This Instant Pot Shredded Pork is the tastiest! In just 1 hour you can have tender and tasty shredded pork. Perfect for barbecue sandwiches, tacos, or bowl!
Slow Cooked, But Make It Speedy
When it comes to belly filling meals that please the masses… Shredded pork is where it’s at. Whether you’re eating it plain, on a barbecue sandwich, or tucked into corn tortillas, it’s sure to be delicious. I debated grilling a pork shoulder over charcoal for this post, but ultimately? I wanted to provide a fast, mouthwatering, and simple recipe that anyone could make!
If you have a smaller crew to feed, you’re in luck: I also include three recipes to make using this delicious Instant Pot Shredded Pork. Read on to learn more about how I make it and my suggestions for how to enjoy it!
Instant Pot Shredded Pork
The instant pot has seemingly taken over as the solution for weary dinner time seekers, delivering delicious and fast meals. And with good reason: making recipes in a pressure cooker delivers similar results in a fraction of the time as a slow cooker. As previously mentioned, I was seriously considering slow roasting a pork shoulder on my charcoal grill for this recipe. But then I realized: how many people not only don’t own a charcoal grill, but feel confident enough to use it for almost 6 hours?!
Enter the Instant Pot. If you don’t have an Instant Pot yourself, I would recommend getting one! This is the version that I have myself, and I love it. It’s simple to use and delivers consistent results. You could certainly use a slow cooker for this recipe, and I’ve included instructions on how to do so in the recipe note below. Here is the slow cooker I own and love.
How To Make Instant Pot Shredded Pork
It never ceases to amaze both me and my guests how quickly this shredded pork is prepared! Here’s how you do it.
- Trim your pork of any visible fat, slicing it into 4 to 6 larger pieces, depending on the size of your roast.
- Rub each piece with a spice mix, making sure to coat every inch of the surface.
- Brown the meat using the sauté function on your Instant Pot.
- Adding all the meat back to the pot, top it with a can of your favorite beer. If you’d prefer a non-alcoholic option, you can choose to use stock!
- Cook the pork on high pressure for 40 minutes, and then vent for an additional 20 minutes.
- Remove pork from your Instant Pot to a large bowl, and shred.
Truly, it’s considered a magic trick in my household, how quickly this shredded pork cooks! What would normally take 6 to 8 hours takes just a fraction of the time. It’s an amazing option to serve at a gathering (easy hosting!), or even on a busy weeknight!
How To Serve Instant Pot Shredded Pork
The shredded pork is delicious on its own, however, I wanted to provide a few options to consider when serving it!
- Shredded Barbecue Pork Sandwiches: The beloved summertime picnic classic! Add your favorite barbecue sauce to the tender shredded pork, add it to a brioche bun, top with delicious coleslaw and some crunchy pickles, and you have one incredibly delicious sandwich.
- Carnitas Tacos with Spicy Avocado Crema: I have a recipe called “Engagement Chicken” on my website… maybe I should call these Engagement Tacos?! The tender pork is baked in the oven, yielding almost crispy result. The meat is tossed in an orange, lime… combination which leaves the pork tender and mouthwatering. It tops corn tortillas, along with chopped onion, cilantro, and an incredible spicy avocado crema.
- Báhn Mì Bowls: The traditional Vietnamese Báhn Mì sandwich features pork, pickled vegetables, cucumber, cilantro, and spicy mayo, all on a baguette. My version is in bowl form, with rice serving as the base. It’s packed with flavor, and is a delicious option to use the leftover shredded pork!
1 Roast, 3 Ways
Making this instant pot shredded pork is an excellent option if you need a fast and scrumptious dinner solution. Furthermore, you can stretch this recipe easily and have 3 different delicious meals throughout the week. Note that depending on how many you’re feeding, you may need to increase the size of your roast.
Perhaps you made too much? Have Instant Pot Shredded Pork coming out of your ears so to speak? Good news: it freezes great. Store it in freezer bags or plastic containers, and pop it in the freezer for up to three months. You’ll be grateful for it on a hot August night when all you want is slow cooked, juicy, and mouthwatering shredded pork. You’re welcome!
Tried any of these recipes and loved them? Use the hashtag #sohappyyoulikedit and tag @sohappyyoulikedit on social media so I can see your creations!
Let’s be friends! Find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Don’t forget to check out my YouTube Channel!
Instant Pot Shredded Pork
Ingredients
- 5 lb pork shoulder, trimmed of fat
- 1 Tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 12 oz beer of choice, lager preferred
Instructions
- Trim pork shoulder of any excess fat. Cut into 6 equal-sized pieces. Combine spices and rub pieces of pork.
- Set Instant Pot to sauté function. Drizzle olive oil in the pan, and brown each piece of pork. You won't be able to fit them all in at one time, so be careful not to overcrowd the pan.
- Once each piece has been browned, turn the sauté function off. Return all pieces of pork to the pan. Pour beer over the pork, place the lid on the Instant Pot, and set to high pressure. Cook for 40 minutes.
- Carefully release the pressure by flipping the vent to release for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid and remove pieces of pork to a large bowl. Shred the meat, ladling in reserved liquid as needed to keep the pork moist.