Instant Pot pork butt tastes like it's been slow cooked all day but only takes around 90 minutes to prepare! Learn how to make tender, fall-apart pork, with just the right touch of spices in an Instant Pot! I like to serve mine with oil and vinegar coleslaw.
Making Pulled Pork used to take hours to prepare in the oven, which heated up the entire kitchen. Using an Instant Pot or a Ninja Foodi, you can prepare the pulled pork in a fraction of the time and keep your kitchen cool in the process.
My pork rub seasoning is the only seasoning I use when making this Instant pot pork butt recipe. It's a little sweet, a little spicy, and loaded with flavor! I highly recommend you take the time to prepare it. However, you can use your favorite pork seasoning instead.
🧐 Why This Recipe Works
- Making Instant pot pork butt takes a fraction of the time and the end result is tender, juicy pork.
- The pulled pork can be piled high in pulled pork sandwiches or added to nachos, burritos, and more!
- If you don't want to make your own BBQ sauce or pork rub, no problem, store-bought is perfectly ok!
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🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pork Roast: You'll need a 3 ½ to 4 pound Pork Butt or shoulder.
- Seasoning: I recommend using my pulled pork seasoning recipe. You can also make your own spice blend or buy another pulled pork seasoning. For my seasoning, you will need brown sugar, sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, ground cloves, and sage.
- Wine: I add a dark red wine to the Instant pot to cook the pork in. You can use your favorite wine or use chicken broth.
- BBQ Sauce: BBQ sauce adds a nice finishing touch. I make my own BBQ sauce but you can use your favorite bbq sauce, if you prefer.
- Optional Ingredients: Cumin, oregano, and spicy chiles can also be added to enhance the flavor!
🥘 How to Make This Recipe
Slice pork roast into quarters, and sprinkle generously with my Pulled Pork dry rub Seasoning. Sprinkle one tablespoon at a time, until all the pieces are evenly coated. Save leftover rub for another use.
Choose "saute" mode on your pressure cooker then add one tablespoon of olive oil. Brown meat on all sides, using more oil, as needed. Add the last tablespoon of oil, sauté the onion until caramelized. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
Pour wine into the pot and deglaze with a wooden spoon to scrape the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add pork and cover with barbecue sauce. Lock lid and move vent lever to sealing position. Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes, followed by natural release.
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It will take 5-10 minutes to come up to pressure.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Use tongs to remove the pork butt roast. Shred the cooked pork with two forks or bear claws.
Serve in a roll, with additional barbecue sauce, lettuce, and onion. You can also use the shredded pork to make tamales, enchiladas, breakfast burritos, and more!
🌮 What to Do With Pork Butt Leftovers?
Pork butt leftovers can be used to make enchiladas, nachos, breakfast burritos, and quesadillas. You can also use the leftovers to make smoked jalapeño poppers or Chile rellenos!
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Instant Pots are perfect for when you are short on time and still want tender, juicy, pork. Preparing pulled pork takes around 1 ½ hours from start to finish.
The best cut of meat for pulled pork is the pork shoulder, which can be found under the following names: Boston butt or roast, and picnic roast.
These cuts are marbled with fat and perfect for slow cooking. A cheaper option is to use pork strips or country style pork ribs.
Most people use their favorite rub when making pulled pork. Most dry rubs combine a mixture of brown sugar, spices, and herbs.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- If you don't want to make my dry rub seasoning, you can use a store-bought brand, for example, this one.
- To give the pulled pork a slightly crispy texture, place the shredded pork in a baking dish, drizzle with pot liquids, and broil until some of the pieces have crispy, charred edges.
- Instead of wine and barbecue sauce, try an equal amount of broth, beer, and even coffee.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze in freezer bags.
🍖 Related Recipes
If you love this Instant pot pork butt as much as I do, check out these other awesome recipes!
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Pork Butt
Ingredients
- 3½ lbs pork roast
- 1 recipe pork rub for pulled pork and ribs (recipe)
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion (sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic (sliced)
- 1 cup burgundy wine
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Slice pork roast into quarters, and sprinkle generously with my Pulled Pork dry rub Seasoning. Sprinkle one tablespoon at a time, until all the pieces are evenly coated. Save leftover rub for another use.
- Choose saute mode on your pressure cooker then add one tablespoon of olive oil. Brown meat on all sides, using more oil, as needed. Add the last tablespoon of oil, sauté the onion until caramelized. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Pour wine into the pot and deglaze with a wooden spoon to scrape the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add pork and cover with barbecue sauce. Lock lid and move vent lever to sealing position. Cook on high pressurefor 60 minutes, followed by natural release.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve in a roll, with additional barbecue sauce, lettuce, and onion. You can also use the shredded pork to make tamales, enchiladas, breakfast burritos, and more!
Notes
- If you don't want to make my dry rub seasoning, you can use a store-bought brand, for example, this one.
- To give the pulled pork a slightly crispy texture, place the shredded pork in a baking dish, drizzle with pot liquids, and broil until some of the pieces have crispy, charred edges.
- Instead of wine and barbecue sauce, try an equal amount of broth, beer, and even coffee.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze in freezer bags.
Kelly Methey says
This sounds so good. I am intimidated by my Instant Pot. I will have to “Cowboy Up” and try this recipe as I love pulled pork! I know this will be delicious because all your recipes are!
Hilda Sterner says
I can show you!
Andrea Buck says
Made this for a potluck tonight! I had almost four pounds so I added ten minutes...delish! The smell while it was cooking was heavenly! Didn't need to add any additional sauce...I didn't even use a bun!
HildaSterner says
Awesome to hear! Thanks for coming back to share the results. Really appreciate the feedback! ?
Andrea Buck says
Perfect timing! I'm taking pulled pork to the bunco potluck tomorrow. Will report back!
HildaSterner says
Yay, can't wait to hear back! Thanks, Andrea!