Gluten Free Instant Pot Pulled Pork

This Instant Pot Pulled Pork is the full proof way to achieve tender, flavorful pulled pork in about one hour!

I’ve made pulled pork in the slow cooker many times, but my preferred method is the Instant Pot or pressure cooker. I’ve cooked pork shoulder in the slow cooker for 8-10 hours in the past only to find that it still wasn’t tender enough.

With the Instant Pot, pulled pork cooking time is only one hour, and you get ridiculously tender pork every single time.

You just can’t beat that!

You’ll Need:

• 4 lbs. pork shoulder roast, cut into 4 large pieces and trimmed of excess fat*
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• Barbecue sauce or your favorite sauce, for serving

Instructions:

1. Place the smoked paprika, brown sugar, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine, then season the pork with the spice rub on all sides.
2. Press the Sauté button on the Instant Pot. Add the olive oil, then once heated add the pork. Brown on each side for 1-2 minutes, working if batches if necessary. Remove the pork.
3. Add the apple cider vinegar and water to the Instant Pot and deglaze the bottom of the pot.
4. Add the pork back to the pot and secure the lid. Set to High Pressure for 1 hour, then quick release. When safe to do so, remove the lid.
5. Remove the pork using a slotted spoon and place on a cutting board. Shred with a fork and place in a bowl, removing any excess fat.
6. Toss with the desired amount of heated barbecue sauce or your favorite sauce and enjoy!

NOTES:

• I've used up to 5 1/2 lbs. of pork shoulder in this recipe. Bear in mind that if you use more than 4 lbs. of pork shoulder, you'll need to brown the pork in batches in the Instant Pot which will make the cooking time longer.
• You can always skip the browning step, but I recommend it as it adds a nice crust on the pork as well as more flavor.
• The vinegar and water may be replaced with the liquid your choice. Beer, apple cider or soda are all great options.
• Omit the brown sugar to make this Keto instant pot pulled pork.
• This is a great meal prep recipe! The pork will keep up to 4 days in an air tight container in the fridge.