This easy Pulled Pork recipe is made with pork shoulder (or butt), pantry spices and coke to tenderize the meat and add sweetness to the seasonings. The result if perfect, tender and juicy pork cooked in the oven, slow cooker or instant pot!
Serve pulled pork in a sandwich, with nachos, tamales, tacos, burritos, or quesadillas.
Whether you’re planning food for a party, BBQ, or a simple weeknight dinner, this pulled pork recipe is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Serve it with BBQ sauce and your favorites side dishes, or serve it in sandwiches, tacos, nachos and more. If you’re cooking for a larger gathering or party see my tips in the post for how to calculate how much pulled pork you’ll need per person.
How to make Pulled Pork:
- Trim fat: To make pulled pork you will want to buy a pork shoulder (sometimes called pork butt or Boston butt) roast. I prefer boneless, but you could buy bone-in. Trim pork of excess fat and cut it into 4 pieces. Combine spices in a small bowl and rub all over the pork. (This can be done the night before).
- Sear (optional): Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven pot over medium-high heat. Add the meat and sear for a few seconds on all sides.
- For Oven Pulled Pork: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Pour coke around the pork in the Dutch oven pot. Cover pot with lid and cook for 3 hours. Remove lid and cook for an additional 1-2 hours, until pork is tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.
- For Slow Cooker Pulled Pork: Place pork in slow cooker and pour coke around it. Cover and cook on LOW (recommended) 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours, until pork is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- For Instant Pot Pulled Pork: Place pork in instant pot and pour coke around it. Cook on Manual/High pressure for 70 minutes. When timer beeps, allow the pot to naturally release pressure, about 15 minutes longer.
- Shred meat and add BBQ sauce, if desired.
How much pulled pork per person?
If you’re wanting to estimate how much pulled pork you should make for a party or event you should keep these two general rules in mind:
- One pound of pulled pork will feed approximately 3 people (about 5 ounces per serving).
- Cooked pulled pork will loose about half of its weight as it cooks (so a 5 pound raw pork roast will cook down to 2.5 pounds of meat).
So, follow this simple calculation to figure out how much pork you’ll need per person:
- # of guests multiplied by .33 (⅓ pounds of meat per serving) = amount of cooked pulled pork you will need.
- Times that number by 2, since the meat will cook down 50%.
For example, if you want enough pulled pork to feed 50 guests.
50 X .33 = 16.5 lbs cooked pulled pork needed
16.5 X 2 = 33 pounds raw pork butt needed
Other factors to keep in mind when calculating how much meat you’ll need include:
- Ages of those eating (young children wont eat as much)
- How the pork is being served. If served as the main dish with lighter sides, you’ll need more than if it’s served in sandwiches or tacos, or if there are other heartier sides to go with it.
Storing and Freezing Instructions:
To Store: put leftover pulled pork in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
To freeze: Pulled pork can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating Pulled Pork:
To reheat in the Oven (preferred): Preheat oven to 250°F. Add the pork and leftover juices to an oven safe container (add water, apple juice or broth to the meat if it’s too dry). Cover with aluminum foil and cook for 20-30 minutes or until warmed through to 165°F.
To reheat in the Slow cooker: Add the pork and leftover juices to slow cooker (add additional liquid if needed–apple juice, broth or water– to keep is moist). Turn to warm setting or LOW and cook until warmed through to 165°F.
To reheat in the Microwave: Add the pork and leftover juices to a microwave safe bowl (add additional liquid if needed–apple juice, broth or water– to keep is moist). Place a damp paper towel over the meat and heat in one minute increments until warmed through to 165°F.
How to serve it:
- Pulled pork sandwiches
- Nachos
- In tamales, tacos, burritos, or quesadillas
- Stirred into baked beans
- Served with a green salad, fruit, baked beans, potato salad, chips, veggies and dip.
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Recipe
How to make Pulled Pork
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 lb pork shoulder , or butt
- 2 Tablespoons oil (optional if searing)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 12 ounces coke (not diet)
- bbq sauce for coating meat optional
Instructions
- Trim pork of excess fat and cut into 4 pieces.
- Combine spices in a small bowl and rub all over the pork. (This can be done the night before).
- Sear (optional): Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven pot over medium-high heat. Add the meat and sear for a few seconds on all sides.
- Oven Method: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Pour coke around the pork in the Dutch oven pot. Cover pot with lid and cook for 3 hours. Remove lid and cook for an additional 1-2 hours, until pork is tender and easily pulls apart with a fork. Remove from oven and shred meat. Toss in barbecue sauce, if desired.
- Slow Cooker Method: Place pork in slow cooker and pour coke around it. Cover and cook on LOW (recommended) 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours, until pork is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- Instant Pot Method: Place pork in instant pot and pour coke around it. Cook on Manual/High pressure for 70 minutes. When timer beeps, allow the pot to naturally release pressure, about 15 minutes longer. Remove lid and shred the meat.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
Originally published May, 22nd, 2020. Republished May 16th 2021.
This post contains affiliate links.
This is the best recipe ever for pulled pork. The entire family loves it!!! I make caramelized onions to go over pork sandwiches. I like Sweet baby rays bbq sauce on mine, but everyone else loves it plain with the onions.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Sneak peek taste….please help me get this pulled pork to the dinner table. Will certainly make it again….did not add bbq sauce.
Just woke up to a house that smells so good from slow cooking this pork! I was skeptical of using coke but I keep sipping the juice and thinking of what a gravy this is going to make! Pork is tender and so flavorful. I did season the pork and allowed it to sit in fridge for 7 hours before cooking. Thank you for sharing!
In an 8 qt. instapot at 73 minutes any Meat raised 3 1/2″ will appear charcoal colored without searing. I had 2ea. 3.25 lb boneless shoulder roasts. for the first I used the recipe cutting the chilli powder and cumin in half. It was good but required a lot of bbq sauce to add flavor. For the second roast I added 1 tbl paprika and another tbl. of salt. It was better. The next time I’ll add another 1/2 tbl. of salt. Both shredded perfectly. Thanks.
Just pulled this from the oven and the meat was falling off the bone! My husband and 3 boys are devouring it! Highly recommend and will definitely made again!!!
Since this was for my hubby and myself, I cut recipe in half and used a 2 pound pork roast. Cooked in the crock pot (using a liner). Easy, peasy and delicious! Loved the flavor of the seasoned pork. I do not feel BBQ sauce was needed. This recipe is a keeper. Perfect for routine family dining or casual entertaining.
This makes the best pulled pork. Great flavor and very moist I added BBQ sauce to some of it for sandwiches and saved the rest for quesadillas. They were both fantastic!
We only used 1/2 cumin and 1/2 chili powder for our tastes, but it was a great way to make MEXICAN pulled pork. This is not regular pulled pork.
Made this tonight with my daughter. Had a 5 1/2 pound butt, cut it into 1/4’s, used a dutch oven, cooked at 300. At three hours, when I went to take the top off, I took the temp of the meat, and it was done. It was probably done at 2 hours. Maybe 2 hours and 15 minutes.
I didn’t have Coke, so I put in some apple cider vinegar and chicken broth. It turned out really tender and juicy.
Can I use beef brisket instead?
This is a delicious recipe! I’ve made it 4-5 times and had so many compliments. Once I substituted Dr. Pepper for Coke and it wasn’t as good, so I recommend sticking with Coke! If you can find the pure cane sugar Coke, it’s even better! Thanks for the wonderful recipe! I love it!
We have never made pulled pork before, but other recipes from this site have been tasty, so we went for it with a 10 lb shoulder. We actually used the spice ratios for the 12 lb cut and baked in a 3″ rectangular pan with foil wrapped over it. Thank you for such a well-written recipe that made us proud to share it at a party!
Other than doubling the recipe because I had an 8 lb roast, I followed the recipe to the letter and it was perfect! I used a large cast iron dutch oven. The meat was so flavorful and tender. It literally fell apart when I took it out of the pan. I served it for a Super Bowl party and it was a hit. The recipe is a keeper.
Can I make this the day before and reheat?
Amazing! Took a chance for my son’s birthday dinner and I am amazed. A+++
Cooked in STAUB roaster, 8 lb bone in pork shoulder. I removed the thick fat, doubled the rub, seared and cooked whole in oven with Coke covered for 6 hours, then 2 hours uncovered at 300. Finished with Bachan’s Japanese BBQ sauce. Oh, so good … definitely a keeper.
Comments from teen son: “one of best things I’ve ever made. Tastes like restaurant pork. “
I went with the Dutch oven method with a quick sear as I felt like it had the best chance for crispy bits and fit my timeline the best while working from home. I forgot I had to cook this today, so the spices didn’t get a long time to absorb.
I used the slow cooker method. I cut the boneless pork shoulder in half since there are only 3 of us. So, about 2.5 lbs. I used the full amount of spices and Coke. I put it on High for 2 hours, then Low for about 5 hours. It shredded nicely, and was delicious!
I used your recipe ingredients to a pork loin I made the day before. I shredded about a pound and just reduced the measurements. It turned out with a great taste. Thank you.
Will try in the next couple days p
Turned out great! I put it in the crock pot on high for 5 hours and on low for half an hour. Once tender I took it out, drained the liquid and pulled the meat apart. Then I added an Apple Butter BBQ sauce to it and let it warm up again for 10 minutes. The entire family loved it!
your recipes look great! I just signed up and looking forward to trying some new recipes!
So Easy and So delicious. I previously used the instant pot slow cooker for pulled pork. But the meat was never as tender as I’d like, even after 10 – 11 hours. With more meat than would fit the IP, I pulled out my cast iron dutch oven. It not only was faster, but I ultimately stopped the slow cooker process and finished the pork in the oven in the cast iron pan. It was browned and delicious. Great recipe. And for me, the best method going forward.
Fabulous. Tried many pulled pork recepies and this is our favorite. The oven method. Living in Alaska there is not a lot of barbeque. This is so good. It brings joy to our family every time we make it. Mouth watering. Thank you for sharing.
Substituted OJ for soda
Wow! I’ve tried other recipes and this one takes the cake! I made 6 lbs x 1 1/2 the ingredients in crock pot for 8 hours on low. Fantastic! This recipe lives up to its name “easy”. My new go to!!!
Question, the soda burned really bad in my dutch oven. I didn’t realize until I went to check it at the 3 hour mark, and at that time my pork was actually done and turned out amazing. But I was just wondering if there’s something I missed as to why it was completely burnt and black? My oven was at 300.
Thank you for any input! Love the recipe!
So easy & delicious!
Very tasteless. I was disappointed with the outcome
That makes no sense. With all those spices in the rub, and the Coke flavored juices, then your BBQ sauce, how could it be tasteless?
Lol, maybe Cheryl still hasn’t got her taste back after having COVID.
Brilliant
Are any of the cooking methods preferred to the others?
Hi Kayla, slow and low is best for pulled pork. Cooking too hot/fast can make the meat tough.
I didn’t have cumin so i ommitted it. This was by far the best pulled pork I’ve ever had. With or without bbq sauce. Looking forward to making again soon.
Delicious! Do you stir the cooking liquid into the pulled pork after you shred it or should that be discarded?
I made part of the roast in a Crockpot on high for four hours, and part of it in my oven at four hours (my oven isn’t always accurate) . . . And both, while using every suggested ingredient, came out beautifully and DELICIOUS! Thank you!
Interesting question! The texture of my pork was so soft and moist it didn’t need any extra liquid. However, the fat was left untrimmed, which may have added more flavoring and did add some greasiness.
Perhaps you could splash a little bit in to let the inner meat soak up some extra flavor if you would prefer not to use any BBQ sauce. I fear submerging it in too much liquid may strip the outer meat of some of its seasoning or turn it all mushy, not that I’ve ever tried anything like that with cooked meat. Maybe it could be a nice enhancement!
Hi Lauren! This is delicious. Great recipe. Just wondering do you add the cooking liquid back into the shredded pork before freezing or do you discard the liquid and just add bbq sauce later?
Going to make this Pulled Pork recipe for our Corn Roast weekend at the cottage
Made this for a reunion in Ohio. We are from southwest so it was not spicy for us but my midwestern relatives thought it was really spicy. Still got rave reviews.
Spicy from what??
Made this for the first time for a party we were hosting. It was easy, the directions were clear and when finished was a HUGE hit.
Keeping this one for future use. Thank You!
Please keep me up to date on your great recipes!!
Love this recipe going to make for a party! Can I put all the meat in the Dutch oven at the same time would it take longer to cook? Or about the same time? I’m going to be using about 25 lbs of raw pork. Or is there a better method to cook it all at the same time?
Hello!
I’m thrilled to hear you’re using this recipe for a party! As for your question, it’s quite possible to cook all the meat at once in a Dutch oven, but there are a few things to consider.
First, the Dutch oven needs to be large enough to accommodate all the meat without crowding, allowing for good heat circulation. If it’s too crowded, the meat might cook unevenly.
Secondly, the cooking time may indeed be longer. Although it’s hard to estimate exactly without knowing the specifics of your oven and meat cuts, generally speaking, when you increase the volume of food being cooked, it tends to increase the overall cooking time.
You could consider dividing the pork into smaller portions and using multiple Dutch ovens or slow cookers, if available. This would ensure more even and predictable cooking.
A good indication that the pork is ready is when it is easily shreddable with a fork. Make sure to check the internal temperature to ensure it’s safe to eat (at least 145°F for whole cuts and 160°F for ground pork as per USDA recommendations).
Keep in mind that when you’re cooking such a large quantity of meat, it will generate a lot of juice, so you might need to adjust the amount of other liquids you add to avoid having overly soupy pulled pork.
Hope your party goes well and everyone enjoys the pulled pork! Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions.
I made this two weeks ago and my family has already requested adding it to the menu this week! Easy and delicious. I made it as directed and cooked it 8 hours in the slow cooker. We had pulled pork sandwiches, tostadas and straight up!
Excellent recipe..
Easy too put together.. My kids(all three), LOVE IT.. That’s saying something!! :p
Delicious and easy. Used smaller portion of meat and adjusted time accordingly. Needed to add a bit more liquid. Yummy 😋
Made this for the first time. I used the substitute suggested of 1/2 cup of AC vinegar and 1 cup apple juice. Wanted to cut the sugar some and wasn’t sure if the caffeine would “cook out” since I can’t have it. Was AMAZING! Moist, fall apart, melt-in-your-mouth kind of amazing. Will make this again. Oh, also did the oven method but my cut of meat was smaller (almost 3lbs.) since I’m not cooking for a big family, so it cooked in just a little over 3 hours.
I love making this recipe it is so easy to make. I do cook the pork with 100% pineapple juice. Never done it with soda. The pineapple juice works beautifully! Thank you for your recipe.
Tried it and have nothing to say but that it turned out delicious!!! Thank you for the recipe!!
I am not a cooking genius, but I learned something from this recipe. Absolutely do not use Coke in a pressure cooker! The liquid steams out and the residue bakes onto even a ceramic coating. I have used oven cleaner on the inner pot several times and I’m not sure I can save it.
First time making this and I followed the recipe exactly and boy was it delicious! So tender and flavorful! Bought the pork shoulder at my local grocery store for $6 and that 6.5 pound shoulder fed 6 people easy! Thanks for the great recipe!
I have used coke in my pressure cooker but not before removing most of the fizz first. I just add sugar and allow it to fizz and then add to the pork. Hope this helps! Recipe is delicious!
Could this be done on the stove top as well? Sadly I don’t have an oven safe pot.
How much apple cider and apple juice should I add for 3.64 lb shoulder roast? Thank you 🙂
I have made this recipe so many times over the last year. It’s always easy and it’s always delicious! Thank you for putting such easy to follow recipes out there for us! 🙏
I’m making this for the second time today. Prior, I used a recipe with several more ingredients and spices(more prep time), but your recipe takes the cake. My family devoured this pulled pork and it’ll now be my go to! From fridge to crock pot within maybe 15-20 minutes prep and most of that is just trimming off the fat. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I made this recipe for a large family gathering. I did 24lbs in 4 batches in the instant pot and it turned out great. It literally fell apart. Your recipe for the bbq sauce was a hit!
I followed the recipe to cook in oven covered for 3hrs at 300 and uncovered for 1-2 hrs and the pork came out dry not moist. Maybe too long of time. I wasted beautiful pork butt.
Hi Gary, I bought two bottles of Coke in case 12 oz wasn’t enough, so I had to add more. Once you know
how much liquid to use, you will love it! The size of roasts will vary, leading to more liquid being needed.
You’re probably right. I wrote the review when I was a little upset. You can delete my review. Thanks for responding.
I made this today in the oven and it gets a 12 out if 10. It was really delicious and easy. I also made the slaw minus the mango and the two went great together. That’s what’s for dinner tonight. 😋 thank you
Of Dutch oven vs slow cooker, which method would you prefer/choose?
I like the oven method best but both are great!
Cooked pork butt in Dutch oven at 300 for 3hrs covered and I-2 hrs uncovered. Came out dry not moist. Maybe too long a time. Wasted a beautiful pork butt.
So good! I did 16 pounds and 8 in each slow cooker. Could’ve used 3 slow cookers. What a hit!
Made it in the slow cooker with 2 cans of coke instead of one
Really nice and tender all the family loved it with burgers
Also the sauce left from the pork is amazing
I made this recipe in my crock pot for a work pot luck and set it on low and let cook overnight and when I woke up in the morning the meat fell apart and was tender and absolutely delicious! Will definitely make again.
This recipe is so delicious! It’s so juicy and flavorful! My husband loved it; even my sister-in-law (who’s weary of others’ cooking but her own) loved it! She’ll now use this recipe too! Thank you so much!
Easy and delicious!
This was excellent. I made it exactly as written and it was tender, moist and delicious! Thank you!
Love the pulled pork with soda in instapot!!! It’s perfect! All my kids(5) are grown and have their own families. I’m 72 and sick of planning meals!! Anything easy and quick is for me!!! Thanks for this one!
I was a little worried about the coke, not going to lie. But.. this was the most tender, fall apart pulled pork I’ve ever made. I couldn’t even pick up a piece to shred because it fell apart so much. Absolutely delicious. I always top with a slaw for a pulled pork sandwich. Will definitely make again!
8 hours in a crock pot and it wasn’t a tender as I thought it should be what did I do wrong?
It was the same for me as well. So I put it on high and cooked it for another hour. Then it was just fine. 🙂
Going to fix this recipe this week end. Thinking about using my smoker. If I do how long do you think it will take and will 1 coke be enough.
Just finished making this! Not quite exactly like the recipe, I didn’t have chili powder and since we aren’t crazy about spicy, I subbed smoked paprika. I just mixed in some maple bourbon barbecue sauce and looking forward to digging in. My “taste test” was very enjoyable. Any leftovers, I’ll probably try with some mac and cheese tomorrow.
Easy! Tasty! So moist! I made it in the crockpot. It makes a lot so we have had had it on buns with slaw, in tacos with homemade shells and slaw and tonite on baked taters with cheese. Later this week it’s going on pizza. Thanks for the great recipes!
Where is the slaw recipe you talked about? I can’t seem to find it. I plan to make this tomorrow. If you could let me know as soon as possible, it would be appreciated. Thank you.
So glad you’re making it!!! You can find the slaw (and it’s legit amazing) here: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/bbq-pulled-pork-sandwiches-with-pineapple-mango-slaw/
Hi, I have two questions. First, can I sear the meat the night before so I can start the slow cooker first thing in the morning? Second, for 7 – 7.5 lbs pork do I need more than one bottle of coke or will enough moisture exude from the meat?
Hi Beth! It’s not safe to sear the meat the night before. It’s an optional step though so you can skip it if you’re pressed for time. The one can of coke will be enough!
Let us know what you think of the recipe.
Delicious and easy pulled pork. I cooked it with 12 oz. of Coke and with some honey BBQ sauce poured on top of the pork before cooking it in my Instant Pot (70 min. + 15 min. to vent) in addition to the dry rub spices as listed in the recipe. I added more Honey BBQ sauce after shredding the meat but left some “dry” as my husband doesn’t care for saucy meet. Can’t wait to make it again!
This recipe was pretty good. The seasoning was awesome. I was skeptic about the cola but it made the pork not dry up. This was awesome and very simple. Thank you for the share. Happy cooking 😃
This pulled pork was a hit with my family!!
If I double the recipe, do I need to double the cooking time?
I’ve made pulled pork using a different recipe that uses just a dry rub, no cooking liquid. This recipe came out so much better – the meat was moist and the meat shredded easily. I ended up adding a lot of barbecue sauce (half of a small bottle) to give the pulled pork even more flavor and moistness. My only comment is that you should retain the juices to reheat the pulled pork as noted above the re pie instructions. I three out all the cooking liquid, then realized I should have kept it!
This is the only time I’ve made pulled pork that I like it. Before, I used bone in pork shoulder…couldn’t find boneless around here…and the greasiness was very off-putting. I finally found about five lbs. of pork butt, so decided to try one more time…I was able to cut it up and trim off a ton of fat. The result was wonderful, nice tender meat and very little fat! I’ve added some Sweet Baby Ray BBQ sauce and a little of the juices, and we’ll have sandwiches and freeze the rest for something else later on.
Beautiful 😍
Can Pepsi be used instead of coke?
Sure!
I’m a Pepsi too! Lol!
This was my first time making pulled pork and it was easy and delicious!! I did not use the above rub but one our family prefers…otherwise I followed all the instructions and it was perfectly amazing 💙I did the crockpot method and worked so well. Thank you!
Thank you! Huge hit at my the gathering for my missionary dinner!! I really appreciate you sharing your tried and true recipes and best practices so freely! We are SO blessed by you
This was so good and so easy. It was my first instant pot recipe! Thank you!
This recipe is a keeper! I made this for a special family gathering a s they loved it! It’s the first time I ever made pulled pork that wasn’t pre-made. The meat was so tender. I poured Hawaiian BBQ sauce over it after I pulled the meet. My fa.ily was impressed.
This is by far the BEST Pulled Pork recipe! I have made it many times and my family always requests it. Fantastic Flavor!! Thank you Lauren!
I used root beer instead of Coke on the pressure cooker. I also added a TBSN of coffee to the rub. I recommend taking the liquid from the pressure cooker and reducing it down to 10-20% and using it to flavor the pulled pork. Great stater recipe, thanks!
No coke in the house. Think I could
use ginger ale?
I haven’t tried that personally but it should work. Root beer is a great substitute too!
This was by far the best recipe I have tried for pulled pork- WELL IF YOU WANT IT TENDER! Thanks so much for this amazing recipe and it’s so simple.
Made it for a group of college kids. Super easy and makes great left overs!! Like that you can add bbq sauce as you wish later. Makes it easier to use in other dishes as leftover meat when it is not bbq in flavor.
Sooooo good and so easy! My super picky 8 year old: “this is heavenly!”
just tried this recipe. thank you! i loved it. really the best pulled pork i’ve had since leaving the SE. got rave reviews from my family too! a lot of work, but worth every minute!
Yummy- easiest pulled pork recipe ever and perfectly seasoned. Thanks!
So easy, absolutely LOVED it. We bought a pork rub we happen to love so it was super easy and awesome!
Can you add liquid smoke with this receipt?
Yes, that would be delicious! A little big will go a long way.
I’ve been cooking this recipe successfully 4 times already and it’s now my go-to recipe for pulled pork. Thank you for sharing this !
This is my second time making this recipe. I didn’t have a Dutch oven pot, so I used the roasting pan we usually cook Thanksgiving Turkey in.
The first time I made this, I didn’t sear the meat and it still was excellent and my family loved it. So I’m making it again today but I seared the meat this time around. I’m sure it will be just as good as last time. Thank you for sharing this recipe. 🙂
Do you increase the cooking time with larger amount of meat?
This turned out so tender! I’ve tried making this in the slow cooker from a different recipe and it just wasn’t right. This was my first success at pulled pork so THANK YOU for easy to follow directions. I trimmed the fat and cut my piece from the store in half it was originally 7.5 lbs, froze one half and let the rub sit while I cleaned up the kitchen and did dishes. I seared all the sides and put it in a Dutch oven the only thing I did differently was substituted beef broth for the coke. When my timer went off at 3 hours I pulled it out to remove the lid and stuck a fork in it to check, it fell apart! The bone slid right out. This was fabulous, this will be my go to recipe from now on.
Hello! I’m excited to try this recipe for 40 people tomorrow! Usually, I do 1/2-3/4 tsp salt per pound of raw meat, but I see this one calls for 1/4 tsp per pound. Is that how you usually salt all meat or is that amount specifically for this recipe?
I have tried other recipes but pulled pork recipe was a hugh hit.
The pulled pork was lovely would love to try other recipes
Do I cut down on cooking time for a 2 lbs roast?
Elisa Bain it sounds good and I’m trying it out today thank you E.B
SO tender and juicy! I will never buy it premade in a store…EVER again! The flavor was fantastic and we gorged ourselves in the immense flavor on Brioche buns! I made half without barbecue sauce and half with Rudolph’s BBQ sauce. It was delightful both ways!
I’m diabetic and need to limit carbs. What do you have against diet coke?
The sugar in the soda adds flavor and helps tenderize the meat.
Super disappointing. No flavor whatsoever. Needs to be sweeter and some kind of vinegar and some spice/heat. Be very careful if you sear your meat. The brown sugar burns very quickly. Meat was tender, but tasteless.
The best ever! I did sear the meat when I made it. Baked 3 hours covered and 1 hr uncovered and was perfectly tender. I did reduce the juices a bit and then added my bbq sauce( sweet baby rays). Put meat in the sauce and the rest is history. Will never use another recipe!
I have a small party and making pulled pork so I have decide to do 2 roast’s, 1st one I did with Apple cider vinegar/apple juice crock pot 8.5 hours Oh my God it is so good. 2nd roast I am doing with the coke will let you know hw it turns out,
This was the first time I made this. It was so delicious! It’s pretty easy, just needs to cook for a long time. I did the oven version. I thought I would be adding BBQ sauce, but my kids and I tasted it and it was so flavorful, you don’t even need additional sauce. This recipe is a keeper! Thanks
Quick, easy and flavorful! I used the slow cooker method on high for 5 hours on a 5 lb pork shoulder and it was falling off the bone – so good!
Pulled pork is one of my fave dishes. This recipe looks easy & delicious! I think I’ll try it. Thanks!
Thank you! This has been a huge hit with my family and at potlucks:)
Made this for 80 people and it was a big hit. Thank you!
I’m going to make this for a Halloween party. Just wondering how many pounds you cooked for 80 people
The standard rule is about 1/2 lb. per person!
I don’t like to cook but this was so easy my 6 grandchildren and friends loved this. For them to all agree was so amazing.
Recipe was very clear and comprehensive. My family enjoyed meal very much. Kept some meat without bar-b-sauce for fajitas, the rest was used with sauce. The spice combination was perfect for both versions .
looks amazing. can’t wait to try i’ll probably add cajun seasonings to the rub
Best flavor of shredded pork I’ve ever tasted, it doesn’t need barbecue sauce for sure. So moist and delicious. Wish I could post a pic!! Yum….
Hi Lauren,
Making this recipe today for a church group. Pork should be done around 5…..what do I do with the juices left over….Im excited about having used coke for a sweet taste. Thank you… Viki
You can keep the juices in the pot or slow cooker with the shredded pork to keep warm until serving, or you can discard.
My family absolutely loved this recipe…and the slaw was the perfect addition! Now I want to make this for a neighborhood get-together for about 15 people. I use my slow-cooker. Would you recommend making this recipe twice or putting 10 pounds of meet in the slow cooker? I appreciate your help!
Do you have a BBQ sauce recipe too?
I do! Here you go: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/best-homemade-bbq-sauce/
Excellent! I added a touch of Colman’s dry mustard.
Very good and tinder, never thought of adding the coke. Thank you
Excellent! Delicious! This will be my go to recipe for Pulled Pork from now on! Perfect crowd pleaser! Yummmm!!!
Was Delicious! Thanks! It came out Great!😁
This BLEW my mind. Wow. A new family staple for sure!!
I just made that. I used to use another recipe but this was so much better! I’ll not go back to the other one! Thank you very much. I still have sauce left over. Is there a use for it before I dump it?
How long would you recommend to reheat in an air fryer?
Till it’s warm and crispy. Will depend largely on your preference and air fryer.
This is the best recipe I’ve come across for pulled pork! And it was so easy, will definitely be my new go to!
can Dr pepper be used instead of cola ? I bought the Dr.P for another recipe but now will be making youra! TY for all the info you included in this post !
Yes, Dr. Pepper would work well! Enjoy!
I forgot to cut the meat into four parts. Will this make a huge difference?
No, it will be just fine!
DELICIOUS!
Very delicious and easy to make. Made it with homemade slaw and it was a hit.
This is PHENOMENAL!! Will definitely be making again in the future.
My pork shoulder roast is nearly 13 lbs so do I triple the recipe? Cooking time the same?
What is your favorite method of cooking the pork? and what usually yields the best results? I really love your recipes!!
Honestly, it just depends how much time I have! As long as it gets a good sear, all methods work great. I usually stick it in the slow cooker because it can cook for several hours without me babysitting at all, and once it’s done cooking it can stay on “warm” until we’re ready to eat.
Awesome recipe. Made them with your pork sandwiches and charro beans. Best dinner ever!