Asian Instant Pot Pulled Pork Recipe

This sweet Asian Instant Pot pulled pork recipe is amazing! Tender fresh, thawed or frozen pork roast in Instant Pot for an hour and done! You can use any brand of pressure cooker you have like a Crockpot Express or Ninja Foodi to make it too. Topped on rolls this makes the best sliders ever!

Asian Instant Pot Pulled Pork

With a sweet sauce with a bit of a kick and cooking pork this way is killer. Under high pressure makes it fork tender and ready to pile up on a soft roll. Served as sliders during your next party or as a sweet dinner idea that even your kids will love.

If you only have a Mealthy or Crockpot Express that machine will work. As long as it is electric and has the high pressure function it will work just the same as an IP. I also have a Ninja Foodi pot that works great as a multifunction machine.

Asian Ninja Foodi Pulled Pork

This and our Instant Pot pad thai will surely become sone of your favorite dinners. 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.

When cooking pulled pork you really want to add lots of flavor, otherwise it will be rather bland. This version 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.

Asian Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork

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.

Asian Pulled Pork Recipe

First you’ll want to rub the spices on your meat and set your pressure cooker to saute. Add a bit of olive oil and sesame oil at the bottom.

• 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. This will be enough time to break it down so it becomes fork tender.

• Do a natural release! This will take about 20 minutes cooking time 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

We used a piece that was about 2.5 pounds. that is a good size for all 5 of us to eat and sometimes I will have a bit for lunch the next day. It saves quite nicely so you can enjoy it again, I will talk a bit about this below more.

1. Pork roast – 2-3 lbs fed the 5 of us
   1. used it to make pulled pork sandwiches with a side of corn on the cob
   2. could use a pork butt or pork shoulder 
2. Honey
3. Soy sauce
4. Garlic – I use already minced in a jar
5. Ginger – in produce section, in a jar already minced
6. Brown sugar
7. Onion
8. Salt free garlic and herb seasoning
9. Cornstarch – to thicken sauce
10. 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 if you would like. My kids love those small sweet Hawaiian rolls at the store too. It is a quick meal that is just mouth watering.

Instant Pot pulled pork recipe

And that is about it my friends. Savory sauces tossed in with tender meats is our fave, point blank. Of course you could use a bottled sauce like Korean bbq that I have seen at the store if you wanted to. Mine is quite simple though and I like how you can adjust the heat levels. If you’re looking for other pork recipes try some of our

Pressure cooker pork chops with gravy is quite delicious on top of a bed of mashed potatoes. This Instant Pot lo mein is yummy too if you love that meal at restaurants. It is quite easy to make yourself right at home. That way you can add even more vegetables into the mix, and/or different meats too.

This easy pork roast in oven at 375 degrees is cooked in a Dutch oven if you don’t have a pressure cooker yet. That one breaks down quite nicely as well but takes quite a while longer of course.

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 Instant Pot baked beans for a heartier side dish.
• It’s a great recipe served on top of pressure cooker 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

Next you should try this with another protein, like our Instant Pot Asian chicken too. What do you serve with yours?? We’d love to try something new if there’s something else that isn’t on our list!