The Best BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches {Instant Pot or Slow Cooker}
The best BBQ pulled pork sandwiches EVER. The pork is so tender and flavorful and can be made in the slow cooker or instant pot!
With over 1,500 recipes on my blog, I think I can easily say that in the last ten years, I’ve made this BBQ pork sandwich recipe more than any other recipe.
It’s been my standby recipe for family reunions, church parties, entertaining company, basic weeknight dinners, and feeding crowds of 200 or more.
With slow cooker and pressure cooker directions, it is SO easy, and the tender, saucy pork is crazy delicious.
It really is the best BBQ pork recipe out there. Perfect for sandwiches (or for salads or quesadillas!).
How to Choose a Pork Roast
I almost always make this BBQ pork with pork sirloin roasts. Costco sells a 4-pack that I keep on hand just for this recipe.
Pork shoulder or butt roasts work great, too. For really tender pork, you want to choose a pork roast that has adequate fat and dark, marbled meat.
I have not had great luck making this BBQ pork with pork loin (it’s often too lean) or pork tenderloin.
Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
This recipe is brilliantly easy in the slow cooker or pressure cooker. No matter which one you use, you add:
- broth
- pork roast (I cut the pork into large chunks)
- liquid smoke (amazing for flavor!)
- salt and pepper
The slow cooker does it’s thing for about 8-9 hours (low) or 5-6 hours (high). For an electric pressure cooker, I cook the pork on high pressure for 55-60 minutes and then usually let the pressure naturally release all the way.
After cooking, the pork should be fall-apart tender. If not, add extra cooking time until it is!
BBQ Sauce Matters
All that’s left is pouring on as much BBQ sauce as your soul can handle.
The pork has tremendous flavor from cooking in the liquid smoke and seasonings, but the BBQ sauce is really why we’re all here. So use a BBQ sauce you love. Like, one that you’d willingly guzzle on its own.
It needs to be that good. This is my favorite homemade BBQ sauce recipe.
When I don’t have it on hand, our favorite store bought brands are Sweet Baby Ray’s and Kinders.
Serve this delectable BBQ pulled pork on buns. Store bought, homemade, whatever makes you happy.
You can also throw some coleslaw on there, too. I firmly believe that is a match made in heaven, but only a few remaining family members agree. The others (gasp) ditch the coleslaw and add a slice of cheddar to their BBQ pork sandwich.
To each his or her own. Although it pains me to say that.
All you really need to know is these are hands down the best BBQ pulled pork sandwiches on the planet. They are so easy to make, and the cooked pork freezes beautifully, making them a great freezer or make-ahead meal.
FAQs for BBQ Pulled Pork
I highly recommend using it, because it adds an amazing depth of flavor. But you can leave it out if you really don’t want to use it or don’t have it. You might consider adding a pinch of smoked paprika or other smoky spice for a flavor boost.
It sure does! I cook the pork, mix it with BBQ sauce, let it cool a bit, and then freeze in gallon-size freezer ziploc bags. To reheat, I thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the slow cooker for a few hours, in a skillet on the stove, or in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or so.
Yes! It makes delicious pulled pork with or without the BBQ sauce.
This recipe doubles or triples really well. For a really large batch, you can cook the pork in an electric roaster – about 250 or 275 degrees for several hours, depending on how much pork is packed in there.
What to Serve With This
- French Bread Rolls
- Coleslaw
- Fresh vegetables and/or green salad
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, pork butt, or pork sirloin roast
- 1 teaspoons salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground)
- 2 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
- 3 cups BBQ sauce (plus more for serving)
Instructions
- Cut the pork roast into large 4-inch pieces (optional, but helps cook a bit faster and more evenly). Season the pork on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Slow Cooker Directions: add water or broth and liquid smoke to slow cooker. Add pork. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours, until the pork is fall-apart tender.
- Pressure Cooker Directions: Decrease the water/broth to 1 cup. Add the water or broth, pork and liquid smoke to an electric pressure cooker. Secure the lid, set the valve to seal, and cook on high pressure for 55-60 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes (or all the way). Quick release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the pork from the slow cooker or pressure cooker and discard most of the remaining liquid (I leave about 1/4 cup or so). Shred the pork using a couple of forks – it should easily fall apart into pieces. Place the meat back in the slow cooker or pressure cooker. Add the BBQ sauce and heat through (or keep on warm for several hours).
- Serve on buns with extra barbecue sauce.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from my lovely friend, Sarah M.
Recipe originally posted August 2010; updated October 2020 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
I have a love/hate relationship with my instapot, this recipe is on the LOVE side!
This recipe is INCREDIBLE! I’ve always been too intimidated to make any meat other than chicken but this was so easy, I’m way excited to make it again!
I followed other comments and because my little cubes were still slightly frozen in the middle, I instant-potted for 65 minutes and natural released for 20. It’s so delicious I don’t even want to put sauce on it.
For anyone else with a soy allergy who might be wondering about a substitution- I used trader joes coconut aminos instead of liquid smoke. Worked perfect and has an amazing flavor!
Thanks mel for such a top notch recipe!
This is a winner. I have made it several times in the slow cooker and all my picky eaters go back for seconds. Thanks, Mel, for a fantastic, super easy homemade meal!
Hi! Can I prep this the day before and leave it in the fridge, then put it in the slow cooker the next day? Thank you!
Yes, I think you could do that!
Thank you!
Hi Mel, I love this recipe and thank you so much for sharing all your delicious recipes. Quick question, if my pork is frozen will this recipe still work? Do you know how much more time I would need to add? Thanks for your help!
I should clarify that I am using my instant pot to cook the pork.
I don’t often cook a frozen roast in the IP but I know a lot of people do it with good results. From what I’ve read, you probably need to increase the time by 1 1/2.
This IP pork recipe is wonderful – we’re new to the Instant Pot world, and couldn’t believe how fall-apart tender it turned out.
The flavour was fantastic – I remember I wrote in my diary that night that it was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten!
Big thank you, Mel!
Hey Mel,
I’ve been making this recipe for years and it’s wonderful! But recently my boyfriend has had to change his diet and can’t have the bbq sauce I normally use. Could I keep the pork in a slow cooker on low when it’s done and just leave the sauce on the side? Or would it dry out?
Yes! I do that a lot. It helps to keep some of the cooking liquid in with the shredded pork – that will keep it from drying out.
Hello!
Can you give me some idea of how much pork to buy for a crowd of 200?
Thanks, Mel! We all sure appreciate you!
Shelley
Hi Shelley – is it a mix of kids and adults or all adults? For that size crowd, if it is a mix of kids and adults, I would buy 50-60 pounds (boneless – if it’s bone-in, buy a bit more).
Hi Mel,
I love this recipe and many many of your other recipes as well! Your site is usually the first place I look when I’m searching for a recipe because I know I can trust you! I’m not much of a pro when it comes to using the IP and I’m wondering if you know how pounds of pork I can cook at a time in my 6-quart IP? Could I get away with doubling the recipe? Is it different for pressure cooking than slow cooking? Any thoughts would be welcome, thank you!!
Hi Kelsey, yes, you should be able to double this recipe in the 6-quart IP…but the best way is just to make sure that you aren’t exceeding the max fill line of the IP.
I love the simplicity of this recipe and the great flavor in the finished meat. I’m not a fan of pulled pork recipes with a lot of spices (i.e. cumin) that don’t appeal to everyone I’m feeding.
Side story…I couldn’t find Liquid Smoke at the grocery store the other day for this recipe. So, I asked the checkout clerk. She replied, “I don’t know ma’am. I don’t smoke.”
Lisa,
That comment from the store clerk is hilarious
Question – I’m searching for a pulled pork recipe where the basic seasonings would lend themselves well to a couple of different sauce choices.
Personally I LOVE BBQ pulled pork with slaw and have made this recipe before but to be honest I have never tasted the meat prior to adding the bbq sauce. I’m needing to feed a group and want to give a couple of sauce choices (some like sweet pork or teriyaki etc) – or even the option of no sauce but still have it be delicious as is.
How do you think this would be if it was served without bbq sauce? Is there another recipe you’ve created I should look at that might lend itself better?
Thanks for any insights you can offer!
Also, I love your blog! You’re my go to recipe gurus! My kids (who are all grownup now) also love your recipes. They often will make dinner or bring a treat to share which is always AMAZING and instantly they ALWAYS have to tell me “oh it’s from Mel of course!” Your recipes are never a let down. Ever. So thank you!
Hi Kim! Thank you for your kind words!
Yes, this pork is excellent for a variety of different sauces. A lot of times I don’t mix the sauce in with the cooked meat and just let everyone add BBQ sauce on their own because I prefer the un-saucy meat. If you’re using teriyaki sauce or another sweet sauce, I’d probably omit or lessen the liquid smoke in the pork as it cooks.
This was so good! And super easy with the Instant Pot directions. I will be putting this in the regular rotation and make sure I have some in the freezer at all times. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Mel, thank you for all your amazing recipes! I have a four pound bone-in pork roast. Would I need to adjust the time in the IP at all?
No, I would keep it the same!
Thank you!
Another great recipe from Mel. I made this in my crock pot and started it at 11 pm for a noon Holiday lunch. Woke up to the most delicious smell. The meat was amazing in every way. I did freeze about 1/4 of the amount, so we will see how it tastes in a few weeks.
Mel- I love your recipes! I use them all the time. And I love your Friday thoughts and gift guides. We have kids similar ages and we share a lot of the same philosophies. I think we would be friends if we lived near each other. Anyway, I need your help! I volunteered to make dinner for my son’s high school basketball team- 50 people. I was thinking of making pulled pork sandwiches and macaroni and cheese. But the problem is – due to covid, we have to have everything prepackaged so players can grab and go. I thought I could put stuff in the styrofoam containers with sections. But how do I keep it warm? The food usually sits out on a table and the players grab food when they get a chance to eat. So it’s probably there for 5-7 hours. Any suggestions?
Hey Melissa, hmmm, if the food has to sit out for 5-7 hours, I don’t think there’s a good way to keep individual portions warm and I’m worried that the buns will be soggy if the sandwiches are put together that far in advance. Is there a way to package it up sooner to when they grab it?
Perfect weeknight meal. Thanks!
I have made this pulled pork AND barbecue sauce for a few years. Hands down, the best pulled pork and barbecue sauce ever. Family always asks for it and compares pulled pork from restaurants to this one- and mine always comes out on top! I make a double batch of barbecue sauce and freeze it. It is a sad day when I need to sub a commercially available sauce when I have run out of this one!
Made this last night and LOVED that I could achieve the results I wanted in an Instant Pot! Saved my bacon as I couldn’t get the crock pot started in the morning. Thanks for another winner!
Happy to hear that, Summer!
Totally agree! We’ve been loving these a lot of years. They are the best.
I made these last night, and they were amazing! Definitely the best I’ve ever made. I think the chicken broth is a key I’ve been missing. I had boneless country style pork ribs (that were well marbled), so I didn’t need to cut them. They were frozen solid, so I put them in the instant pot for 1hr, and then switched it to slow cooker mode on low for 2.5hrs. they turned out perfectly tender. Combined with my favorite homemade barbecue sauce and the romaine slaw from your turkey burgers (I was out of cabbage), and it was a winner dinner!
Sounds amazing!
This is the recipe that introduced me to Mel’s Kitchen so many years ago. It is my go to recipe for large groups. Mel, your BBQ sauce is simply the best! I make a double batch and deliver to neighbors and I get rave reviews. So easy as well to throw together.
Thank you for the many years of wonderful recipes. I look forward to many more!
Melissa
Thank you so much, Melissa! So happy you are still here and that this is the recipe that brought you here!
Cheese???? How about home-made sweet & spicy pickles – YUM 🙂
Try this with substituting pineapple juice for the broth or water . Yummmmmmm.
Can’t wait to try! I put coleslaw AND baked bean on any pulled pork sandwich I have.
I’ve made your Cafe Rio Copy Cat Sweet Pork recipe many time and want to try this BBQ pulled pork. Do you think the Costco pork sirloin roast meat you recommend for the sweet port will go ok with this BBQ pulled pork recipe?
Yes, it works great!
Hi Mel,
I am hoping to use an 8 lb roast for this recipe today. If I cut the pork into pieces, do you think I could cook all of the pork at once in my instant pot? Also would I need to do 2C liquid instead of just one? Thank you for your help!
Hi Cassidy – it’s hard to know how much it will fill up the pot (is it a 6 quart instant pot)? As long as it doesn’t exceed the safety requirements, it should be ok! If it were me, I’d add the 2 cups of liquid.
I love this recipe and am wanting to make it for about 50 people for a gender reveal. How much pork would you recommend? I see that from the recipe that this serves about 8-12 people which would mean I would need about 20 lb of pork, but on your post about how to feed a crowd it says about 1/4-1/3 lb per person which would be 15 lbs or less.
Also, I have an 8 quart slow cooker and a 6 quart instant pot. How much do you think I could fit into each of these? Thank you!
If you are serving a mix of kids and adults and you have a variety of other sides (and the bread/buns aren’t ginormous), I think you could get away with 15-16 pounds of pork.
When I increase the number of servings, every ingredient increases except the pork
What tool are you using to increase the recipe?
Hi There! I am planning to feed about 100 people in a couple of week and I do struggle with making sure everything is just right! From what I have read in the comments about 45 lbs of boneless pork shoulder would be the best for a group this big, in a large electric roaster at 275 deg for about 8-10 hours? A couple of questions:
I will need to be set up and ready by 1:00 p.m. Can I cook this the day before and warm the morning of the celebration without it getting dried out? If I can-how long do you think it would take to heat through? Would it be better to have 2 roasters for this?
What is the best roll (store bought) to serve these on, and finally, how many rolls should I buy for 100? Mostly adults, maybe some teens and small children. Thanks so much for your help!
Hey Melanie, good luck! That’s a huge endeavor; you’ll do great! If you have two roasters, I’d recommend using two, otherwise, it will take much longer than 8-10 hours because the pork will be crammed into one roaster. You can definitely make it a day ahead of time and refrigerate overnight. Just reheat in the electric roaster and add a bit of broth or extra BBQ sauce so it doesn’t dry out. You want to reheat it on low otherwise it can burn or dry out. I’d say you’d want to plan on 3-4 hours to reheat (probably on about 225 degrees). I think if you use hamburger-size buns, you could get away with 110-120 rolls. Surprisingly most people don’t take seconds, especially if the first sandwich is pretty hearty.
Hi Mel, I am making this this morning for a church luncheon and when I pulled my pork out of the fridge is not completely defrosted! It is still a little frozen in the middle. This is my very first time using an instant pot. How much should I adjust the cook time upward? Thanks!
If it is only a little bit frozen, you should be able to use the same time (it’ll take longer for the IP to come to pressure which should account for the slight frozen part of the meat). To be safe, you could add 5 minutes but it’s probably fine without assuming the whole roast isn’t frozen.
First of all, my family loves this recipe! Would this make a good freezer meal? Im having a bunch of family stay with me next week and want to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible once they’re here! Would you change any of the instructions for freezing/thawing?
Yes, I freeze this all the time! I make it start to finish, let it cool, and then freeze in gallon-size ziploc bags. I try to remember to take them out the night before and put them in the fridge and then just reheat in the slow cooker (or in a skillet on the stove).
I can’t see the directions for a slow cooker. Did the accidentally get deleted when you added the Instant Pot directions or do you no longer recommend making it in a slow cooker?
Sorry about that, Stacie! I just fixed the recipe – they somehow went missing.
I’m so confused on the cook time for the crockpot method. How long do we cook it before we shred it? 10 hours, or is it 8 hours and 2 hours after it is shredded?
Sorry about that Kamille – the recipe got messed up in a recent update but I fixed the slow cooker directions.
I can’t believe how easy and tasty these are!
Is there a way I could make this recipe in an instant pot?
Yes! I do it all the time…I cook the same ingredients for 65 minutes high pressure.
If I wanted to use chicken breast instead of pulled pork, would I need to cook it for less time?
Yes! I’d suggest 4-6 hours for chicken on low.
Hi,
I have 5 pound pork shoulder for my pulled pork and now is my question do I need to double de smoke liquid?
I take this last on my holiday in the states because in the Netherlands I can’t buy it and I don’t know if the taste is too strong when I used the double liquid smoke.
Thanks!
Grz Inge
If you like the flavor, you can double, otherwise you can just use the amount called for in the recipe.
Hi Mel,
It works and it was delicious including you’re BBQ sauce. Thanks for both recipes!
Grz. Inge
Thank you!
Do you use the same quantities of liquid in the instant pot and after the 50-60 minutes on high pressure do you do a quick release and put the shredded meat back in the instant pot with BBQ sauce for 20-30 minutes on high pressure or do you reduce that time?
I do at least a 10 min natural release and then quick release the rest of the pressure, shred the pork, add the bbq sauce and then beat through on warm or the sauté function (don’t cook again at high pressure)
Hi Mel,
Love your website. Have made a few your recipes and everybody loves them.
I will be making 24lbs and am planning on putting all 24lbs in a roaster pan I will be cooking it at 275 for 8 hours as in your previous comment. I plan on shredding after the 8 hours and adding the barbeque sauce after shredded. If I add the warmed barbeque
sauce and turn to low for an hour or two, will it be ok or will it get mushy?
My other thought is to just have everyone put the meat on a bun and then add their own barbeque sauce. What do you think would work better?
Do you think 24 lbs of meat is enough for 60 people if we are having cheesy
potatoes and jello salads too.
I always add the BBQ sauce to the meat because it makes the serving line go so much faster! And yes, you could definitely keep it on low for an hour or so with no issues. With that amount of meat, I’d maybe plan on 10 hours of cooking just in case you need it. If the roaster is jam packed with meat with not a lot of room for the hot cooking air to circulate, it will take longer to cook. And yes, I think that’s a good amount of meat – are you serving all adults or kids and adults?
There will be about 10 kids. Also, If I’m doing 24 lbs, I would want to six times all the other ingredients (pepper, salt, water, liquid smoke) Correct? Thank you so much for all your help.
I also use the boneless pork loin, do you think the boneless pork shoulder is better?
Boneless pork shoulder will be more tender than the boneless pork loin. I would probably increase all the ingredients if it were me.
What if I have an 8,5 lb. roast and it has a bone?
I would double the ingredients but the time should stay about the same.
Any idea how this would work in the instant pot??
Yes, it works great! I do 55-60 minutes at high pressure.
You said you made this for a family reunion serving 13 kids and 13 adults. I’m about to feed a similar crowd. You said this recipe makes 8 to 12 servings… did you double/triple it for that crowd?
It depends how much everyone eats (especially kids) they tend not to eat as much as adults, but I would definitely double it. Mel also posted another great resource for meals at family reunion’s if you want to check it out: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/how-and-what-to-feed-a-crowd/
Have made this a few times and it’s so so good and my kids even like it to and they are very picky.
Awesome!!! As per anything I make from this site, this was amazing! I can’t get liquid smoke here in Switzerland but managed a good substitute with Lapsang Souchong tea. Also found hickory smoked BBQ sauce which was a fabulous addition. Very easy to do in the crockpot and we’ll have plenty for the next few days. Thank you!!
This may be a silly question but here goes. After this is prepared, can I stick the leftovers in freezer to eat later in week? I ask because I’m going out of town and want to leave my hubby something tasty and easy to prepare. I don’t know how long it’ll be good sitting in the fridge so I ask about freezing it. Thank you and hope to get response soon.
Yes! I freeze this pulled pork all the time.
This was AWESOME! And soooo easy. I used your cole slaw sauce (with a store bag of slaw) and your honey yogurt fruit salad and your homemade ranch dressing with carrots, a MKC night haha. It was a very tasty meal and I’m planning on recreating it for a family reunion this summer. Thanks! 🙂
If I want to double the recipe, would you suggest using two separate crock pots? Or could I cook 6lbs of pork in one crock pot? If all in one pot, do you think I need to increase cook time?
Thanks for your help!
If you can fit the pork in one crockpot and the lid fits on snugly, I’d probably just use one slow cooker. If it’s really crowded, you might need to add an hour or so onto the cooking time (or cube the roasts so they cook more quickly).
Can this be made in the instant pot and what would be the time conversion?
Yes, I cut the roast into large 3-4 inch chunks and keep the recipe the same; cook on high pressure about 55-60 minutes.
I can’t thank you enough for this simple recipe I haven’t made yet! My wife tells me to put the pork in the pot as she’s running out the door (knowing I’m taking the kids to school and going to the gym-very import). I look on the counter and all she’s put out is liquid smoke and salt..no further direction. A quick Google search and 15 recipes later that want me to add 100 ingredients and take 30 minutes to prepare. I don’t have time for that, the gym is calling! Anyway, thank you I hope it turns out well. 5 stars for simplicity!
Hope it was 5 stars in taste, too!
So I just gotta tell ya…
I made this recipe on a day I knew would be busy. I also make your bbq sauce in bulk and freeze it in 2/3 c packages because I use it for your sloppy joe all the time. In the morning, I grabbed three of the bbq sauce packages from the fridge and pulled them out to thaw. When it came time for dinner, I shredded the pork and added the bbq sauce. I called the fam in for dinner and we all ate it and it tasted great. It wasn’t til I was going back for seconds that the hubs said, “You know, this tastes like apple pork… like when people cook pork chops with apples and try to get that flavor together.” I said, “Well that’s really strange. The only thing I added to it was bbq sauce and I know the sugar content is lower in the bbq sauce than the store bought stuff.” … “I dunno, all I can say is that it tastes like apple pork. I love it.” I tasted it plain (previously I’d put some coleslaw and pickles on it), and I had to agree… it really did taste like apple bbq pork. Huh. I was stumped. It wasn’t until I was cleaning the kitchen that I had an “aha” moment. I accidentally stored my bbq sauce and apple butter in the same spot in the freezer and had forgotten to label them! I did two parts bbq sauce and 1 part apple butter (the apple butter only being apples and spices cooked down til it was thick). The hubs now says, “please make the apple butter mistake every time!” So just thought I’d let you know, even when I royally mess up the recipe, it still turns out great!
Oh my gosh, that is hilarious! And actually, kind of awesome! You might be on to something with a new variation of BBQ pork! 🙂
Do you ever use chicken broth instead of water when cooking the pork in the slow cooker or do you always use water?
Yes, chicken broth works great!