
The Instant Pot pulled pork recipe makes perfectly juicy and tender BBQ pulled pork in a fraction of the time as grilling or slow roasting. Our version has you coat the ribs in a savory pork rub, which you then sear to lock in moisture and flavor, and then pressure cook for just 1 hour!
Preheat the Instant Pot to Saute High and add 2 Tbsp of oil to the pot.
Cut the pork roast into 4 large pieces. If it's boneless pork that's really easy to get similar-sized hunks of meat. If you have bone-in pork roast you can do this one of two ways: either leave the bone attached to one of the large chunks of meat OR carefully cut the bone off of the meat.
Sprinkle the pork with the rub mix. Press the rub into the pork with clean hands to help make sure the seasoning stays on the pork butt and doesn't just fall to the bottom of the Instant Pot.
Sear the pork roast pieces on each side for 3-4 minutes until brown. It'll be a snug fit in the pot, but all pork pieces will fit. Do not peek at the pork until you're ready to flip it over, you won't want to keep it from browning to a nice crisp. And be sure not to fry it on each side for too long, otherwise, the pork rub will start to burn.
You'll need to deglaze the pot to avoid getting the burn signal during cooking. Press the Cancel button to stop the pot from cooking before you deglaze. To do this, remove the pork pieces and set them aside on a plate. Add 1/2 cup of liquid like chicken broth, beef broth, apple juice, or pineapple juice, and scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.
Add the 1 tsp of liquid smoke now if you're using it (optional).
Add the pork back to the Instant Pot and pour 1/2 cup+ of BBQ sauce over the top.
Turn the pot to Manual High for 60 minutes. Do a Natural release for 10 minutes before doing a quick release of the remaining pressure in the pot. Once the pin drops, you can open your lid.
Let the pork cool down for 5-10 minutes before shredding it with forks, meat claws, or a mixer. Enjoy! Serve as a sandwich with a side of closeslaw, as sliders, or on lettuce wraps.