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Instant pot overhead shot full of pulled pork.
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4.50 from 6 votes

Honey BBQ Instant Pot Pulled Pork

This Instant Pot Pulled Pork is stirred into a sweet and tangy honey BBQ sauce for an easy family dinner. Pork shoulder cooks to melt-in-your-mouth perfection in a fraction of the time compared to traditional cooking methods!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 314kcal
Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon EACH ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and ground mustard
  • ½ teaspoon EACH ground paprika and ground black pepper
  • 4 pounds boneless pork roast (shoulder preferred, I trim most of the visible fat because my kids don't like it) cut into 2-3 inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1.5 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Add after cooking:

  • ½ cup BBQ sauce
  • ¼ cup honey
  • slurry of 1-2 tbsp cornstarch + cool water

Instructions

  • Season meat:
    Place brown sugar, salt and all spices in a large bowl. Add the meat and toss to evenly coat. Set aside for 10-15 minutes.
    1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon EACH ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and ground mustard, ½ teaspoon EACH ground paprika and ground black pepper, 4 pounds boneless pork roast (shoulder preferred, I trim most of the visible fat because my kids don't like it)
  • Brown meat:
    Set the instant pot to "sauté" and add the oil. Brown the meat in batches, set it aside on a plate.
    2 tablespoons oil
  • Make sauce:
    Pour the chicken stock into the instant pot to deglaze, scraping all browned bits off the bottom of the pot (important, or you'll easily get a "burn" warning during pressure cooking!).
    Add 1 cup BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well, then stir the browned meat back in.
    1.5 cups chicken stock, 1 cup BBQ sauce, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Pressure cook:
    Close the instant pot with the lid, then set the valve to "sealing". Choose "pressure cook" (or "manual" on older modelon "high" for 60 minutes.
  • Release pressure:
    Once the cooking time is up, do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes (do not skip, it's important to allow the meat to relax or you'll end up with tough pork), then release any remaining pressure manually. Open the lid.
  • Shred meat:
    Remove the meat from the instant pot and shred with two forks.
  • Finish the sauce:
    Stir the remaining ingredients into the cooking liquid in the instant pot. Set to "sauté" and simmer until thickened while stirring often. Add the pork back in and serve on buns.
    ½ cup BBQ sauce, ¼ cup honey, slurry of 1-2 tbsp cornstarch + cool water

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 694mg | Potassium: 701mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 121IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg