Best Instant Pot Pulled Pork Recipe is packed with flavor and is unbelievably tender. Shredded pork is a quick and easy meal to feed a crowd.
This post is brought to you in collaboration with Northern Natural Lavender Apple Hard Cider.
A non-BBQ pulled pork recipe that can be turned into a variety of meals such as hot pork with mashed potato and gravy, hot pulled pork sandwich, pulled pork grilled cheese, #tortillatrend sandwiches, pulled pork taco’s and nacho’s, just to name a few recipes. Learn step by step instructions to make easy pulled pork recipe like a pro.
Northern Natural Lavender Apple Hard Cider
Use Northern Natural Lavender Apple Hard Cider from Northern Natural Cider House and Winery located in Kaleva, Michigan. Northern Natural has been serving Michigan’s finest Hard Ciders since 2007.
Now you are probably thinking, lavender hard cider?!?! This is one of the winery’s most popular beverages!!
Northern Natural specializes in premium quality organic hard ciders, wines and apple ciders made with organic fruit. The C.E.O. Dennis Mackey has been growing organically for many years.
His son, Kyle, a Great Lakes Culinary Institute-trained chef is the brewer for the winery and cider house. The Lavender Apple Hard Cider carries the USDA “Certified Organic” green label which means that this product was produced using the highest organic production and handling standards in the world.
If you are ever in Michigan, this winery and hard cider tasting room is a must stop destination. The winery also has a pizza and taco truck, during warm weather, if you get hungry. Serving up fresh local organic food.
Their award winning, Lavender Apple Hard Cider, is a winner of the 2019 World Cider Championships and is certified organic “Exceptional”!! To learn more about Norther Natural Cider House and Winery, click here.
Best Pork for Pulled Pork
The best cut for pulled pork is a shoulder butt. Make sure the pork has fat rippled throughout the meat.
This allows the finished pulled pork to be moist and not dry. A preferred choice cut is a pork butt or should butt.
Shoulder butt is an inexpensive cut of meat that needs to be slow cooked or pressure cooked. After the pork is cooked, separate the meat from the fat.
Discard the fat and shred the pork with a couple of forks or your fingers. You do not want to use pork chops, pork loins, pork ribs or even a pork tenderloin because of the lack of fat and/or the cost of the meat.
How to Make Pulled Pork
Gather all of your ingredients.
In a bowl, combine the ingredients to make the marinade. Stir until dissolved.
Pour half of the marinade into the Instant Pot. Add the pork butt to the pot and top with the rest of the marinade.
Lower the lid into the track, then turn lid clockwise until you hear a jingle sound.
Pressure Cook your pork: Make sure the steam release handle is set to the “sealing” position. Select “Pressure Cook”. Set the +/- keys to the desired time.
Slow Cook the pork: Select “Slow Cook”. Set to the “More” setting and make sure the steam release handle is set to “Venting” position.
How Long to Cook Pulled Pork in Instant Pot
To Pressure Cook your pork: With this pork butt you want to cook the meat 15 minutes for every pound. This pork butt was 8 pounds and 8 ounces.
So, I set the timer for 2 hours and 15 minutes. The Instant Pot will display the “ON” for several minutes as the pressure builds up. Then it will display the time you set and start counting down.
To Slow Cook your pork: slow cooker pulled pork will take 8 – 10 hours but may take up to 12 hours depending on the tenderness of the pork.
How to Cook Pulled Pork in Instant Pot
Pressure Cook your pork: once the timer goes off you need to release the pressure. Follow the manufacture directions on how to do this.
I like to use the “Quick Release” method. Using my long wooden spoon, I move the steam release handle from “Sealing” to “Venting”.
So, if splattering occurs, move the steam release handle back to “Sealing” and try again after a few minutes. When the float valve drops into the lid, it is ok to un-seal the lid.
To open, turn the lid counter-clockwise until a jingle sounds. Check the pork for doneness.
If the pork is not fork tender, then re-seal and follow the above steps to pressure cook for ½ to 1 hour longer.
Slow Cook your pork: If you would like, you can baste the pork occasionally. After 8 hours, check for doneness.
Pork should be fork tender and fall apart very easily. Continue cooking if pork is not falling apart.
Combination Cook your pork: I like to start slow cooking my pork and then about an hour or hour and a half before I want it do, then start pressure cooking. This technique takes a little playing around with. I find myself doing this combination cooking more and more.
When done, carefully remove your pork butt onto a serving platter. Remove the bone and any fat from your pulled pork.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can expect to serve 1/3 to ½ pound of cooked pulled pork per person. This 8 ½ pound pork butt turns into about 3 ½ pounds of finished shredded meat. So, this size roast will serve about 7 to 11 people.
A dessert that can be made ahead of time would be perfect. Try Renae Gerhardstein’s chewy chocolate chip cookies recipe and you will not be disappointed!!
Shredded Pork Sandwich
Pulled pork sandwiches, 3 ways!!
- #1 – Hot Pulled Pork Sandwich, take 1 slice of bread, add a mound of pulled pork and top with another slice of bread. Make a pork or chicken gravy to smother over the top.
- #2 – BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich, add a cup of pork to a small pan with 2 tablespoon of water and 2 – 4 tablespoons of BBQ sauce. Cook over medium/low heat for a couple of minutes. Place the BBQ pulled pork in-between a brioche bun topped with coleslaw.
- #3 – Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese Sandwich, make a grilled cheese sandwich and add a layer of pulled pork and a drizzle of BBQ sauce.
What to Do with Leftover Pulled Pork
You can turn the leftover pulled pork into a variety of meals. Go check out all 65 of these amazing leftover pulled pork recipes HERE today!!
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Northern Natural Lavender Apple Hard Cider. We are proud to work with companies we believe in to bring you free content every week.
Best Intant Pot Pulled Pork
This Best Instant Pot Pulled Pork Recipe is packed with flavor and unbelievably tender. Shredded pork is a quick and easy meal to feed a crowd.
Ingredients
- Lavender Apple Hard Cider 1 3/4 cups (12 fl oz) (352 g)
- Mustard, Dijon 1/4 cup (2.4 oz) (67 g)
- Honey 1/2 cup (5.8 oz) (165 g)
- Worcestershire Sauce 3 Tablespoons (2 oz) (55 g)
- Garlic, Minced 1 Tablespoon (0.55 oz) (15 g)
- Nature's Seasons Seasoning Blend 1 teaspoon (0.15 oz) (4 g)
- Salt, Lawry's Seasoned 1 teaspoon (0.2 oz) (5 g)
- Brown Sugar 1/4 cup (2 oz) (56 g)
- Pork Butt, Shoulder 8 lbs 5 oz (3821 g)
- Onion, small diced 3/4 cup (3.2 oz) (89 g)
Instructions
- How to Make Pulled Pork
Gather all of your ingredients. - In a bowl combine the Northern Natural Lavender Apple hard cider, Dijon mustard, honey, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, salt and pepper seasonings, brown sugar, and diced onion in a large bowl until the sugar and honey are dissolved.
- Pour half of the marinade into the Instant Pot.
- Add the pork butt to the pot and top with the rest of the marinade.
- Lower the lid into the track, then turn lid clockwise until you hear a jingle sound.
- To Pressure Cook your pork: Make sure the steam release handle is set to the “sealing” position. Select “Pressure Cook”. Set the +/- keys to the desired time.
- To Slow Cook your pork: Select “Slow Cook”. Set to the “More” setting and make sure the steam release handle is set to “Venting” position.
- How Long to Cook Pulled Pork in Instant Pot
To Pressure Cook your pork: With this pork butt you want to cook the meat 15 minutes for every pound. This pork butt was 8 pounds and 8 ounces. So, I set the timer for 2 hours and 15 minutes. The Instant Pot will display the “ON” for several minutes as the pressure builds up. Then it will display the time you set and start counting down. - To Slow Cook your pork: slow cooker pulled pork will take 8 – 10 hours but may take up to 12 hours depending on the tenderness of the pork.
- How to Cook Pulled Pork in Instant Pot
To Pressure Cook your pork: once the timer goes off you need to release the pressure. Follow the manufacture directions on how to do this. I like to use the “Quick Release” method. Using my long wooden spoon, I move the steam release handle from “Sealing” to “Venting”. If splatter occurs, move the steam release handle back to “Sealing” and try again after a few minutes. When the float valve drops into the lid, it is ok to un-seal the lid. To open, turn the lid counter-clockwise until a jingle sounds. Check the pork for doneness. If the pork is not fork tender, then re-seal and follow the above steps to pressure cook for ½ to 1 hour longer. - To Slow Cook your pork: If you would like, you can baste the pork occasionally. After 8 hours, check for doneness. Pork should be fork tender and fall apart very easily. Continue cooking if pork is not falling apart.
- When done, carefully remove your pork butt onto a serving platter. Remove the bone and any fat from your pulled pork.
Notes
Best Pork for Pulled Pork
The best cut for pulled pork is a shoulder butt. You want pork that has fat rippled through out the meat. This allows your finished pulled pork to be moist and not dry. My choice cut is a pork butt or should butt. It is a cheap cut of meat that needs to be slow cooked or pressure cooked. After the pork is cooked, you will want to separate the meat from the fat. Discard the fat and shred the pork with a couple of forks or your fingers. You do not want to use pork chops, pork loins, pork ribs or even a pork tenderloin because of the lack of fat and/or the cost of the meat.
How Much Pulled Pork Per Person?
You can expect to serve 1/3 to ½ pound of cooked pulled pork per person. This 8 ½ pound pork butt turns into about 3 ½ pounds of finished shredded meat. So, this size roast will serve about 7 to 11 people.
Pulled Pork Sandwich
One of my favorite things to make is pulled pork sandwiches, 3 ways!! #1 – Hot Pulled Pork Sandwich, take 1 slice of bread, add a mound of pulled pork and top with another slice of bread. Make a pork or chicken gravy to smother over the top. #2 – BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich, add a cup of pork to a small pan with 2 tablespoon of water and 2 – 4 tablespoons of BBQ sauce. Cook over medium/low heat for a couple of minutes. Place the BBQ pulled pork in-between a brioche bun topped with coleslaw. #3 – Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese Sandwich, make a grilled cheese sandwich and add a layer of pulled pork and a drizzle of BBQ sauce.
What to Do with Leftover Pulled Pork
This pulled pork recipe can be turned into a variety of meals such as hot pork with mashed potato and gravy, hot pulled pork sandwich, pulled pork grilled cheese, #tortillatrend sandwiches, pulled pork taco’s and nacho’s, tamales with pulled pork, pulled pork mac -n- cheese, pulled pork egg rolls, quesadillas, just to name a few.
Nutrition Information
Yield
11Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 139Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 11mgSodium 536mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 1gSugar 22gProtein 4g
Note: For exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information is simply a guideline.
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