Instant Pot Pork Butt is an easy 5 ingredient shredded pork recipe for tender pulled pork in about 1 hour. The pressure cooker turns a pork butt roast into juicy pulled pork without tying up the oven or slow cooker all afternoon.
Keeping the seasoning simple lets the cooked pork stay flexible as a base for several different meals.
Why You'll Love This Instant Pot Pork Butt Recipe
Pork butt is one of the best cuts for pressure cooker shredded pork because the marbling and connective tissue turn tender as it cooks. Once the pork is cooked and pulled apart, it can move in several directions, from barbecue and Southern-style dinners to Mexican meals, rice bowls, soups, baked potatoes, and freezer meal prep.
- Works across several meal styles: The same batch of cooked pork can become a completely different dinner depending on the sauce, seasonings, sides, or broth you add later.
- Budget-friendly main dish: A pork butt roast makes a generous batch of meat for several meals.
- Simple seasoning base: Salt, pepper, oil, and water leave the pork ready for barbecue sauce, salsa verde, taco seasoning, gravy, or broth.
- Useful for meal prep: One roast can be divided into meal-size portions for multiple meals.
Ingredients Overview
Pork butt, also sold as Boston butt, is the best choice for this recipe because it has enough fat and connective tissue to become tender under pressure. Pork shoulder roast and picnic cuts can also work well, though they may have more skin, bone, or uneven pieces to trim away.
Odd-cut pork chop value packs can also work, but plan to remove any bones after cooking.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Instant Pot Pork Butt
The Instant Pot does most of the work here. After a quick sear builds flavor, the pork cooks under pressure until it pulls apart easily. Follow the step-by-step visual guide below for guidance.
Use the size of your pork pieces to choose the pressure cooking time. Smaller pieces cook faster, while a larger half pork butt roast needs the full hour.
| Pork Size | Pressure Cook Time | Natural Release |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 3 pounds | 45 minutes | 15 minutes |
| 4 to 5 pounds | 60 minutes | 15 minutes |
Step 1: Coat the pork butt with salt and pepper. Turn the Instant Pot to saute mode and add the oil. Once hot, add the pork butt and sear it on each side.
Step 2: Hit cancel, then add the water. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the valve is set to sealed.
Set the Instant Pot to manual or pressure cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. After cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 15-minutes before opening the valve.
Step 3: Remove most of the liquid from the Instant Pot and discard it, or save it for soup or gravy. Pull the pork apart with 2 forks or an electric hand mixer.
Pro Tip
Don't toss the cooking liquid right away if you can use it for soup or gravy. Chill it first so the fat hardens on top and is easy to remove.
Serving Suggestions
Use Instant Pot shredded pork as a neutral cooked pork base for several different meals. Add barbecue sauce for BBQ pork sliders, salsa verde for tacos, or cooking liquid and hominy for pork pozole verde.
For simple budget dinners, spoon the shredded pork over mashed potatoes and use the cooking liquid to make a quick pan gravy. White rice, baked potatoes, buttered noodles, or quinoa also make sturdy bases for the pork.
Substitutions and Variations
Some useful variations and substitutions when making this recipe:
- Pork shoulder roast: Use it the same way as pork butt if that is what your store carries.
- Picnic cuts: Trim away thick skin or tough outer pieces before cooking if needed.
- Odd-cut pork chop packs: These can work in a pinch, but plan to remove any bones after cooking.
- Mexican-style pork: Add cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and a little chile powder.
- Barbecue pork: Stir in barbecue sauce after shredding so the sauce does not scorch during cooking.
- Crisped pork: Broil the shredded pork briefly on a sheet pan for browned edges.
Tips for Success
A few small details help pork butt cook evenly and pull apart cleanly.
- Sear before pressure cooking: Browning the pork adds flavor to the meat and the cooking liquid.
- Add water and scrape the pot: The Instant Pot needs liquid to build pressure, and scraping up browned bits after searing helps prevent a burn notice.
- Use natural release: A 15-minute natural release helps the meat settle before the remaining pressure is vented.
- Save or skim the juices: The cooking liquid is useful, but it can be fatty. Chill it and remove the fat layer if you want a cleaner broth for another dish.
- Season again after shredding: Pulled pork often needs a final pinch of salt or a splash of cooking liquid after it is pulled apart.
Storage Options
Cooked pork butt stores well, which makes it useful for planned leftovers and freezer meals.
- Refrigerate: Store cooled shredded pork in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Add moisture before storing: Spoon a little cooking liquid over the pork before refrigerating or freezing to help keep it moist.
- Freeze: Portion the pork into freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Freeze flat: Press freezer bags flat before freezing so the pork thaws faster for additional meals.
- Reheat gently: Warm the pork in a covered skillet, saucepan, microwave-safe dish, or Instant Pot on saute with a splash of broth or water.
Related Recipes
- Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders
- Smoked Baked Beans
- Kentucky Style BBQ Sauce
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy
- Shredded Chicken Tacos
Frequently Asked Questions
Pork butt and pork shoulder both come from the shoulder area of the pig, but they can be labeled differently at the store. Pork butt, Boston butt, and pork shoulder roast all work well for Instant Pot shredded pork.
You do not have to cut the pork butt if it fits comfortably in the Instant Pot. Cutting it into a few large pieces can help it sear faster and cook a little more evenly, especially if the roast is very thick.
Yes, bone-in pork butt can be cooked in the Instant Pot as long as it fits below the max fill line. Remove the bone after cooking, then pull the meat apart and discard any large pieces of fat or gristle.
Pork loin is much leaner than pork butt, so it does not cook the same way or pull apart with the same texture. For this style of shredded pork, pork butt or pork shoulder is the better choice.
Trim very thick surface fat if you want, but do not remove every bit of fat. Pork butt needs some fat and connective tissue to stay tender and flavorful during pressure cooking.
Yes, barbecue sauce is not required. Cook the pork with simple seasoning, then use it plain or add salsa, broth, gravy, barbecue sauce, or taco seasoning after the pork is cooked.
You can cook frozen pork butt in the Instant Pot, but it will take longer to come to pressure and may cook less evenly if the roast is very thick. For best texture, thaw the pork first so you can season and sear it before pressure cooking.
Instant Pot pork butt is usually tough when it has not cooked long enough for the connective tissue to soften. Put the lid back on and pressure cook it a little longer, then let it rest before shredding.
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Get The Recipe!
Instant Pot Pork Butt
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 4-5 pounds half pork butt roast
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Remove the pork butt from the netting if there is any. Coat pork butt with salt and pepper.1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Turn instant pot to saute mode, add the oil. Once hot, add the pork butt and sear on each side.4-5 pounds half pork butt roast, 1 tablespoon oil
- Hit cancel, add the water. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the knob is set to sealed.1 cup water
- Hit "manual" and set time to 60 minutes (make sure it's on high pressure). After the pork has been cooked for 60 minutes at pressure, perform a natural pressure release.
- Remove most of the liquid from the Instant Pot and discard or set aside for soup or gravy. Shred the pork with 2 forks or an electric hand mixer.
Notes
- Sear before pressure cooking: Browning the pork adds flavor to the meat and the cooking liquid.
- Add water and scrape the pot: The Instant Pot needs liquid to build pressure, and scraping up browned bits after searing helps prevent a burn notice.
- Use natural release: A 15-minute natural release helps the meat settle before the remaining pressure is vented.
- Save or skim the juices: The cooking liquid is useful, but it can be fatty. Chill it and remove the fat layer if you want a cleaner broth for another dish.
- Season again after shredding: Pulled pork often needs a final pinch of salt or a splash of cooking liquid after it is pulled apart.
Nutrition
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Kelly Bloom says
My family loved this!