Hot take: Everyone needs a pulled pork recipe to keep in their back pocket. It’s the kind of dish that works for almost any occasion, from BBQs to game day parties to summer potlucks. It’s worth it to find a recipe you can rely on, and this one will always be my go-to. Extremely tender with a sweet-yet-tangy homemade BBQ sauce, this pulled pork is the weeknight dinner that feels like an extra-special treat. If you’ve never made pulled pork in the oven, follow my top tips below the recipe for acing this easy BBQ dish every time:
What People Are Saying:
“Love this recipe!!! Pulled pork turns out the perfect texture and juiciness!” – GoldPopsicle
“Incredible recipe! Didn’t even need the sauce. Will be my new go-to for pork.” – PurpleLobster
How To Make Pulled Pork
INGREDIENTS
The Pork
- Pork Butt: You can use boneless pork shoulder or pork butt for this recipe. Though both cuts come from the pig’s shoulder, pork butt has more fat, more marbling, and more connective tissue, so you get a juicier, more fall-apart-tender result with richer pork flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar not only adds that necessary sweetness, but it helps to tenderize the pork.
- The Spices: Spices can vary when it comes to pulled pork, but my go-combination uses smoked paprika, garlic powder, ground cumin, onion powder, black pepper, and salt. This mixture hits all the right notes: smoky, earthy, bittersweet, hot, and pungent.
- Lager: Clean, crisp lager beer is my secret ingredient for ultra-flavorful pulled pork. No beer on hand? Try out this slow-cooker pulled pork instead.
The BBQ Sauce
- Ketchup: If you’re a ketchup lover, feel free to up the amount here. Prefer less tomato flavor? Add and adjust as you go!
- Dijon Mustard: While some recipes use ground mustard, Dijon adds a more complex flavor and gentler kick to BBQ sauce that I just can’t get enough of.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar not only thins out the BBQ sauce, but it adds that vinegary tang this sauce needs. If you prefer a stronger vinegar taste, throw in some more!
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is a must-have here. I usually go for dark brown sugar for a richer flavor, but you can use light brown in a pinch.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This adds a punch of umami to the BBQ sauce, creating a tangy, salty, slightly sweet taste.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Before we get started, we need to prep our pork. We do this by trimming any excess fat with a very sharp knife. The pork will already have enough fat to keep it moist, so I like to remove a bit of the excess.
Once you’ve trimmed the fat, cut the pork into large pieces that are still small enough to fit in a Dutch oven. You don’t have to be too precise here, but make sure that you’re pieces are all a similar size. This will not only help with even cooking, but even spice distribution.
The first step in creating the most flavorful pulled pork is to create your spice mixture. Rub it all over the pork, making sure you cover every inch. If you’d like to get ahead on prep (and ensure your pork is extra flavorful), rub the pork the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator until you’re ready to get cookin’.
Once the pork is perfectly seasoned, you’re ready to get to work. One of my favorite things about this recipe? The burnt ends. These blackened edges are a result of the fat and sauce caramelizing together. Searing the meat will give you those irresistible burnt ends, and if you’re using a Dutch oven, it’s a quick and easy step. But if you don’t want to sear the meat and don’t care about the burnt ends (can’t relate), feel free to skip.
After searing, pour in the beer, cover with a lid, and bake until the pork is just tender. Then remove the lid, and bake until the pork is very tender and can be pulled apart easily with a fork. Then you can transfer the pork to a cutting board to rest until we’re finished with our sauce. Make sure to keep the drippings in the pot—those will add flavor to our sauce.
Now, it’s time to get started on the BBQ sauce. Add your ingredients to the pan drippings in the pot and whisk to combine.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, until slightly thickened. This should only take 5 minutes or so, but keep an eye on it.
Once your sauce is ready to go, shred your pork with 2 forks. You can either do this in a separate bowl, on a cutting board, or add to your pot with BBQ sauce (if it’s big enough) and shred directly in there.
If you shredded your pork in a separate vessel (my preferred method), then add it back to the pot with our BBQ sauce, and give everything a mix to fully combine.
The final step? Serve it up! I love to pile it on toasted buns with dill pickles and coleslaw, but it’s also great in pulled pork nachos and on top of a simple baked potato.
The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.
Recipe Tips
- The best cuts of meat for pulled pork. The best cuts come for the shoulder of the pig, where there is a lot of marbling (internal fat) and collagen-rich connective tissue that respond well to low, slow cooking, yielding moist, juicy meat that is fall-apart tender. Pork shoulder roast, from the lower part of the shoulder, is a good option, as is pork butt (aka Boston butt). This comes from the upper shoulder and is especially well endowed with marbling, connective tissue, and deep, porky flavor.
- How to “pull” barbecued pork. First make sure the pork is cooked until sufficiently tender that an inserted knife or fork meats minimal resistance, i.e., really tender. Once you’ve cleared that hurdle, give the pork a rest to allow the meat to reabsorb some of the juices, 20 t0 30 minutes is ideal. Now grab two forks and start separating (“pulling”) the muscle fibers; just how fine you want to shred is a matter of taste. Note: You are not tearing the meat (less juicy); you are just pulling the fibers apart (more juicy!).
What To Serve With Pulled Pork
- Mac & Cheese: When is mac & cheese a bad idea? The answer is never. This classic side dish works especially well with BBQ pulled pork, adding some cheesy richness to the plate. Want to make things interesting? Make our bacon & pimiento mac & cheese.
- Cheddar Bacon Ranch Corn: Plain grilled corn is a summer staple, but if you want to take it to another level, try this version topped with cheese, bacon, and ranch seasoning.
- Baked Beans: Baked beans are a must-have at any BBQ in my book, and are especially needed when saucy pulled pork is on the table. Looking for a new variation? Try our cowboy beans next.
Pulled Pork Variations
Storage
Put any leftover pulled pork in an airtight container and store in the fridge for around 3 days.
