Tender Greek Pork {Instant Pot or Slow Cooker}
This flavorful Instant Pot Greek pork is fall-apart tender (in just about an hour!) and so fantastic served in soft flatbread with tzatziki sauce (equally delicious over a salad or rice!). Bonus: slow cooker directions also included!
One of the things you’ve been asking for (for months and months) is more Instant Pot recipes.
I can’t blame you.
With healthy, fast, EASY eating on everyone’s brains right now, the Instant Pot is a no-brainer (and don’t worry, if you don’t have an IP, I’ve got simple slow cooker directions for this recipe, too!).
Is anyone a newbie Instant Pot owner thanks to holiday gift-giving?
If so, this Instant Pot Greek pork recipe is a perfect starting place!
In fact, I think it might end up being just as popular, as the Instant Pot Smoky Honey Cilantro Chicken I posted a few months ago that has gotten more 5-star reviews than any other recipe from 2017.
I love Greek-inspired food. You might say I’m obsessed.
But then I’d confess it’s just the opportunity to smother everything in sight with tzatziki sauce that causes the obsessiveness.
I love that stuff so much, and so do my kids.
Also, it’s important to note that my life was changed when I decided to fold feta cheese INTO the simple yogurt/cucumber mixture.
Ermagersh. So good.
It’s the only way I make tzatziki now, and I haven’t looked back.
I remember being super intimidated once upon a time by tzatziki. I think that’s mostly because it took me a lifetime to learn how to pronounce it without embarrassing myself.
But tzatziki is nothing to be scared about! It is so easy to whip up and is a perfect cool, creamy, fresh dip or sauce to eat with meat and veggies (or just by the spoonful).
Back to this pork, though. This tender Instant Pot Greek pork is delicious served so many ways.
You can’t go wrong folding the flavorful, fall-apart meat in flatbread (storebought or homemade) and smothering with lettuce, tomatoes, and tzatziki (of course).
But I have a feeling you also won’t be sad if you serve the Greek pork over a salad or rice, either.
The simple flavors in the pork (lemon! oregano! garlic!) make it irresistible and so easy, you’ll be wanting to find ways to make and eat Greek pork every day of the week.
Ok, that might be overkill, but you know what I mean.
It’s delicious! And healthy. And crazy, crazy easy.
It almost makes me excited to get back into the swing of dinnertime (and bedtime) routines again since the kids finally went back to school today, and it’s life as normal, whether we like it or not.
One Year Ago: Southwestern Chicken Barley Chili
Two Years Ago: Cheesy Black Bean Lasagna
Three Years Ago: Korean Beef and Rice {Or Quinoa}: Simple 20-Minute Meal
Four Years Ago: Skillet Butternut Squash, Sausage and Penne Pasta
Five Years Ago: Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Quinoa Bites
Tender Greek Pork {Instant Pot or Slow Cooker}
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds pork roast cut into 2-3 inch chunks (see note)
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, or 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, I use coarsely ground
- Optional, for serving: flatbread or pitas, tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, rice, fresh lemon wedges, etc.
Instructions
- Instant Pot: place the pork in the insert of the Instant Pot. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture over the pork, turning the pork pieces a few times to coat in the mixture.
- Secure and lock the lid; cook on high pressure for 50 minutes (select Manual and dial up or down to 50; the IP will start on it’s own and beep when the cooking time is finished). Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before manually releasing the rest of the pressure. Shred the pork with two forks and keep warm in the Instant Pot until ready to serve.
- Slow Cooker: place the pork in the insert of a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the remaining ingredients, increasing the chicken broth to 1 cup. Pour the mixture over the pork, turning the pork pieces a few times to coat in the mixture.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-9 hours (or high for 4-5 hours). Shred the pork with two forks and keep warm in the slow cooker until ready to serve.
- Serve the tender pork with flatbread/pitas and tzatziki, lettuce, and tomatoes OR serve it over rice or on a salad.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Tried the TENDER GREEK PORK recipe and I’m blown away! The flavors are spot-on, and the meat is incredibly tender. A taste of Greece that’s now a favorite in my kitchen.
This was great and soooo easy. I used a standard pork loin but reduced time to 45 min since I was worried it was too lean. Worked great. Shredded perfectly. Made a Greek sandwich on hamburger buns with cucs, feta, tzatziki, and meat since we didn’t have any wraps. Worked great! Thank you!! Looking forward to leftovers.
Holy moly, these are GOOD!! The whole family loved them (picky eaters included), and the tzatziki sauce is a must!! My kids were a little scared of the sauce but the moment they took a bite, they went back and smothered theirs in it I’m going to use the leftover tzatziki to eat with veggies (it’s awesome as a dip), and we are going to use the leftover pork with mashed potatoes & gravy.
I was nervous about doing the meat in the instant pot since I’ve had bad luck with meat being tough, but this just fell apart!
I’m not very impressed with this. ½ cup of liquid total and only a couple of teaspoons of seasoning didn’t seem like enough for 4 pounds of meat, so I only did 2 pounds with that same amount and it STILL came out bland. I think it might be better to cook the pork and then add the sauce so it’s not diluted by all the juices.
For added flavour I browned the pork (I used tenderloin the last couple of times worked great) using sauté mode.
Thanks for the recipe my family loves it.
I love this recipe; it is delicious no matter how you use it.
This recipe can be used for a plethora of reasons. I love the lettuce wrap. I make the tzatziki sauce because it is delicious with the meat.
This recipe is a family favorite!! So flavorful, juicy, and a big hit with everyone we serve it to. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
I am devastated, all the Costco’s in the north Texas region have stopped selling the pork sirloin 4 pack. I have never seen the cut available at our grocery store (Kroger).
Do you know anywhere else that sells the pork sirloin cut?
I learned about it from your website, and have become hooked – before I always used pork shoulder/butt, but it would take hours to trim. I think if more people in the TX area knew about the sirloin cut, Costco wouldn’t have had to stop selling it. If anyone out there lives in the DFW area, please request your Costco to bring it back!
I have seen pork sirloin roasts at my pretty average pork sirloin roasts. That’s such a bummer about Costco not carrying them anymore!
This recipe is fantastic! The first time I made it with a boneless half pork butt and it was great. Today I made it with 5lbs of bone-in chicken breasts and it might be even better than the pork! For the chicken I used water instead of broth and cooked at high pressure for 5 min per pound. I set the chicken on the rack inside the instant pot and poured the liquid over. I also added a teaspoon of Cavender’s Greek seasoning instead of salt. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Holy cow, this is so good! We accidentally got pork loin instead of pork tenderloin and I didn’t know how to use it. I kept stealing bites from the slow cooker while getting everything else ready! We didn’t have any pita or flatbread, so we ate it with garlicky oven fries and your tzatziki and it was delicious. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
This was the first recipe I made after i got my instant pot. Perfect!
I wondered about the amount of liquid for cooking in an Instant Pot. I thought there always had to be one cup of liquid, but this has only 1/2 cup. Has anyone had problems?
I wondered about that too but made it the way the recipe said. It turned out wonderful with lots of extra juice.
This is good and tender! I love it so much with flat bread and your tzatziki sauce. We’ve made it several times because I crave it! Ours is much juicier than yours, so it makes a messy meal. The leftovers are incredible with rice. Thank you for one of my most favorite recipes!
What do you think about using a bone-in pork butt?
I think that would work!
Hi Mel,
I was wondering if I could get your permission to use this AMAZING recipe of yours in our RVing digital newsletter, adding a link to your website. I know that everyone who gives it a try will love it every bit as much as my family does!
Thank you for the consideration! ( The newsletter will post on this website when it is published: https://www.redwoodrvowners.com/ )
Deb
I really want to make this as I was looking for a poem inspired recipe. I was hoping to serve it with Beet Hummus as well. Do you think this would work together?
I think if you like both of those components, it should work fine. 🙂
IP Insert? Is this the basket or just what you’re referring to as the pot that comes with it?
Sorry for the confusion, yes, I just mean the Instant Pot “pot”
Oh my my it looks delicious! I can’t wait to try this.
This was delicious! I used pork sirloin roast and it was fall apart tender. I served it on the naan bread from Costco and even two out of three kids ate it without a fight. We aren’t huge citrus fans at our house so I worried that it would be overpowering, but the lemon was subtle enough with the other flavors. We will definitely have this again. Thanks!
Hello! I was wondering if you could double this recipe to feed a large crowd? Or if you had any tips to suggest doing that. Thanks!
Yes, you could definitely double!
I like to use pork loin as well because I like that its not so greasy. When I made this I could literally shred the pork with my fingers (just fell apart as I pulled on it). But it was still a bit more chewy than a pork butt or shoulder. Is that how you would describe the texture or did mine end up drier than it should have been?
Hey Marci – pork loin will have a different texture than using pork butt/shoulder (those cuts will be fall apart tender). It tends to be more dry than those pork cuts that have more fat. The exception I’ve found are the pork sirloin roasts from Costco. They are leaner than pork butt/shoulder but cook up super tender.
I love this recipe! I made the slow cooker version since I don’t have an instant pot. I love that this is a simple, make-ahead recipe that is different than my classic pulled pork or soup. I can make it on a day when my daughters have dance and we can walk in the door and eat. I served it on the Greek flatbread from Costco because I have a daughter who is allergic to milk and that makes this dairy free. For those of us who can have milk we topped it with the yummy tzatziki sauce…(Love that recipe too!) and some shredded lettuce. Thanks for adding some awesome variety to our menu plan.
I guess I was in the mood to cook yesterday because I made this pork (in the crockpot) along with the tzatziki sauce and flatbread. It all turned out delicious and I loved that it wasn’t a ‘heavy’ meal. Healthy and homemade! I’ll be making it again.
Could you use chicken instead of pork for this? I absolutely love pork but my boyfriend does not.
Yes, you could definitely try that!
I think the meat was bland, too bland for the bland pita pockets (cuz let’s face it, they are), so I doubled the lemon, half again as much oregano with another pinch of salt. Yum, that did it!
Any thoughts on how much longer I should cook if the meat is frozen (IP)?
I haven’t tried it with frozen meat, but I think you’ll need an extra 45-50 minutes, maybe?
This is on the menu for Sunday and I’m so excited! I’ve never cut up a roast before when cooking it in my slow cooker- is that for distribution of flavor? Or is that to help the meat cook through when cooking in the instant pot?
I like to cut it into large pieces for faster/even cooking and for flavor.
Hi Mel, I am a newbie to instant pots and I am anxious to get started with your recipes. I honestly didn’t know anything about them and I received two for Christmas, a 6 qt and an 8 qt.! I plan to return one but I don’t know which one to keep. Since you have both maybe you could advise me on their best uses. I daily cook for three adults, but with my extended family we have 21 (9 adults, 12 children). I am the kind of cook that still cooks as though all my children are at home so there are always leftovers to freeze or for my husbands lunch. Is the 6 qt more for side dish type things or small meals? It looks very small when looking at the fill line but I don’t want to find that the 8 qt is too large for cooking for the 3 of us. Any input would be helpful. Thanks Nancy
Hi Nancy! If you are regularly cooking for 3 adults, I’d keep the 6-quart and return the 8-quart. The 8-quart takes so much longer to come to pressure and release pressure that I think it would be frustrating to use on a daily basis for a small crowd. However, if you are cooking for that large group of 21 several times a week, you might want to keep the larger one! The 6-quart is great for most meals that can feed about 6.
Success!! My first meal made in the Instant Pot! It is delicious!! The pork is so tender and so tasty. I’m very happy there are leftovers! Thank you for a great recipe and for making it so easy to prepare it in the IP!!
Woohoo! Inaugural Instant Pot success!
Just made this for dinner in the crock pot. I like to use boneless pork spare ribs lately in pulled pork type recipes. They work really well for me. This was delicious! And super easy. We loved it with the flat bread and tzatziki. YUM!
Thanks, Kim!
Hi from Winnipeg (again). I got an Instant Pot for Christmas (Yay!) but have been too intimidated to try it until today. So I’m making this pork recipe but my 6 qt IP manual
says no less than 2 cups of liquid, yet your recipe only calls for 1/2 cup….. What am I missing?
Hi Desiree – I’ve found that with meat (especially pork) there is a generous amount of liquid generated from the meat as it cooks which makes up the difference. But if you are more comfortable, you can add more broth.
Hey Mel! It’s Allie! Do you have this pork on NAAN in the pics??! Trying to decide if naan or pita would be better! Thoughts?
Hey Allie – we usually use naan (Coscto-bought or homemade) but pitas would be tasty, too!
I don’t have an insta pot but I do have a pressure cooker! I might throw it all in ad pressure on high just the same! I just can’t bring myself to buy another gadget that takes up space!
I agree. I don’t have an Insta Pot because I already own a great Fagor traditional pressure cooker. I love how sometimes Mel adds various directions per method, but I notice it’s sometimes hit and miss. Mel, please continue to advise on the recipe directions for all methods. I absolutely love your recipes and want to try them all! Thank you, kindly 🙂
Delicious! So easy and yummy! Thank you for another great recipe!
Thanks, cute Rachel!
We loved this! Even my picky kids ate it!! Thanks for another win Mel!
Thanks, Jenni! So happy you loved it!
I’m very new to Instant Pots and am wondering why this is 50 minutes when your Smokey Honey chicken recipe is 12? That seems like a huge difference and I don’t want to blow up the kitchen:)
Hey Laurie – it’s because different types of meats need vastly different time. Chicken cooks super fast in the pressure cooker whereas pork and some cuts of beef need the longer time for more tenderness.
That makes sense – it just seemed like a huge difference. I went ahead with the specified time tonight, jumped right in and made the tzatziki sauce and the naan bread too! It was awesome! All of us loved all of it! I did completely smoke up the house with my pizza stone, but it was well worth it! You and your recipes are the best! We love you! You might as well be the kids “Aunt Mel” since you are such a household name and inspiration for most of our meals these days:)
Haha, that was cute. Thanks, Laurie! I’ll gladly play aunt to your kiddos!
Whenever I make something from this site, I tell my husband it’s a recipe from my friend Mel!
Haha, thanks Stephanie!! 🙂
Hello Mel…! am also instant pot used chef and these tender greek pork looks soooo yummy & delicious i will make this tonight dinner. Thanks for sharing and keep shared your new ideas…..!
How long do you cook white rice in your instant pot?
I cook white rice on high pressure for 4 minutes.
Made this last night along with your tzatziki sauce and naan. It was Beyond delicious! We ha e loves naan ever since my husband traveled for work in the Middle East but I always just bought it at Costco. Thanks for showing me how easy it is to make it myself.
Thanks, Nicole! Glad the whole meal worked out well!
I’m a new instant pot user. Do you put the pork directly in the stainless pot insert or on a rack inside of the pot? Hope that makes sense. Can’t wait to try this!
I put it directly in the IP – no rack needed! Let me know if you have other questions!
I made this for dinner last night, along with your to die for tzatziki, and my husband and I were in heaven, as well as our 4 and 2 year olds. Funny enough the 10 and 8 year olds didn’t care for the tzatziki, but they devoured the pork without it. These are just such flavorful recipes! We’re so grateful to you! Plus, this was one of my only times successfully making tender meat in my instant pot. I’ve felt like the crock pot always wins for making meat tender, but this recipe shows me I just need to use YOUR instant pot meat recipes! This was fabulous!
Yay, Meg! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how it went with this recipe. My mouth seriously starts watering every time I think of this pork + the tzatziki sauce. So happy at least 4/6ths of you liked the combo! 🙂
Oh Mel, this sounds simply divine, I don’t have an IP, don’t even know if they are in our part of the world but I do have and love a slow cooker. Love love love tzatziki, I could eat a whole bowl by myself, with a spoonthanks for another beaut recipe. Have a wonderful day.
Fi
I’ve only had my IP for a year, but pork roast seems to be my go-to. I think I could happily cook 1/week using your recipes. Pork roast with balsamic glaze, check. BBQ Pulled Pork, check. Cuban pork, check, check, check. My husband will be thrilled with this new addition to the lineup – your Big Fat Greek Taco recipe is his favorite.
I LOVE those Big Fat Greek Tacos. Thanks for reminding me I need to make them this week.
I am a new instant pot girl! Got one for Christmas and I am soooo excited! Have made several things in it already. Love it! Keep the recipes coming! I appreciate on some of your instant pot recipes how you include the heating up time also. That helps because never using one even though it says cook 10 minutes it takes way longer with heat up time and release time. Thank you! That helps! Looking forward to making this!!!
Thanks for the feedback, Jen!
What the what?? Why have I never stirred feta into tzatziki?? Your tzatziki sauce is literally one of my favorite foods ever… I would eat it every day if I could. I have a feeling the feta addition is going to be life-changing.
Seriously, it’s the best ever.
I’m going to make this today, but I’ll have a bunch of leftovers. How will it freeze? Thanks for all you do!
Hi Jane! It’ll freeze great (I’ve done it and it thawed and reheated perfectly). I let it cool and froze it in freezer ziploc bags making sure to get plenty of the cooking liquid in there to keep it moist (if I was going to freeze it for longer, I would have used my food saver, but I knew that I’d use it up within a few weeks).
Hi Marvelous Mel, This sounds so good. Have you ever noticed a difference between cooking something on low for longer or high for shorter in the crockpot? Given both options is there a “better” as far as results? Thanks!
That’s a great question, Grace. I’ve never done an “official” experiment, but I like cooking it on low for longer if I have the option (seems to be more tender and juicy instead of slightly dry).
My daughter and I were just saying yesterday how much we miss the wide variety of Middle Eastern and Greek inspired restaurants since we moved from Birmingham, AL, to Nashville, TN. (If you haven’t tried southern comfort food Meat and Three with a Greek twist… Birmingham is the (only?) place to get it. 🙂 )
So, cooking our own is a great idea. Thanks!
Also, I bet this would work in the oven in a covered casserole dish. Any idea what temp would be good? 250°?
I don’t have an IP and the slow cooker tends to aggravate me, putting as much heat into the kitchen as the food and the limits of only high/low mystery temps.
Hi Alex – sounds like a fabulous restaurant in Birmingham! And yes, I definitely think you could bake this in a covered dutch oven or other heavy/insulated dish. You’ll want to check on the liquid (or add more to start). I’ve found cooking meat this way, the liquid tends to evaporate more quickly than in the slow cooker even though it’s covered in the oven. Just don’t want it to dry out on you. I would say between 225 and 250 would be the right temp!
In case this helps anyone, when I use my slow cooker (which is rare since I got an IP a year ago), I put it outside my back door on a little table, so it won’t heat up my kitchen. (I live in Mesa, AZ – it’s HOT much of the year!)
Do you think this would work with chicken breast (as a little healthier option)?
I haven’t tried that, Beth – but you could experiment. The cooking time would be much lower in the IP (probably 10-15 mins) and I always cook my chicken in the slow cooker for less time, too (4-5 hours on low).
Your comment about feta in tzatiki reminded me of one of my family’s favorite restaurants! If you are ever in Mesa, Arizona, (or nearby), you MUST go to Romeo’s Euro Cafe. They have THE BEST tzatziki and feta dip–and Mediterranean food, of course.
Serious? That makes me want to take a trip to Mesa ASAP.
Oh, thanks for reminding me… I haven’t been to that restaurant in a long time! Mel, if you ever head down our way, I will treat you to lunch there (or anywhere else you want to go)! It’s the least I could do after all you’ve done for me 🙂
Haha, I wish! That would be so fun. Maybe someday. 🙂