Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork
Make this irresistible Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe. Quick and easy way to make tender, juicy BBQ pulled pork packed with sweet and smoky flavors
Make this irresistible Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe. Quick and easy way to make tender, juicy BBQ pulled pork packed with sweet and smoky flavors
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/8 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
- 4 pounds pork shoulder (picnic cut into 4 – 8 pieces)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
- 1/8 cup maple syrup
- Carbohydrate 47.4863960345072 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.62578032899666 g
- Fiber 1.83228882990722 g
- Protein 2.29921643864382 g
- Saturated Fat 0.209953898408456 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -6 serving (622g)
- Sodium 1072.95568684771 mg
- Sugar 45.6541072045999 g
- Trans Fat 0.149108248691781 g
- Calories 199 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix all the dry rub ingredients and rub it all over the pork shoulder picnic pieces. Then, put the pork shoulder in the fridge for 30 minutes to overnight.
- Heat up your Instant Pot by pressing the Sauté button. Wait until the indicator says HOT.
- Optional Step - Brown the Pork Shoulder: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the pot. Ensure to coat the oil over the whole bottom of the pot. Add the pork shoulder pieces into the pot. Brown the pork shoulder on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- Pour in half of the Pulled Pork BBQ Sauce and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Then, add in the remaining BBQ sauce mixture.
- Place all the pork shoulder pieces into the pot. If you left the skin on, make sure the skin side is facing up. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 60 minutes. Turn off the heat and fully Natural Release (roughly 15 minutes).
- Open the lid carefully. Take one piece of pork shoulder out and see if you can shred through the meat easily with two forks. If it is not fork-tender, cook for an additional 10 to 20 minutes at High Pressure, fully Natural Release.
- Use Pulled Pork Shredder Claws or two regular forks to shred the pork shoulder meat. Use a fat separator to separate the fat from the BBQ sauce.
- Reduce the BBQ sauce to your desired thickness. Taste the BBQ sauce and add in additional brown sugar or kosher salt if desired. Place the pulled pork back into the BBQ sauce. Mix well and serve!
- the pressure cooking times depending on the size of your pork shoulder pieces from a 4 pounds pork shoulder picnic:
- If it's cut into 8 pieces: roughly 55 - 60 minutes pressure cooking time.
- If it's cut into 4 pieces: roughly 60 - 70 minutes pressure cooking time.
- If it's cut into 2 pieces: roughly 75 - 80 minutes pressure cooking time.
When restricted to electric pressure cookers, large cuts like pork shoulder require strategic portioning to cook evenly within a one-hour window. Cutting a four-pound picnic roast into four to eight smaller chunks exposes more surface area for the dry rub while fitting safely below the maximum fill line of the cooker. This technique guarantees the interior reaches the collagen-dissolving threshold without requiring hours of traditional smoking.
The most common failure mode in pressure-cooked pork is rushing the depressurization phase. Forcing a manual release instantly boils the moisture out of the muscle fibers, resulting in dry, stringy meat that rejects sauce. Allowing a full fifteen-minute natural release lets the internal pressure drop gradually, enabling muscle proteins to reabsorb rendered juices and retain their tender bite.
Texture depends entirely on maintaining moisture barriers and managing connective tissue. Leaving any skin side facing upward during pressure cooking prevents the leaner outer layers from scorching against the base of the insert while rendering downward through the roast. Searing the exterior beforehand creates essential Maillard compounds, adding depth that steam alone cannot produce.
Checking for doneness requires a fork test rather than a timer alone. Pull two tines through the thickest part of a chunk; if resistance remains, secure the lid and add precisely ten minutes of high pressure. Deglazing the pot thoroughly after searing prevents the burn notice from interrupting the cycle, ensuring a smooth sauce reduction at the finish.
