Name: Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 3-4 pounds pork butt or pork shoulder ((Note 1)); 1 cup water; 2 tablespoons smoked paprika; 2 teaspoons table salt; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 cup bbq sauce ((store-bought or make keto bbq sauce recipe))

Summary:

One of the easiest low carb Instant Pot dishes, this pulled pork recipe has minimal prep and requires no browning or active cooking effort. After pressure cooking, the pork is so juicy and tender that it practically shreds on its own. It's flavorful enough to enjoy as-is, or you can toss with your favorite barbecue sauce.

Instant Pot Pulled Pork

5 from 29 votes

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Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 1 hr

Natural Release: 10 mins

Yield: 6 servings

Calories: 290

Net Carbs: 4g

INGREDIENTS

▢ 3-4 pounds pork butt or pork shoulder (Note 1)
▢ 1 cup water

Dry Seasonings:

▢ 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
▢ 2 teaspoons table salt
▢ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

For Serving:

▢ 1 cup bbq sauce (store-bought or make keto bbq sauce recipe)

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare Pork: Stir all dry seasonings with spoon until well-mixed; set aside. Pat pork dry with paper towels, trim off excess fat, remove bone if present, and cut meat into roughly 8 even pieces. Toss pork pieces and seasonings in gallon-size resealable bag until well-coated.
Pressure Cook: Add water to pressure cooker pot (Note 2), then distribute pork pieces over the water. No trivet or rack needed. Secure and seal lid (Note 3). Cook at high pressure for 60 minutes (Note 4), followed by 10 minutes of natural release. Manually release remaining pressure by turning knob to venting position.
Shred & Serve: Uncover and transfer only pork to large bowl, leaving liquid in pot (Note 5). Use 2 forks to shred pork, then toss with your favorite BBQ sauce and serve (Note 6) or save for later (Note 7).

NUTRITION

Makes 6 Servings

Amount Per Serving (1 cup):

Calories 290 (49% from fat)
Total Fat 16g	24%
Saturated Fat 5g	27%
Cholesterol 102mg	34%
Sodium 1220mg	51%
Net Carb 4g
Total Carb 6g	2%
Dietary Fiber 2g	7%
Sugars 1.5g
Protein 30g

Vitamin A 37% · Vitamin C 9% · Calcium 3% · Iron 14%

PHOTOS

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Pork. In the U.S., “pork shoulder” usually refers to the pig’s lower shoulder, and “pork butt” (also called “boston butt”) refers to the pig’s upper shoulder. Either cut is fine for this recipe. If yours contains bone, select pork that’s at least 4 pounds so that you have enough meat to work with, and ask the butcher to remove the bone for convenience (or remove it yourself at home). If your pork is significantly smaller or larger than specified in this recipe, check your pressure cooker’s max capacity (Note 2) and scale ingredients appropriately (Note 4). I haven’t tested this recipe with pork loin or tenderloin, but they should also work well.

(2) Pressure Cooker Equipment. I use a 6-quart Instant Pot. Other sizes of electric pressure cookers should also work as long as all ingredients fit within the maximum capacity.

(3) Sealing Pressure Cooker. Before cooking, remember to seal the pressure cooker by turning the pressure knob from “venting” to “sealing,” otherwise the pot will not pressurize.

(4) Pressure Cooking Time. If you scale the ingredients up or down to accommodate a different number of servings, the pressure cooking time remains the same as long as the pork pieces are roughly 2 inches each.

(5) Cooking Liquid. This excess liquid will not be used for this recipe. If desired, freeze the liquid in a container to save for later. Use it in place of broth in highly-seasoned chowders or soups, like Instant Pot split pea soup.

(6) Serving. I recommend serving with your favorite barbecue sauce. I use my homemade keto bbq sauce, which is sugar-free and low in carbs. If you’re not up to making your own, you can buy sugar-free bbq sauces by brands like Walden Farms, G Hughes, and Guy’s. To make this a low carb meal, serve with a side of coleslaw or savory jalapeño cornbread. Or save the pulled pork to make burritos using low carb wraps by Mission, alongside a simple salsa.

(7) Leftovers. Pulled pork leftovers keep well, and taste even better the next day. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator, and reheat using the microwave with a cover so that the meat remains moist and doesn’t dry out.

(8) Nutrition. The calculation assumes each serving has 4 ounces weight of cooked pork. Much of the original raw weight is lost due to trimmed fat, bone, and liquid released during cooking.

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Leisa Borem

I made half with bbq sauce and left the other half plain and mixed with sauerkraut for next night. It was outstanding both ways!

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Rebecca

I made this last night and oh. My. Goodness! If I could give it 10 stars, I would. The dry rub is DELICIOUS and with the addition of the BBQ sauce (which I added some liquid smoke to and it took it OVER THE TOP), it’s ridiculous amounts of amazing. I stood at the counter and ate it out of the bowl with a fork! SO GOOD! Thank you!!!

Nicole

This is honestly the best pulled pork I have ever had and I consider myself a pulled pork connoisseur. The seasoning was spot on. I didn’t change a thing. The keto bbq sauce was really good too but the pork was too good for sauce. Amazing!!!

Chris Curtis

Fantastic recipe, especially the keto bbq sauce, it came out so well! I ended using a pork tenderloin and set it for 35mim instead and it came out great!

Gabby

Just made for Labor Day dinner…delish! And sooo easy thank you 🙂

Julie

This was delicious! And so easy! I made it just as the recipe said and it was perfect.

Amanda

How would you adjust cooking time and adding liquid if making this in the slow cooker?

Deborah Mundorff

Delicious!!! And so easy

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Sonia Sharp

This is the best Keto Instant Pot recipe for Pulled Pork I have tried. It was easy, simple and very delicious. This is my new favorite recipe for Pulled Pork. I actually prefer this Pulled Pork plain without the BBQ sauce. It doesn’t need it. It’s tasty without any added sauce. Also, I must say this recipe was very well written with clear instructions and notes. I am looking forward to trying other recipes of Julia.

Brandi

Just got my instant pot and thinking this will be my first recipe! I prefer the more vinegar style pulled pork (Carolina style) instead of BBQ sauce. Will the flavors from the dry rub still work well if I add a vinegar based sauce after the pork is done?

Julia

Yes, I think the dry rub will still work well. Hope you give it a try!

Leticia

I just have 1lb. Would you adjust the cooking time?

I would keep the cooking time the same, and cut the pork into only 2 to 3 pieces (as opposed to 8 like the recipe states). Keep the 1 cup of water the same, and decrease the dry seasonings and BBQ sauce by a factor of 3 or 4 since you’re using less meat.

Sarah Volante

I was thinking this would be my first recipe with my Instant Pot, but I’m still learning how to cook with and without an Instant Pot!

Pork was buy one, get one free, so I have two pork shoulders that are 2 lbs each. I’d like this to be a two day meal for my boyfriend and I. Can we get by on making one of the pork shoulders for that? And if we did, should I adjust the cooking time down at all for 2 lbs of meat?

Any help is appreciated! This looks delicious!

Yes, using a 2 pound pork shoulder should be fine; cut the pork into 4 pieces instead of 8. Just halve the dry seasonings and BBQ sauce since you’re using half as much pork. Keep the water the same at 1 cup, and keep the pressure cooking time the same. Hope that helps!

Dek

My pork wasn’t done. What did I do wrong?

It could be a number of things. Did you remember to cut the pork into smaller pieces, seal the pot by turning the knob to “sealing,” and use the correct cooking and release times?

Mindy

A really easy and GOOD recipe. Leftovers are even better! SO many uses with the pork too – tacos, sandwiches, salads, etc. – Just modify the sauce. The basic IP pulled pork recipe is a winner!

Trisha

I made this for my husband and I and it was PHENOMENAL! I want to make it for extended family this weekend – if I use two 3-4 lb pieces of meat, do I just double everything else but leave the cooking time the same? Thanks so much!

That’s correct: double the ingredients, and leave the pressure cooking time the same. Enjoy!

Jackie

Best recipe ever. I will be sharing it and making it again soon!! Almost didn’t even need bbq sauce!

Mai

This was so easy and tasty! Thank you! It tastes good without the bbq sauce!

Lana

Best pulled pork I’ve ever made! It didn’t even need sauce! I love that it wasn’t hard to pull; I was easily able to shred it with 2 forks. Definitely a new favorite in my house.

Evelyn Almada

I’ve made this twice and love it both times. I make the barbecue sauce and put it in small 4oz mason jars in the freezer for other things like burgers. My problem is I can’t find your yummy coleslaw recipe. Am I missing something?

I’m glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Evelyn. My coleslaw recipe: https://www.savorytooth.com/coleslaw/

Rose Axelson

Love, love, love this recipe along with the Keto BBQ sauce link!! Pork was SO tender.

Abby

Do you add the shredded pork back to the pot with the liquid? I plan on making this!!

Abby, I don’t add the shredded pork back in, but that’s just my personal preference. I prefer to mix the shredded pork with bbq sauce rather than put it back in the watery liquid.

Hailey Jacobson

I made the recipe and instead of the bbq sauce I used Trader Joe’s Pineapple Salsa. The spice rub (added 1 tsp onion powder) worked amazingly well with the salsa. Simply delicious!

Melissa

We made this last night and it was delicious! I couldn’t have had better pulled pork in a restaurant. My husband told me to make sure and save this recipe, which I did. We used the exact seasonings and we found some sugar free bbq sauce at a specialty store, which was also good. Thank you for this recipe.

Terri

I just made this. I only changed the recipe by adding some liquid smoke. Was phenomenal!!! My son wondered why I didn’t own a restaurant because it was so so unbelievably good!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

John

Made it two nights ago the whole family loved it, I had to hide some for lunch!!!:)

Michele

Such a hit. I omitted the bbq sauce and offered it a as a side condiment, but no one thought it was needed.

Instant Pot Pulled Pork