Roasting pork for that perfect pulled pork we all love isn’t difficult. It takes a little time but very little effort and the rewards are exceptionally delicious!
I love pulled pork! There are so many ways to use this delicious slow-roasted pork that it will become a regular item on your menu, once you see how easy it is to make.
If you love pork, my Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs are easy to make and amazingly delicious. And you’ve got to try my Wild Boar Pulled Pork Sliders and Korean Pork Barbecue, they are OMG delicious!
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make a Dry Rubbed Pork Roast. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
You’ll love the seasoning blend for the pulled pork, made with black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder and other flavorful spices.
What Cut of Pork should I use for Perfect Pulled Pork?
Most barbecue restaurants use whole pork shoulder roast for their pulled pork, but they’re rarely available in grocery stores. The shoulder roast is the entire front leg and shoulder of a hog. For home consumption, this cut is generally too large, but perfect for restaurant use. This is the cut the Famous Kansas City BBQ uses for their pulled pork.
In your grocery store, you will usually find this divided into two cuts, the Boston butt (cut of pork that comes from the upper part of the shoulder from the front leg ), and the picnic roast.
Either of these cuts are good for pulled pork, but I prefer the Boston butt also known as a pork butt.
Once you’ve got all your ingredients together the first step is mixing all the seasonings together in a small bowl. Make sure they are all well blended for the spice rub.
Then begin the dry rub process which actually means rubbing the spices into the pork butt.
Chef Dennis Tip:
To make this recipe I split the pork butt into two pieces to make it easier to control and also to help reduce the overall cooking time. A large Pork Butt can take a long time to cook, two smaller butts will cook faster.
Wrap the pork in cling wrap, double wrapping it to make sure that its completely sealed to help avoid leakage.
Place a plate under the wrapped pork and refrigerate for at least 12 hours up to 24 hours.
When the pork is ready it’s time to start the cooking process. Dice an onion and saute it in olive oil (or oil of your choice) for 2-3 minutes.
The pot you saute in should have a lid and be oven ready.
Next, add the pork and begin searing the pieces on all sides. Searing each side for 3-4 minutes until the entire roast has been seared and has a nice color.
Add your favorite beer (or Dr. Pepper, Root Beer or Cola) to the pot. Place the lid on the pot and put the pot into a preheated 300 degrees F oven for 3 hours. If you’d like a smoky flavor you can add a little liquid smoke to the cooking liquid.
You can check the roast at the 90-minute mark to see if it needs more liquid. If it does add more beer or water to the pan. Mine had more than enough liquid in the pan and didn’t need any additional liquid.
Chef Dennis Tip:
Make sure to have the fat side up when you’re ready to roast the pork butts.
Do I have to use a pot with a lid to roast the pork butt?
No, you don’t. You can cover the pot with aluminum foil, or place a half sheet pan over the top of the pot when you make this recipe.
You can also place it in a baking dish that is big enough to hold the pork, onions and beer and cover it with foil.
You can also forgo the beer and onions double wrapping the pork butts in foil and placing them on a sheet pan to roast.
Depending upon the size of your pork roasts it will take 2.5 hours to 3.5 hours to cook to the desired temperature for pulled pork.
*Average cook time is 40 minutes per pound.
What temperature should I roast Pork Butts to for Perfect Pulled Pork?
For pulled pork, the ideal temperature is 205 degrees F. This goes well beyond the recommended 165 degrees F that most of us are used to cooking pork too.
The high internal temperature allows the collagen in the pork butt to break down making the meat very tender.
When the pork reaches an internal temperature of 190 F to 195 F, the meat is ready to be pulled. Cooking the pork to any temperature below that won’t give you meat that is tender enough to pull apart properly.
Rember that the pork roast will continue to cook internally by and the temperature will increase by about 10 degrees after it’s been removed from the oven.
I absolutely love my Meater Plus | Smart Meat Thermometer It takes all the guesswork out of cooking meats in the oven, on the grill, or in a smoker.
How do I shred pulled pork?
When the roast is cool enough to handle (but still hot) begin the process of pulling the meat. The tried and true method is using your hands to pull the meat against the grain into slivers.
Here are two other ways to get perfect pulled pork.
Two Fork Method:
Cut the meat into workable pieces. Then use one fork to hold the meat stable, and the other to rake it into shreds. Or use the forks to pull the meat away from each other.
Easy Method:
Using a stand mixer is the fastest and easiest way to shred pork (or chicken). Place the cooked meat in the mixing bowl, attach the flat beater paddle into the mixer and lock the lever., Turn the mixer to medium speed and let it run for approximately 30 seconds, or until the meat has shredded.
If you’re serious about pulled pork and will be making it on a regular basis, get a pair of Meat Claws aka Bear Claws.
Use your favorite barbecue sauce to turn pulled pork into a masterpiece of deliciousness! And if by some chance you have leftover bbq pulled pork, try my Ultimate Pulled Pork Cheeseburger.
Can I Make Pulled Pork in a slow cooker?
Yes, you can. Use the seasoning method as described in the recipe.
If possible sear the pork as in the dutch oven method, but you can cook the pork without searing. Add the onion, beer, and seared pork to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours depending upon your slow cooker.
Shred the pork while warm.
Recipe FAQ’s
Pork Shoulder is the best cut of pork for pulling. It has the right fat content that yields to create the tender meat for pulled pork. Because of the nature of the shoulder, it needs to be cooked slowly to allow the protein to break down properly.
This is one of the biggest complaints with pulled pork, usually due to being exposed to a high temperature for too long and being overcooked. After pulling apart the pork, use the pan juices to moisten the meat. Adding a barbecue sauce will help add moisture to the pulled pork.
Let a cooked pork shoulder rest for 15-20 minutes loosely tented with foil before pulling or serving the meat. This “relaxes” the meat, which makes it juicier and more flavorful.
The rule of thumb for pulled pork is one-third to one-half pound of meat per person. With about a 40% loss while roasting a raw 10-pound pork shoulder (or two 5-pounders) will yield about 6 pounds of finished meat, which will serve 12 to 18 people.
Yes, you can. Shred the pork first, then store it with the barbecue sauce in a large resealable freezer bag. Make sure to take out as much of the air as possible before sealing the bag.
More Pork Recipes You’ll Love!
Oven Roasted Perfect Pulled Pork
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dry mustard
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
Pulled Pork
- 4 lbs boneless pork shoulder
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 cup beer or substitute- Dr. Pepper, Root Beer or Coke
- 1 onion diced
Instructions
Dry Rub
- In a small bowl mix together all the seasonings for the rub. Mix well.
- Pat the pork roast dry using paper towels.
- Coat the pork roast with the rub. Wrap the roast in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 12 – 24 hours.
Pulled Pork
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- In a large pot heat the oil until it begins to smoke, then add the onions. Allow the onions to cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Very carefully place the pork in the pot and sear the roast on all sides (3-5 minutes per side). Be very careful during this process so that the hot oil doesn't burn you.
- Remove the pan from heat and add the beer to the pan.
- Cover and cook for 2 to 3 hours. Check the pork at about the 90 minutes mark to see if it needs more liquid.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool until safe to handle.
- Shred the pork with two forks. Add your favorite barbecue sauce to coat the shredded pork and toss to coat the pork.
- Serve as shredded pork for tacos, sandwiches and other recipes using pulled pork.
Lisa
Making for dinner tonight. Quick question. Do you discard the liquid and onions you cooked the pork in? Just pour bbq sauce over shredded pork?
Chef Dennis Littley
if the liquid is not all fat you can add it to the meat to keep it moist. A little fat in the juice is okay and any onions that find their way into the sauce is fine. If they’re burnt and ugly, strain them out. Depending upon how you’re serving it, you can add the barbecue sauce or leave it for your guests to add on their own.
Russell
I have never cooked or tried to do pulled pork but I found and tried this recipe and my son and I both enjoyed the heck out of it. I can honestly say I will be making pulled pork more often. My son couldn’t say enough about how good it was. Thanks!
Lesya
Thanks for the excellent recipe! If I want to cook 4 pork butts at once, let’s say 24 lbs total, side by side in the oven, do you think I’d need to adjust the cooking time or temperature at all?
Chef Dennis Littley
As long as there is room between all of the roasts so the air can circulate, the temperature should be fine. As for time, it may take a little longer to cook the roasts, but the only way to be sure is to use a meat thermometer and let the roasts cook until 195 degrees internal temp
Dawn
Looks good. The pork is in the oven now. I am precooking this for a meal I am serving at the cottage in a day or two. Any suggestions on when to add the bbq sauce?
Chef Dennis Littley
I would add the bbq sauce after you reheat the pulled pork. You can actually heat the sauce up before adding it.
Paul Helmboldt
I have a foodservice mgt degree and worked in that industry for many years. As a business owner, and have tried a few other online recipes for pulled pork, I must say this is the best tasting, best resulting formula and easiest I have seen. Look forward to following your journey. Thank you!
Karen Conn
I had a 9 pound roast and cooked it for over five hours at 300 degrees. The temperature got to 185 but would not hit 200degrees. I bumped up the temperature to 325 degrees and in less than 30 minutes the roast was over 200! It was delicious! We used a bottle of Guinness.
Michael W
Thx for the tip👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Natalie
Made this yesterday with my Dutch oven. Made it just as it was written and I wouldn’t change a thing!! It was delicious!! The bone fell right off. Melt in your mouth perfect! Thank you for the great recipe. I’ll be making this one for a long time!!
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the pulled pork Natalie, it’s one of my favorite dishes to make!
B
Sounds fantastic after reading the ingredients. I’m going to make this tomorrow. One question, how much bbq sauce do I use & is it really necessary since this recipe sounds wonderful without it?
Chef Dennis Littley
Its all up to you whether you sauce the meat or not. We eat a good portion of it in tacos without the sauce.
Sydney
Wowwww my gosh, this recipe is out of this world, I cooked a fat 8 pounder in a foil dish after searing in a pan, doubled everything, cooked it in dr. Pepper and almost right on the 8 hour mark that pig came out like butter. thank you so much for your clear and detailed instructions!!!
Chef Dennis Littley
thank you for the comment and great review! And I’m very happy to hear you enjoyed the joy of pulled pork!!
mo
I tried the pulled pork recipe today and it turned out great! Though I only had a 2.75 # pork butt, I adjusted the cooking time and seasonings and the meat turned out so moist, tender and flavorful. I couldn’t believe the very tasty result in less than 3 hours. Thank you so much Chef Dennis for the wonderful recipe and very clear (and flexible) instructions.
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the pulled pork, and thank you for the great review!
Billie
Your recipe sounds delicious! We have 20 lbs of pork loin on hand and is what we’ll be using for our pulled pork recipe. I’ll be cooking it in roaster in the oven. Suggestions? I anticipate following your recipe exactly but curious what, if anything I should alter since pork loin is leaner? Thanks so much!
Chef Dennis Littley
you should be okay with the pork loins following the recipe. Pork loins don’t have as much fat, so that can be a good thing or not, depending upon your eating habits…lol. I go for the fat most times.
The only difference I would make in the recipe is to turn the cooking temp down to 275 degrees F or if you have the time 250 degrees F. This will increase the cooking time so an oven thermometer is a must.
Let me know how it turns out.
Winford Blaze
Excited to start grilling again! Thanks for the grilling tips – trying to learn as much as I can before we start hosting again.
Meme
You posted roughly an hour per pound. The recipe calls for 4lbs but the cooking time says 2-3 hours?
Chef Dennis Littley
my post says that the average cook time is 40 minutes per pound. Which is 2 hours and 40 minutes for four pounds. It can go a little less or more which is why using a meat thermometer is crucial. Everyones oven is a different and cooking times can very.
Jennifer
If I’m cooking an 8.5lb shoulder can I still cook in the big pot if it fits? And just use more coke/beer?
Chef Dennis Littley
yes you can as long as there is still some room in the pot. I would suggest splitting it in two otherwise it will take quite some time to cook. Make sure to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temp.
Use two cups of coke/beer.
Alice Daino
I am making this for the first time this week. Is there any difference between McCormick ground mustard and the Colman (yellow can) mustard that you mentioned?
Chef Dennis Littley
you can use either dry mustard powder
Karen
I am getting ready to make your pulled pork recipe and have a question I have 8 pounds of meat and need to put it in a black speckled turkey roaster pan, my question is can I sear it in this pan with the olive oil and onions?
Chef Dennis Littley
I don’t see why not. It should work fine
Shari
I did today and it worked great!
Gwen Pearson
Thank you Chef…thank you..thank you..thank you!!!..IT CAME OUT PERFECT..3.6LB roast..3 1/2 hours..used Dr Pepper…👍👍👏👏👏
Brenda
Completely delicious with clear instructions. Thank you! We’ll be making this again soon!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks Brenda, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the pulled pork!
Doug Bogue
You mention simply wrapping in foil and roasting. Do you still brown the sides in pan before wrapping in foil? Thanks.
Chef Dennis Littley
I would still sear the pork but you can do it without searing if you just place it in a pan a cover the pan with foil. That way you can still add the beer and onions.