This incredibly delicious Instant Pot pulled pork literally falls apart. It doesn’t get any easier or tastier than this!
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From pulled pork bbq sandwiches to pork tacos to pork nachos, the possibilities are awesome! I had never made pulled pork before, so I was worried about being successful. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make pulled pork in the Instant Pot.
It’s so much faster than making it in a slow cooker, and it was so easy to shred once the pork was cooked.
It was a HUGE amount of pork, 8 lbs. to be exact. I thought we would have to freeze some of it, but it turns out in a few days it was all gone! That’s what 5 kids will do to any dreams of saving food in the freezer.
The first thing I made was pulled pork sandwiches, this was the family favorite!
With the leftovers, I also made shredded pork tacos and a couple of days later, I made shredded pork nachos!
All 3 meals were delicious and they were enjoyed by all 5 kiddos alike.
Essential Items
Here are some essential prep tools, utensils, and appliances I used to make this recipe.
Featured Items
Here is a list of the products featured in this post or products similar to those featured in this post:
- Instant Pot
- Tongs
- Shredder Claws
- Liquid Measuring Cups
- Flexible Cutting Mats
- Glass Food Prep Mixing Bowls
12 Must-Have Instant Pot Cookbooks
If you’re looking for a cookbook with easy and reliable Instant Pot recipes, then check out my list of approved Instant Pot Cookbooks.
How To Make Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
As I said I had never made pulled pork before so I was a little intimidated. I looked through so many recipes. Some called for brine while many called for a rub. It all sounded like too much effort and complication. I mean, I have 5 kids and don’t have time for concocting some super-duper rub that requires a laundry list of spices. I needed something simple that everyone would love. So, I came up with this recipe.
Gather The Ingredients
4 ingredients. That’s it!
No brine. No rub. Just pork, Dr. Pepper, barbecue sauce and one onion.
Delicious fall apart pork in about 2 hours!
Brown the Pork Shoulder
First, you’ll want to use the Sauté feature on the Instant Pot to brown the pork.
I cut the 8 lbs pork shoulder into 4 pieces to make it easier to handle and made sure to get each piece nice and brown on all sides.
You can set the pork aside after browning it.
Sauté the Onion and Then Mix in the Dr. Pepper & Barbecue Sauce
Place the chopped onion in the Instant Pot and sauté for about 3 minutes.
Then mix in the Dr. Pepper and the barbecue sauce. This is our favorite barbecue sauce.
Cook The Pork Shoulder
Arrange the pork in the Instant Pot. The 8 lbs. of pork fit perfectly into my 8-quart pot.
Close your Instant Pot and set to sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 100 minutes. Do an NPR (natural pressure release) for 25 min, and then release any remaining pressure before opening the pot.
Shred The Cooked Pork
Remove the pork from the Instant Pot, place on a cutting board and shred with a pair of forks. Note: when you remove the pork from the Instant Pot, be careful because it will try to fall apart on you.
What I Made With My Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
For pulled pork sandwiches, I added more barbecue sauce to the shredded pork and mixed it in well. Since my family loves Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce, that’s what I used. I then served it with pickles on a potato bun! Yum!
Pulled Pork Tacos
For the pork tacos, I heated up some leftover pork on the stove and served it on warm tortillas. I didn’t season the pork with anything additional. I topped with pico and sour cream.
Pulled Pork Nachos
For the nachos, I heated the remaining leftover pork on the stove and then seasoned it with Longhorn Steakhouse Grill Seasoning. Next, I placed tortilla chips on a cookie sheet and sprinkled the pork on top of the chips. I then topped the chips with shredded cheese, jalapeños, black beans, corn, pico de gallo and put them in the oven at 375 degrees until the cheese melted. After removing the nachos from the oven, I added sour cream.
Pulled pork 3 different ways!
IT’S YOUR TURN TO MAKE THESE PULLED PORK SANDWICHES!
Did you make this Pulled Pork recipe yet? I know you will love this recipe for Pulled Pork in the Instant Pot! You’ll be able to get a lot of sandwiches out of this recipe and that makes it the perfect dish for any celebration, party, or get-together.
Please let me know in the comments below when you make these pulled pork sandwiches and share how much you enjoyed them. Also, if you can come up with another way to eat the pulled pork, let me know that as well!
5-Star Rating: If you loved these sandwiches, I’d appreciate it if you could give them a 5-star rating to show how much you loved them.
MORE QUICK, EASY, AND DELICIOUS RECIPES
Looking for another sandwich recipe? Here are a couple more easy recipes that I know you’ll love:
Need a soup to go with your pulled pork sandwiches? If you’re looking for a perfect soup to serve with this recipe, then try my Instant Pot Vanilla Jalapeño Corn Chowder or Instant Pot Chili recipes.
For a full list of all my Instant Pot soup recipes, check out my Instant Pot Soup Recipes post.
Looking for the perfect side dish for these sandwiches? A salad is an excellent choice. You could also serve these sandwiches with oven fries or potato chips. For an extra tasty side dish, serve these pulled pork sandwiches with a side of my Instant Pot Potato Salad, this potato salad is fantastic.
More ways to cook pork shoulder: Have a pork shoulder but don’t know what to make with it? For ideas, try my other Instant Pot Pork Shoulder Recipes!
Still need an Instant Pot? If you still don’t have an Instant Pot, make sure you check out my Instant Pot Unboxing post to learn why I’m loving mine so much!
QUICK & EASY RECIPES
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Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
TENDER PORK SHOULDER COOKED IN DR. PEPPER AND BARBECUE SAUCE
Essential Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 pounds boneless pork shoulder cut into 2-pound pieces
- 2 cups sweet onion chopped
- 1 cup Dr. Pepper
- 2 cups barbecue sauce I prefer Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and let warm.
- Brown the pork shoulder in the Instant Pot. Remove once it has browned on all sides.
- Add the chopped onion and Sauté in the pork fat for 3 minutes. Now is a good time to deglaze the bottom of the pot if there are any pieces of meat stuck to the bottom.
- Add the Dr. Pepper to the onion and stir. Then add your favorite barbecue sauce to the pot and stir.
- Place the pork shoulder into the Instant Pot, turn the Sauté mode off and then close the lid.
- Ensure that the pressure release handle is set to sealing.
- Cook on ‘Manual’ or ‘Pressure Cook’, High Pressure for 100 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot has completed cooking, use the natural pressure release NPR method. I usually let it NPR for 25 minutes and then release any remaining pressure.
- Ensure that all the pressure has been released before opening the pot.
- Carefully remove the whole pork from the Instant Pot. It’s going to want to fall apart on you as you are taking it out 🙂 You can discard the liquid in the Instant Pot (it’s mostly fat from the pork).
- Place the pork on a cutting board and shred. You now have a delicious pulled pork that can be used to make so many different meals.
Nutrition Facts
Notes
Reheat on the stove. If you’re making any of my serving suggestions with the leftover pork and are pulling it out of the refrigerator, make sure you heat the pork on the stove beforehand.
Yes, it does say 100 minutes. I know 100 minutes seems like a lot of time but this is how you’ll get a pork shoulder that will be fall-apart good! I’ve tried cooking the pork for a shorter time but it didn’t turn out nearly as tender and juicy.
Serving Suggestions
Pulled Pork Sandwiches. Mix the desired amount of your favorite barbecue sauce into the shredded pork and serve on a bun! This makes for some amazing pulled pork sandwiches.
Tacos. Feel free to try mixing your favorite taco or meat seasoning into the shredded pork. Serve on a warm corn or flour tortilla and add your favorite taco toppings. Some topping suggestions: pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro and sour cream.
Nachos. Mix your favorite taco or meat seasoning into the shredded pork. Place tortilla chips on a cookie sheet and sprinkle the pork on top of the chips. Top with all your favorite nacho toppings. Some suggestions: shredded cheese, jalapeños, black beans, corn, pico de gallo, black olives and sour cream. Place the nachos in the oven at 375 degrees until the cheese is melted.
I purchased a 4 pound pork butt yesterday from the butcher shop – but had them cut it into 4 1 pound pieces – how do I adjust the cook time if I am only using 2 pieces (1 lb each)?
Hi Rebecca! If it was me cooking it, I probably would just do it for the same time but if you want to save time because you have smaller pieces, I’d say you should be OK with about 60-70 minutes plus the natural release. Hope this helps!
Hello there! Does it matter if you use ‘regular’ or ‘diet’ Dr. Pepper? Recipe sounds yummy!
Hi Ellen! Yes, you can use diet soda as well! This pulled pork is super easy and so delicious! Enjoy!
Hi Valerie! I am planning to make this for the folks staying at our local Ronald McDonald House, however, we only have 90 minutes to prepare. If I cut my pieces smaller and use two pots, cook for 60minutes and natural release for 20, do you think it will turn out?
Hi Amy! It should work for you if you cut it into smaller pieces. Cook it for as long as you can. I did it once a long while ago because we didn’t have as much time, so I cut it into smaller pieces. I can’t remember how long I cooked it for though but it worked out. I hope it turns out perfect for you!! Keep me posted.
God bless your big, beautiful heart and thank you for your time at the Ronald McDonald House! My grand baby has been battling cancer and we’ve stayed at those houses and eaten the meals the volunteers have prepared and let me tell you, it was a blessing!! ❤️ #neuroblastomanana
I made this yesterday and did 4lbs of pork shoulder in my 6 qt, other ingredients were the same as the recipe. It turned out great. We had sandwiches the first night and two sheetpans of nachos the next night. We will be making again next week and will probably do tacos. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Lacy! I’m so happy you enjoyed the pulled pork! I love making nachos and quesadillas with it! Now I’m hungry! Thanks for stopping by and commenting on your results!
Hi Valerie. Could I use boneless country style pork ribs instead? I have about 4.5# and how long do I cook it?
Hi Gayle! You can certainly use the same liquid and sauce, but the time will be way different. I don’t have a recipe for pork ribs, so you’d need to check on the time for that. It’ll probably be more like 20 mins rather than 100. Thanks for stopping by!
Hola Valerie, if you were using a 6qt. pot would the same amount of time apply. Using less amt. of pork 6lbs. versus 8.
Really have enjoyed receiving your recipes. Thanks…
Hola Nydia! Thanks for your kind comment. You would still cook for the same amount of time. Make sure to cut up the pork into approximately 2 pound pieces. No need to adjust the other ingredients either. Enjoy!!
HI Katherine, would this work the same with a pork loin? I have about 2lbs defrosting as we speak and would love to make pulled pork.
Hi Anna! Pork loin is a much leaner meat than shoulder/butt. Not the best option for pulled pork. If you must use it, the time will definitely be a lot less than what my recipe calls for. Hope this helps!
I made this recipe tonight. It turned out great!! The only thing I might do differently is to add a little salt, but if you aren’t a salt nut like me, you would be fine without it. I had about 4 pounds of pork in my 6 qt Crock Pot Express pressure cooker and used one onion and 1 cup of Dr. Pepper. I set it for the 100 minutes on the meat setting and I love how it came out. While it doesn’t have the crusty edges of pork in a smoker, it is super easy and delicious. Thank you!
Hi Katherine! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the pulled pork! I appreciate you stopping by the blog to comment!
Hi, I was just wondering when you say NPR at 25 minutes how do you do that ??? I was thinking that NPR means it just automatically does it and you don’t have to touch it. SO when you push the manual button and set the timer to 100 do you have to vent it somehow at 25 minutes? I have never used an insta pot before.Thanks for your help…. I didn’t see anything in the video.
Hi Jo-Anne! Sorry this comment got lost in the shuffle and I’m just now seeing it. NPR means you do nothing and you let the pot release steam on its own. The 100 minutes will finish and then the pot will start counting up. When the upwards countdown reaches 25, you can then release the rest of the pressure left over manually by switching the valve from sealing to venting. The display will read “L 0:25”. I just released a video on my facebook page in helping understand all this. Hope you can stop by there and watch it. It should be helpful! Thanks for stopping by the blog!
I’m going to make this in my 6 quart Duo. Do you think I’ll be able to fit all 8 pounds, or should I scale the recipe down? TIA!
Hi Lisa! I would do 6 pounds in a 6 qt. to not overfill. You still need to cut them into approximately 2-pound pieces. The rest of the recipe ingredients can remain the same. Cooking time would also stay the same. Enjoy!!