If you’re looking for an easy, flavor packed meal prep recipe, this instant pot pork shoulder is it! It’s made with simple seasonings, minimal prep and makes a huge batch. You’ll love the versatility of the leftovers. Only 10 minutes of prep for an easy Paleo, Whole30 + Keto pulled pork recipe!
How to make a pork roast in your instant pot
It’s so easy, with only 10 minutes of active prep, the Instant Pot will do all the real work for you. To get the pork shoulder prepped here’s what you’ll do.
- Cut your pork shoulder into 2 inch cubes
- Toss with avocado oil and seasonings
- Sear the pork
- Let it cook in your instant pot
- Shred once cooked
PRO TIP: Searing the pork helps lock in the juices. You can either do it in batches in the pressure cooker, or we prefer to do half in the Instant Pot and half on the stove in another pan to get it all seared at once.
Simple seasonings
We chose simple seasonings you will have on hand, but you might think they are an uncommon combination. Trust us, you’re going to love how flavorful your pork is. Here’s what we used.
- Sea salt
- Cumin
- Allspice
- Coconut sugar (optional, omit for Whole30 + Keto)
- Dried sage
- Dried thyme
- Nutmeg
- Cayenne pepper (optional)
Perfect for meal prep and batch cooking
We love making this pork shoulder on a Sunday for dinner and then to have the leftovers in the fridge for the coming week. The leftovers are versatile and can be used in a variety of ways to make it feel like you’re having a new meal each time you eat them. Here are some of our favorite side dishes to go with.
- QUICK + EASY AIR FRYER CAULIFLOWER
- CRISPY OVEN ROASTED SPANISH POTATOES
- GARLICKY SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS AND ASPARAGUS
- LOADED MASHED CAULIFLOWER
You can also serve it up with some greens and rice (or cauliflower rice) for an easy bowl meal! Or use some in a scramble with eggs and whatever veggies you have on hand. Seriously…there are so many options. What will you try first?
Your turn to try our instant pot pork shoulder
Plan to make a big batch of this tender, flavorful Instant Pot pulled pork for meal prep this coming weekend! Your whole family will enjoy serving it up in different ways all week long. Leave a comment and rating below to let us know how it goes.
And take a pic to share on Instagram. Tag us @realsimplegood, so we can check it out. We love to see what you’re making.
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Tender, Flavorful Instant Pot Pork Shoulder
Ingredients
- 4 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 2 inch cubes
- 3 tbsp avocado oil, (or other cooking oil)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 lime, juice of
For the seasoning mix:
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp allspice
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar, (omit for Whole30 or Keto)
- 2 tsp dried sage
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, (optional)
Equipment
Instructions
- Cut pork into cubes and place them in the Instant Pot. Drizzle the cubes with 1-2 tbsp of avocado oil and toss to coat.
- Make the seasoning mix by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl or jar and mixing well.
- Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the pork cubes and mix with a spoon or tongs to evenly coat the pieces.
- To brown the pork, press the sauté button on the Instant Pot. (Note: If your Instant Pot is full, pull half of the pieces out and work in batches. Or, transfer half of the pieces to a pan on the stove and brown them while the other half brown in the Instant pot). Cook until all sides of the pork pieces are browned for 1-2 minutes. Press cancel on the instant pot once the pork is browned.
- Pour the beef broth into the Instant Pot and squeeze lime juice over the pork.
- Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and close the pressure valve. Press the "manual" button (or "pressure cook" button) and set the time to cook for 45 minutes at high pressure. Once the time is up, let the pressure naturally release on its own for 20 minutes.
- Manually release any remaining pressure and remove the lid. Shred the pork with two forks or with tongs to keep in it larger chunks.
- Serve pork shoulder with some of the juices from the Instant Pot for extra flavor.
For the Slow Cooker
- Follow the first 3 steps in the recipe above, adding the pork cubes to the slow cooker instead of the Instant Pot. Then, heat a pan on the stove over medium heat and add some avocado oil. Once hot, transfer the pork pieces to the pan and brown them on all sides. Work in batches if needed.
- Once the pork is browned, add it to the slow cooker. Pour the broth in with the pork and squeeze lime juice over everything.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- Shred the pork with two forks or with tongs to keep in it larger chunks. Serve pork shoulder with some of the juices from the slow cooker for extra flavor.
Optional step (for crispy pork pieces):
- Set your oven to broil.
- After shredding the pork, use a slotted spoon to remove the pork and onions from the instant pot and place on a large sheet pan. Spoon some of the juices from the instant pot over the top of the pork in the sheet pan.
- Place in the oven to broil for 6-8 minutes, until the pork begins to develop some brown and crispy edges. Watch carefully and cook to your preference.
- Alternatively, you can simply transfer some of the pork to a skillet over medium heat and cook it until it’s crispy, stirring occasionally. This method is easiest if you are re-heating the pork leftovers from the fridge.
Notes
This Pulled Pork is delicious! I’m Low FODMAP and it’s difficult to find recipes without garlic and onion. Thank you!
You’re very welcome Cathy, thanks for coming back to leave a rating and review 🙂