can grab store bought store bought or make your own homemade tortillas.
- Add some to a grilled cheese sandwich for an over the top lunch!
- Use small soft tortillas and make Instant Pot tacos
- Or stir it into your baked beans for a heartier side dish.
- It’s a great recipe served on top of fried rice, nachos, or plain rice.
We typically serve them as sliders topped with cole slaw but the possibilities are endless!
What can I serve with pulled pork besides cole slaw?
Well, that is kinda’ our go to. That and macaroni salad but there are plenty of other pulled pork side dishes:
- Cornbread
- Garlic pull apart bread
- Macaroni and cheese
- Hawaiian coleslaw
- Corn fritters
- Potato salad
- Okra
What do you serve with yours?? We’d love to try something new if there’s something else that isn’t on our list!
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***** If you LOVED this recipe give it 5 Stars below and let everyone know what you thought about it. 😉
Instant Pot Pulled Pork Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lb pork roast
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion diced
- 2 c broth vegetable, chicken or beef
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 c soy sauce
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1.5 tbsp garlic diced
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Sriracha optional, can use more for more spice
- 1 tsp seasoned salt we used Lawry's
- 1 tsp garlic and herb seasoning salt free seasoning
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to saute and add olive oil. Rub seasoned salt and roasted garlic and herbs on pork roast on both sides. When hot add pork roast and sear on both sides, turn Instant Pot off.
- Take roast out and cut into 3 pcs.
- Pour 1 c of your broth into your pressure cooker and use a wooden spoon to loosen the pcs of cooked on meat off of the bottom of your pot (called deglazing your pot so the burn notification doesn't come on later).
- Put pork roast pcs back into your pot with diced onions and last cup of broth.
- Close lid and steam valve. Set pot to pressure high for 60 minutes.
- Allow steam to naturally release.
- Open lid. Shred pork with forks, remove fat pieces and discard those. Put shredded pork into a bowl.
- Discard remaining liquid left in pressure cooker and put meat back into your pot.
- Mix all remaining ingredients above together with a whisk until cornstarch is dissolved.
- Put pressure cooker on saute, low, and add sauce mixture.
- Put shredded pork in your bowl into your pot and mix with sauce.
- Allow to bubble just slightly so sauce thickens a bit and pork is thoroughly coated with sweet sauce.
- Serve on top of rice or in slider buns, top with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Video
Katy Murray says
Loved this recipe! I made a double batch, trimmed the fat off my roast prior to cooking rather than after (it would be easier to trim the fat cap after cooking because the rest of the meat so tender he fat just separates easily, but I couldn’t fight my habit of trimming before cooking lol). I doubled the ingredients for the sauce but only needed three cups broth to cook the roast.
I also added a splash of rice wine vinegar to the sauce to give that tanginess, and I added an extra tablespoon of molasses to counteract the spice a bit more. (I used a tablespoon of sweet heat pepper sauce). Then at the very end when you add the meat and sauce mix back to the instant pot I also added a half can (14 ounce can) of pineapple chunks in juice, then simmered the sauce as directed. Turned out perfect!! I was trying to imitate a teriyaki pulled pork recipe from a restaurant my husband loved at Camp Pendleton, ca. Called koa teriyaki grill. Closest I’ve been able to come to that place.
The Typical Mom says
Glad it was a hit
Donna says
Liquid cooked dry and burnt bottom of meat. Took a long time to seal. Maybe that’s why
The Typical Mom says
If it doesn’t seal properly it won’t cook properly no matter what recipe you try. You can buy a new sealing ring if need be.
Kimberly says
Can you use a crock pot for this recipe,I don’t have a instant pot.
The Typical Mom says
Yes but you would need it on high for pretty much all day, 8 hrs.