Pulled Pork
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Use this easy Pulled Pork recipe to cook a juicy, tender pork shoulder in the oven in just over 2 hours! This flavorful pulled pork is so versatile. You can use it to make a sandwich, stuff it in a baked potato, or serve it with your favorite BBQ sides like baked beans and potato salad. This recipe is delicious and easy to make without a slow cooker or smoker!
Table of contents
This smoked pulled pork recipe is one of my all-time favorites on the blog. It’s a must-make for every BBQ we host, and it’s a reader favorite as well! But alas, I know that not everyone has a smoker at home. This oven roasted pulled pork recipe is my way of bringing the pulled pork goodness to everyone!
It doesn’t have as much of the smoky flavor as the smoked pulled pork, but I use my famous pulled pork rub, which contains smoked paprika, to give it some of the same smoky flavor.
The pork is slow cooked in the oven in beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and apple juice. These liquids are the perfect combination of sweet, salty and umami flavors that creates juicy and flavorful pulled pork.
Whether you’re looking for an easy weeknight meal, or a recipe to feed a crowd, I know this oven roasted pulled pork will become your new go-to recipe!
Ingredients
- Boneless pork butt or pork shoulder – the pork should be around 3 pounds in size, with the fat trimmed. Some fat is okay, and even good for adding flavor and texture to the pulled pork, but you don’t want a thick layer of fat on the pork. That will make the pulled pork too fatty. For this recipe I do not recommend a pork loin or pork tenderloin. They’re the most lean cuts of pork and do not have enough fat on them to make flavorful pulled pork. When shopping for your pork, note that a pork butt may also be called a “boston butt”. And a pork shoulder may be called a “picnic shoulder” or “picnic roast”.
- Pulled pork rub – click the link to the left for the Texas-style spice rub that made my Smoked Pulled Pork recipe famous! It’s a simple combination of 5 spices, and hint, it’s heavy on the black pepper, just like in Texas! It also includes plenty of coarse salt to stick on the pork, smoked paprika for that delicious smoky taste, and onion powder and garlic powder for flavor.
- Olive oil – or any neutral flavored oil.
- Beef broth – you could also use chicken broth, but I love the depth of flavor that comes from beef broth paired with the peppery pork.
- Worcestershire sauce – just a tablespoon of this sauce adds a wonderful umami flavor to the pork.
- Apple juice – this ingredient adds just a hint of sweetness. When preparing pulled pork on the smoker, I spray the pork with apple juice throughout the cooking process. This keeps it juicy and adds a touch of sweetness. If you’d like to make this recipe sugar-free, omit the apple juice and add another 1/2 cup of beef broth.
- BBQ sauce (optional) – if you like your pulled pork sauced, feel free to toss it in barbecue sauce after it cooks in the oven. The great thing about saucing it at the end is that those who like their pulled pork sauced (me!) can add sauce. And those who prefer it without sauce (my husband) can enjoy their pork without the sauce.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Season the pork. Use your hands, or a pastry brush, to cover the pork shoulder in olive oil. Next, coat it on all sides with the pulled pork rub.
- Sear the pork. Heat a large oven-safe pot, or dutch oven, on the stove over high heat. Once the pot is hot, add the seasoned pork. Sear on all sides for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Add the liquid. Remove the pot from the heat on the stove and pour in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and apple juice.
- Oven roast the pork. Place a lid on the pot. If you don’t have a lid, place a tight-fitting piece of foil over the pot. Place it in a preheated 300°F oven and roast for 2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 203°F, using a meat thermometer. This is the ideal temperature for fall-apart-tender pulled pork.
- Shred the pork. After two hours, remove the pork from the oven. Use tongs to remove the pork shoulder from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Use meat claws, two forks, or your hands with heat-resistant gloves, to pull the pork apart. The pulled pork can then be tossed back in the liquid in the dutch oven, or tossed with bbq sauce before serving.
Ways to serve it
We use a fork (or let’s be real, sometimes our fingers!) to dig directly into the pulled pork straight off the cutting board. If you want to use the pulled pork in a recipe, here are a few different ideas to try!
- Sandwiches – probably the most popular way to serve pulled pork is in a sandwich. I like to serve it with coleslaw and pickles on a toasted brioche bun. You’ll see these pulled pork sandwiches pictured above. My Mom loves the pulled pork tossed in bbq sauce and served directly on the toasted bun without any toppings. Both options are delicious! If you want to try something different and delicious, toss the pulled pork with White BBQ Sauce or Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce.
- Sliders – the perfect way to serve this pulled pork at a party is in the form of sliders. Toss the pulled pork with bbq sauce, then load it up on toasted Hawaiian rolls. Feel free to add coleslaw or pickles, or serve them without toppings to keep it simple.
- Stuffed baked potatoes – use this air fryer baked potato recipe to make perfectly crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, baked potatoes. Fill them up with pulled pork and top them with grated cheddar cheese and a few diced green onions.
- Stuffed sweet potatoes – one of my favorite dishes I’ve ever had is the “hot mess” at Pecan Lodge in Texas. It’s a giant sweet potato, filled with smoked beef and pork, cheese, chipotle cream, butter, bacon and green onions. To make it at home, follow my instructions for how to cook sweet potatoes in the oven, air fryer or microwave. Fill the cooked sweet potatoes with this pulled pork recipe. Top with shredded cheddar jack cheese, bacon bits, and diced green onions. Finish it with a drizzle of chipotle sauce.
- Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese – if you’ve ever been to the midwest, I guarantee that you’ve seen this on a menu! Whenever we have leftover pulled pork, I like to substitute the chicken for pork in this BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese recipe. You can also add the pork to this basic Mac and Cheese recipe.
- Pulled Pork Nachos – use the pulled pork to make the Ultimate Pulled Pork Nachos. They’re perfect for game day!
- Tacos – pile the pork up in warm tortillas with slaw or roasted corn salsa. Add a drizzle of this creamy chipotle sauce, for some seriously delicious tacos!
Recipe notes
One pound of boneless pork will give you approximately 2 cups of pulled pork. Using this measurement means you’ll end up with approximately 6 cups of pulled pork if you’re using a 3 pound boneless pork shoulder. I like to use about 3/4 cup of pulled pork on a sandwich. Using this measurement means that this recipe will make approximately 8 sandwiches.
To add even more smoky flavor to the pork and give it more of a smoked pork shoulder taste, add 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke with the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce.
Storage and reheating
Cooked pulled pork will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the pulled pork in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
To reheat leftover pulled pork from the refrigerator, you can use the microwave, oven or stove.
- To reheat the leftover pork in the microwave, place it on a plate and cover with a wet paper towel. Microwave for 2 minutes. The wet paper towel will help keep the pork moist.
- To reheat the pork in the oven, mix it with a little apple juice, water or chicken broth to add moisture. Place it in an oven-safe dish and pop it in a 325°F oven for 20-30 minutes.
- To reheat on the stove, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork with a little apple juice, water or chicken broth to add moisture. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- To reheat frozen pulled pork, first thaw the pork in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Reheat it in the microwave, on the stove or in the oven, using the instructions above.
Sides to serve with pulled pork
Throw an epic BBQ anytime of the year by pairing this Oven Roasted Pulled Pork with any of these delicious side dishes!
Oven Roasted Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 3 pound boneless pork shoulder, or pork butt, trimmed of excess fat
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons pulled pork rub, click link for the recipe
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup apple juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Rub the pork shoulder with olive oil, then cover on all sides with the pulled pork rub.
- Heat a large oven-safe pot, or dutch oven, on the stove over high heat.
- Once the pot is hot, place the pork in it and sear on all sides for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Pour in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and apple juice.
- Cover the pot, place it in the oven and cook for 2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 203°F, using a meat thermometer. This is the ideal temperature for fall-apart-tender pulled pork.
- After removing the pork from the oven, use tongs to remove the pork shoulder from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Use meat claws, two forks, or your hands with heat-resistant gloves, to pull the pork apart. The pulled pork can then be tossed back in the liquid in the dutch oven, or tossed with bbq sauce before serving.
Notes
- One pound of boneless pork will give you approximately 2 cups of pulled pork. Using this measurement means you’ll end up with approximately 6 cups of pulled pork if you’re using a 3 pound boneless pork shoulder. I like to use about 3/4 cup of pulled pork on a sandwich. Using this measurement means that this recipe will make approximately 8 sandwiches.
- To add even more smoky flavor to the pork and give it more of a smoked pork shoulder taste, add 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke with the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce.
- If you’d like to make this recipe sugar-free, omit the apple juice and add another 1/2 cup of beef broth.
Nutrition Facts
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