Instant Pot/Crockpot “Smoked” Pulled Pork–if you love pulled pork and you love a smoked flavor on your meat but you don’t have hours to spend you’re going to love this easy pressure cooker smoky shredded pork.
Instant Pot/Crockpot “Smoked” Pulled Pork
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First I just want to say that my husband died over this meat. He thought it was the best thing ever! I received the recipe for this Kalua/Smoky Pork recipe from a reader named Shasta. Thanks Shasta for telling me about it! My husband also thanks you 🙂 If anyone has a great Instant Pot/Crockpot recipe that you want to share with me and my readers I’ll be glad to try it out. Just email me at [email protected]
I also wanted to tell you a little secret. I now have a Winco fairly close to where I live. (Woo!) And the past two times I’ve gone they have a big cut of pork in a bag and they call it “pork carnitas.” To tell you the truth, I’m not sure what cut of pork it is. But it is amazing! And guess what else? The price is super low…like $1.38 per pound. I made this Mexican Pulled Pork with it too. Basically it’s like the darker pork meat without all the fat. Sometimes when I buy pork shoulder I get a little grossed out because there is so much fat on it. This pork carnitas meat doesn’t have a lot of visible fat (a bit but not a ton). So if you have a Winco, head on over and get a big package of pork carnitas meat. I like to cut it in half and save half for later in the freezer.
Once you have your meat you’ll just add some liquid smoke (I always find this in a smallish bottle next to the BBQ sauces), soy sauce, freshly minced garlic and a bit of broth. If you’re cooking in the Instant Pot I cooked this on manual for 70 minutes and did a natural pressure release. The meat was fall apart tender. Like so perfect that I couldn’t even believe it. If you’re cooking this in the slow cooker you’ll want to cook low all day long…about 8-10 hours. If it’s not fork tender, it’s not done yet.
Instant Pot and Crockpot Pork Recipes
So you bought a bunch of pork on sale and aren’t sure what to do with it? Here are some fun pork recipe ideas:
Instant Pot Mexican pulled pork
Slow Cooker Pork Chops, Ribs and More: 10 Best Slow Cooker Recipes for Pork Free eCookbook from All Free Slow Cooker Recipes
Instant Pot Pork Chile Taco Bowl
Hot and Sweet Orange Pulled Pork
What Instant Pot Did You Use?
For this Instant Pot/Crockpot “Smoked” Pulled Pork recipe I used this Instant Pot IP-LUX60 V3 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker. It’s 6 quarts, so the same size as most slow cookers. It cost me around $80 on Amazon. When I cooked it in the slow cooker I used my 6 Quart oval Kitchenaid Slow Cooker.
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Instant Pot/Crockpot “Smoked” Pulled Pork
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 70
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
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If you love pulled pork and you love a smoked flavor on your meat but you don’t have hours to spend you’re going to love this easy pressure cooker smoky shredded pork. This recipe can also be made in the slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 lbs pork carnitas meat, shoulder or butt roast
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce (I used low sodium soy sauce)
- 2 Tbsp liquid smoke
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Instructions
- Quarter the pork and then place pork in bottom of Instant Pot or the slow cooker. Pour all the other ingredients over the top of the pork.
- For the Instant Pot: Cover and make sure valve is on “sealing.” Set the manual button for 70 minutes. When the time is up let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Release any extra pressure by gently pushing the valve to “venting.” For the Slow Cooker: cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours, or until meat is very tender.
- Transfer the meat to a cutting board and shred with a fork. It should be ultra tender.
- Serve meat plain, on sandwiches, in a salad, in a taco or however you want! If you want to add bbq sauce to make it more flavorful you can do that too.
Notes
For this Instant Pot/Crockpot “Smoked” Pulled Pork recipe I used this Instant Pot IP-LUX60 V3 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker. It’s 6 quarts, so the same size as most slow cookers. It cost me around $80 on Amazon. When I cooked it in the slow cooker I used my 6 Quart oval Kitchenaid Slow Cooker.
Nutrition
- Calories: 392
- Sodium: 304 mg
- Fat: 28.4 grams
- Carbohydrates: .5 grams
- Protein: 31.4 grams
- Cholesterol: 119 mg
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If my roast has a bone, how much should I increase the cook time by since I assume it won’t be cut into pieces due to the bone?
I would try 90 mintutes plus natural pressure release.
This recipe produces very plain tasting meat. Suggest serving it with a good sauce.
★★
If I have a 2.5lb pork shoulder, will that change the cooking time or ingredients?
★★★★★
I’d keep it the same!
I have an almost 7lb shoulder butt roast. Do I need to double the ingredients? Also, how long should I cook it?
Will it fit? That is big! I would double ingredients and increase cooking time by 20 minutes.
My hubby and I like to mix the Swwt Baby Ray’s Sweet and Spicy with the Hickory and Brown Sugar when we have bbq. It’s so good!!
Yum! That sounds awesome!
If I have a 3 pound pork ribeye roast that is frozen solid, how do I adjust the cooking time? In my instant pot
Hi Dana, I’m unfamiliar with a pork ribeye roast. But I would think that you should cook for the same amount of time listed on the recipe.
ABSOLUTELY THE BEST pulled pork EVER! I used. 3.75 lb pork shoulder. Followed the recipe exactly. Absolutely fell apart in my Pampered Chef Quick Cooker. It is at the top of our hit list for future dinners. Sooooooo darned simple and easy. Can’t thank you enough for sharing.
★★★★★
Oh how nice thank you so much Georgia! I’m glad you liked it!
Should we change this recipe at all if we’re cooking it in an 8 qt instant pot?
I’d keep it the same.
I made this with 4.5# of pork shoulder, cut into 5 pieces. I seared all sides but I honestly didn’t taste a difference once it was cooked. I added 5 more minutes to the time and it cooked perfectly!
★★★★★
GREAT! thanks for sharing your experience with this recipe.
I have an almost 7 lb butt roast. I jave an 8 at instant pot. Would you recommend doubling the ingredients? What about cook time?
I would double the ingredients. Then quarter the roast and cook for 90 minutes plus a full natural release. It will take about 2 hours total so plan accordingly.
This was by far the absolute BEST PULLED PORK I have ever had. It was so good, so tender. My whole family said they want it again soon. 🙂 I used a 3+ lb pork shoulder and cut it into 5 pieces. I did NPR for about 20 minutes. I placed all of the meat on a rack inside the pot and poured everything over the meat. I shredded the pork in the juices. Thank you for this! I will be making again.
★★★★★
Hi Marie, thanks so much for letting me know! I’m glad you liked it!
I made this tonight for the first time using 3 lbs of pork carnita. Omg so delicious!!!! My picky husband loved it as much as I did. Thank you so much for another amazing recipe!!!!!
★★★★★
WOO! Thanks for the 5 stars Liz!
I have a 1/12 2 lb pork lion that I want to shred can I put this in an instant pot if so for how long
You can use pork loin. I haven’t totally got the timing down right on pork loin yet. But this chart says to cook it for 12 minutes: https://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooking-times/#meat
Can I make this using a boneless pork tenderloin?
you can but I’d only cook for maybe 8-10 minutes.
My pork shoulder is 4lbs. Would you recommend adding a little time? Your do you think 70 mins is good?
I bet 70 minutes would be good!
I’m making this tomorrow in my Instant Pot, but doing it as slow cooker. It works great if you have a lid with a little round hole in it. Thanks for a great sounding recipe.
This was the first time I used my instant pot and first time making pulled pork. I added smoked paprika. This turned out so good. Thank you!
★★★★★
Good call on the smoked paprika!!! That sounds so good.
Modified a little and it was sooo good. Omitted the soy sauce but added some apple cider vinegar and crushed red pepper flakes for more of the southern flavors we like. I used a 7.5lb Boston butt in the IP and same cooking time as her recipe calls for. I removed about 1/3 of the pork after shredding and put it under the broiler a bit to get some of the firmer crunchy pieces you would achieve from a smoker or oven and then added that back in with the rest of the pork. I reserved about 2 cups of the juice and added back to the pork after shredding. Leaving all the juices would’ve been way too much and none would leave it a little too dry for my liking. Served with southern style green beans and the whole family loved it. Fed a family of 4 (with 2 teenage boys) along with 2 days of leftover lunches. Definitely keeping this for a repeat recipe
★★★★
I just trimmed a pok shoulder/ butt and have a little over 9 lbs. of pork. Should i double the seasonings or do 2.5 times the seasoning? How long do you think I should set my IP? First time using the IP and I am a little nervous. Should I sautee the meat first in olive oil to give it the crispy pieces? Thank you!
TIP – If you are fortunate enough to have a Kitchenaid mixer, it is THE easiest/fastest way to shred boneless cooked meat! Just place pieces (no bigger than your fist or a half chicken breast) in the bowl, a few at a time, and use the normal beater (not whisk or dough hook) on low. Shredded in seconds. Repeat as needed.
★★★★★
I used boneless pork shoulder and beef broth instead of chicken broth (it is what I had on hand). This instant pot recipe came out the best I have ever had not from an actual smoker. It was so tender and delicious. Even my picky 5 year old loved it, and she doesn’t eat anything.
★★★★★
So glad you liked it! And that kid too 🙂
Hi Karen,
I scored some small boneless blade steaks and want to assemble this into a few freezer mieals for my husband and me. Can I freeze them before cooking, or do you think there would be a problem with the liquid smoke?
As always, thanks!
I think freezing it would be just fine!
Hi Karen,
This recipe worked really well as a freezer meal. I trimmed the blade steaks (2.5 pounds total), then divided the meat into thirds by weight. I mixed together the full amount of other ingredients, then portioned it along with the meat into 3 quart-size freezer bags. I cooked one bag today in our small 2qt slow cooker, and about 5 hours later I had tender, succulent pork that kept well on warm until we were ready to eat.
Garnished with onion/cilantro/jalapeno salsa and a very simple sauce of ranch dressing mixed with hot taco sauce, my husband pronounced them the best pork tacos I’ve ever made. That’s high praise considering all the carnitas I’ve made, and I only spent about 10 minutes on the front end bagging them, and another 10 making the salsa and sauce this afternoon.
The next bag will become BBQ pork sliders, and for the last one I’m thinking of tacos with a pineapple/mango salsa. I’m just beginning to make freezer meals, and this was a great start, a truly delicious dump recipe that will be on regular rotation. This was such an easy win that I’d love to see you make a collection of freezer meals for the Instant Pot and slow cooker. That could be your next cookbook!
Thanks for another easy keeper, you never disappoint.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you and your husband liked them! And I really like all your ideas. They sound mouth watering. I really should do more freezer cooking!
I’m in SC and we like a little heat and Vinegar taste to it. Can I add Red Pepper Flakes and a little Vinegar to the mix?
oh yes, I bet that would be amazing!
Hi Karen,
I am planning on maki g this for work. I have an Instant Pot, but it is made by Faberware and a lot of the buttons are different. I don’t have a “manual button” just one that says “slow cook”. Is this the same or do I need to add more time?
Thanks!!
Randi 🙂
Does it have a pressure cook button? That’s what I would use for the Instant Pot version of the recipe. You could use the slow cook version if you want to do the slow cooker version of the recipe. Although I am not sure how great the slow cooker is on the Faberware pressure cooker.
I am using a 7lb bone-in pork butt. Should I remove the bone to decrease its weight/size a little? And should I double the seasonings?
Thanks!
I wouldn’t remove the bone. If it fits in the pot it should be fine! I would double the seasonings.
I’m making it for the third time, my husband loves it. Thanks for a great recipe!!
★★★★★
We make this one a lot too!
This pork is unbelievably tender and delicious! Served it on Hawaiian rolls with optional barbecue sauce on the side and everyone commented on how good it was. This is definitely going to be added to our regular rotation! Thank you for this easy, delicious recipe!
Hi Hannah, I’m glad you liked it! This is one of my faves 🙂
Plan on making this but want to double it should I add more cook time or just do 2 batches
you won’t need to increase cooking time. the pot will just take longer to come to pressure!
How long to cook for if frozen
I would add an extra 20-30 minutes.
What should I set the time at if I am using a pork tenderloin?
do you want to slice it or shred it? Slicing it 30 minutes, shredding it 35 minutes.
I made this recipe last night for my family for our Nee Years Eve family party and it was a hit with everyone. It was the first time I had used my instant pot as I just got it for Christmas and love how fast it cooks everything. The pork was so tender and flavorful without adding any bbq sauce, I will definitely make this again.
★★★★★
We love this one at our house as well!!
I’m so glad it was a hit at your home!
Thanks again for the recipe! My husband is so very happy 🙂