Main Course Recipes

Pulled pork

10 - 12 servings

My Pulled pork recipe is a delicious and simple-to-prepare dish that is perfect for any occasion. Whether you choose the oven preparation, a standard slow cooker, or a multifunction slow cooker, this method guarantees incredibly tender meat flavored with brown sugar and smoked paprika. Get ready to easily shred the meat and toss it in your favorite BBQ sauce to serve on buns or homemade bread! Read More

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Tom the ChefPublished: 4.16.2026

Main Course Recipes

Dairy-free

105 min. +

1/5

121 calories Per Serving (of 10) Read More

Before You Start

Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…

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Welcome to My Favorite Pulled Pork Recipe

Pulled pork needs no introduction, but having a foolproof method to make it at home is essential. Most of us have a favorite restaurant that serves incredible sandwiches and tacos, but I want to show you how easy it is to achieve that exact quality in your own kitchen. I am presenting you with my delicious and simple-to-prepare recipe which has been proven many times over. I will provide you with step-by-step guidance for making this using an oven preparation, a traditional slow cooker, or a multifunction slow cooker. Using a quality boston pork butt and simple spices like brown sugar and smoked paprika, you will see how easy it is to cook and shred the meat. How you decide to prepare it is completely up to you!

The Perfect Seasoning Rub

Creating the ultimate flavor profile for my Pulled pork begins with a perfectly balanced seasoning rub. I combine three-quarters of a cup of brown sugar with two tablespoons of ground smoked paprika to give it a deep, sweet, and smoky foundation. To this, I add a teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper, five teaspoons of salt, one teaspoon of ground pepper, and six cloves of grated, peeled garlic. I simply place all of these into a large mixing bowl and stir together with a whisk until fully incorporated. The brown sugar helps to create a wonderful glaze as the meat cooks, while the smoked paprika ensures you get that classic barbecue flavor even if you are using an oven preparation or a multifunction slow cooker instead of an outdoor smoker.

Selecting and Preparing the Boston Pork Butt

The star of the show is the meat itself, and I always recommend an eight to ten pound boston pork butt, which is also known as the top pork shoulder. It is crucial to buy the pork butt with the bone in. Not only will it be slightly cheaper, but you will benefit from much more flavor in the final product. During preparation, make sure the boston pork butt is properly rinsed under cold water. I then remove the top layer of fat, as it will not be used for cooking, though you can save it to freeze and make lard later. Importantly, do not remove the bone. It stays in during your slow cooker or oven preparation, adding rich flavor. Once fully cooked, it will be incredibly easy to remove because the Pulled pork is so tender. After trimming, I cut the meat into about eight large, even pieces and coat each piece evenly in the seasoning rub.

The Optional Searing Step

Before you dive into the main cooking process of the Pulled pork, there is a modification you can consider, although it is not strictly part of the base recipe. You can choose to sear the meat from all sides for a few minutes until browned using about two tablespoons of frying oil in a pan, or directly in an Instant Pot. Some believe this extra step adds extra flavor, but I personally believe it is unnecessary in terms of the final flavor of this Pulled pork dish. Whether you are using a slow cooker or a multifunction slow cooker, skipping this step still yields incredible results. It is totally up to you to decide what you like best!

Choosing Your Cooking Method: Oven, Slow Cooker, or Multifunction Slow Cooker

One of the best things about this Pulled pork recipe is its complete versatility. For an oven preparation, I preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, place the meat in a roast pan, pour one bottle of beer around it, and bake covered with a lid or aluminum foil for about four and a half hours until tender. If I use a traditional slow cooker, I place the meat in the liner, add the beer, and stew on high for eight to nine hours. If I am short on time, I love using the multifunction slow cooker. I set it to manual high pressure for sixty minutes, let the pressure naturally release for ten minutes, and then perform a quick release. All three methods use the beer to keep the boston pork butt incredibly moist, ensuring it is perfectly ready for you to effortlessly shred the meat later.

Pulled pork - Prepare in the oven, slow cooker, or multifunction slow cooker

Shredding the Meat and Adding BBQ Sauce

Once the cooking is complete and the cooking liquid is drained, the most satisfying part begins. I remove and discard the bone, and then, using two forks, I carefully shred the meat until it reaches the size I prefer. After you shred the meat, place it back into your roast pan, slow cooker, or multifunction slow cooker. I then add one and a half cups of BBQ sauce and thoroughly stir until fully combined. Depending on your method, the final step involves a quick blast of heat to bring it all together: 15 additional minutes in the oven, 20 minutes on high in the slow cooker, or 1 to 2 minutes on the sauté setting of the multifunction slow cooker to slightly caramelize the BBQ sauce into the meat.

Serving Your Delicious Pulled Pork

When it comes time to serve, the possibilities are wonderful. I highly recommend serving this amazing Pulled pork as a sandwich with extra BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, and coleslaw. It is absolutely fantastic when you serve it between two slices of freshly baked homemade bread or classic burger buns. If you want to build a perfect plate, oven-roasted potato wedges make the ideal side dish. The combination of the sweet brown sugar, the deep smoked paprika, and the rich BBQ sauce makes this homemade bread sandwich an unforgettable meal that you will want to make over and over again.

Pulled pork

10 - 12 servingsTom the ChefPublished: 4.16.2026 ☆☆☆☆☆0x(write a review)👁355x

Pulled pork needs no introduction. Most of us have a favorite restaurant that serves pulled pork in sandwiches, tacos, and more, but not everyone has a great recipe which is easy to prepare. This is why I’m presenting you with my delicious and simple-to-prepare recipe which has been proven many times over. In this recipe, I will provide you with guidance for preparing in the oven, slow cooker, and even an multifunction slow cooker. How you decide to prepare it is up to you!

I always buy a whole pork butt and make a little more than we need since this pulled pork is sooo good but also works great as leftovers. If you prefer a smaller amount, you can cut this recipe in half.

105 min. +

1/5

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Ingredients:

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¾ cup of brown sugar

2 TBSP of ground smoked paprika

1 TSP of ground cayenne pepper

5 TSP of salt

1 TSP of ground pepper

6 cloves of garlic - peeled and grated (or pressed)

8 - 10 LB of boston pork butt (top pork shoulder) (*)

12 FL OZ of beer of your choice (I prefer to use unfiltered wheat beer, or substitute with 12 FL OZ of water)

1 ½ cup of BBQ sauce (store-bought or recipe here)

* Buy pork butt with the bone. It will be slightly cheaper, and you will benefit from more flavor in the final product. Optionally, you can use pork shoulder, but you have to remove the skin when it applies.

Tools:

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1x Large Mixing Bowl (8 QT +)

1x French Whisk

1x Small Hand Grater or Garlic Press

2x Regular forks

1x Silicone Spatula

1x Roast Pan with High Rims or Medium Chafer Pan or Slow Cooker or Multifunction Slow Cooker

Nutrition per 1 Serving:(recipe split into 10 servings)

Estimated

Calories 121 Protein 0.8 g Fat 0.6 g Saturated fat 0.1 g Carbohydrate 29.4 g Sugars 24.8 g Fiber 1.4 g Sodium 1111 mg Cholesterol 0 mg

Dairy-free

Estimated. Worked out from the ingredients above using the United States Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central reference data. An estimate, not a measurement — brands, sizes and how much of a marinade actually ends up on the plate all move it.

Directions:

1.Seasoning Rub:

1.1.

Place into a large mixing bowl:

¾ cup of brown sugar

2 TBSP of smoked paprika

1 TSP of ground cayenne pepper

5 TSP of salt

1 TSP of ground pepper

6 cloves of garlic – peeled and grated

Stir together with a whisk until fully incorporated (about 1- 2 minutes).

2.Meat Preparation:

2.1.

Make sure that the pork butt is properly rinsed under cold water.

2.2.

Remove the top layer of fat. It will be not used for cooking.

Tips:

Do not discard the fat layer. You can freeze it and use it later to make lard, for example.
Do not remove the bone – it will add some flavor during cooking, and when fully cooked, it will be easy to remove because the meat will fall apart. After all, it is so tender.

2.3.

Cut the meat into a few large even pieces (about 8).

2.4.

Place each piece one by one into the large bowl with seasoning rub and coat each piece of meat evenly.

Before cooking

Before you start cooking the meat, you can consider searing the meat from all sides (sauté) for a few minutes until browned. Use about+ 2 TBSP of frying oil and sauté on a frying pan for oven or crockpot preparation or directly in an Instant Pot. Some people believe that this extra step will add extra flavor, but I believe that it is unnecessary in terms of the final flavor of this dish. It is up to you to decide what you like best. totally on you 😊.

3.Prepare in the Oven, Slow Cooker, or Multifunction Slow Cooker:

3.1.

Oven preparation:

3.1.1.

Preheat oven to 300°F.

3.1.2.

Place meat into the roast pan.

3.1.3.

Pour 1 bottle of beer around the meat.

3.1.4.

Cover with a lid or aluminum foil.

3.1.5.

Bake covered in a preheated oven until the meat is tender and slightly falling apart – it is easy to shred (about 4 hours and 30 minutes).

3.1.6.

Remove the meat and place on a cutting board and drain the cooking liquid (it will not be used for further cooking).

3.1.7.

Remove and discard the bone.

3.1.8.

Using two forks, shred the meat until you reach the size you prefer.

3.1.9.

Place the shredded meat back into the roast pan, add 1 ½ cups of BBQ sauce, and thoroughly stir until fully combined.

3.1.10.

Place into the oven for an additional 15 minutes.

3.2.

Slow cooker:

3.2.1.

Place meat into the liner of the slow cooker (the top part of the slow cooker designated for cooking).

3.2.2.

Pour 1 bottle of beer around the meat.

3.2.3.

Cover with the lid and set to high.

3.2.4.

Stew until the meat is tender and slightly falling apart – it is easy to shred (about 8 to 9 hours).

3.2.5.

Remove the meat and place on a cutting board and drain the cooking liquid (it will not be used for further cooking).

3.2.6.

Remove and discard the bone.

3.2.7.

Using two forks, shred the meat until you reach the size you prefer.

3.2.8.

Place the shredded meat back into the slow cooker, add 1 ½ cups of BBQ sauce, and thoroughly stir until fully combined.

3.2.9.

Cook on high for about 20 minutes.

3.3.

Multifunction Slow Cooker:

3.3.1.

Place meat to the multifunction slow cooker liner (the top part of the Instant Pot designated for cooking).

3.3.2.

Pour 1 bottle of beer around the meat.

3.3.3.

Close with the lid and set to sealing.

3.3.4.

Cook on manual high pressure for 60 minutes.

3.3.5.

Let the pressure naturally release for about 10 minutes; then perform the quick release.

3.3.6.

Remove the meat and place on a cutting board and drain the cooking liquid (it will not be used for further cooking).

3.3.7.

Remove and discard the bone.

3.3.8.

Using two forks, shred the meat until you have reached the size you prefer.

3.3.9.

Place the shredded meat back to the multifunction slow cooker, add 1 ½ cups of BBQ sauce, and thoroughly stir until fully combined.

3.3.10.

Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté setting and continuously stir the sauté until the sauce gets nicely absorbed into the meat and slightly caramelized (about 1 – 2 minutes).