This easy Smoked Pulled Pork recipe doesn’t require any fancy techniques or ingredients—just a smoker, pork roast, and some time. It’s a great way to make juicy, flavorful pulled pork for your next bbq with plenty left over to make sandwiches, tacos, and so much more.
If you don’t have a smoker, it’s all good! You can try my Kalua Pork, Picnic Roast, or this Sweet Pork recipe—all made using a slow cooker instead.
Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe
If you love smoked pork, I promise you that investing in a smoker of your very own is so worth it. Some of your favorite bbq staples are incredibly easy to make if you’ve got one, like this smoked pulled pork.
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Do not be intimidated! With just a few tips you will be smoking a pork shoulder in no time and impressing all of your friends with your seriously delicious homemade bbq.
The only ingredients you need are the pork shoulder, yellow mustard to slather over it, and a few spices to make a basic spice rub. Otherwise, you’ll need some wood for the smoker and that’s it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You can freeze some for later. You can get at least one more meal out of this recipe if you freeze some for later. Make sure the meat has cooled down, then place into freezer bags and store frozen for up to 2 months.
- This is a hands-off recipe. There is definitely some prep work that needs to be done, but once your pork is in the smoker this is a mostly set it and forget it recipe.
- There are so many uses for pulled pork. Besides just eating this pulled pork with a side of bbq sauce, you can use it for sandwiches, tacos, enchiladas, pizza toppings, pasta, nachos, and literally so much more.
Key Ingredients You Will Need
- Pork: you can use pork shoulder, Boston butt, or picnic roast for this recipe. Keep in mind that an 8 pound pork roast will yield around 4.5-5 pounds of smoked pull pork.
- Yellow Mustard: the mustard helps the spice rub stick to the pork, but it also flavors it quite a bit.
- Paprika: both the flavor and color of paprika are the perfect addition to the spice rub.
- Chili Powder: feel free to add a little more or a little less depending on how spicy you like things.
How to Make Smoked Pulled Pork
- Prepare the pork. Pat the pork dry with a paper towel, then use a pastry brush and coat the pork roast with a thin layer of yellow mustard on all sides. Combine the spices for the rub, then sprinkle over the entire pork, rubbing it in so that it sticks.
- Smoke the pork. Place the pork roast directly on the grill grates, fat side up. Insert a digital meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast and smoke until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 160 degrees F—about 5-7 hours. Once it reaches 160 degrees F, wrap it in butcher paper, or place in an aluminum tray and cover with aluminum foil. Continue to cook until the internal temperature hits 203 degrees F.—another 3-5 hours.
- Let the pork rest. Once cooked, take the roast off the grill and leave it wrapped in the butcher paper. Wrap it up in an old towel and let it rest for at least 1 additional hour to help the meat become tender and break down all the connective tissue.
- Shred the pork. Unwrap the smoked pork, remove the bone if needed, and shred the pork. Reserve the meat juices and add them back to the shredded meat.
- Serve. Serve with your choice of barbecue sauce, buns, or slaw. Or enjoy it in tacos, burritos, sandwiches, nachos, salads and more. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Be patient! There will be a time where you are convinced that the temperature of the pork is never going to rise. There is actually even a name for this: the stall. But I promise you, it will cook. Putting butcher paper or aluminum foil around the pork towards the end of the cooking will help speed things along, too.
- Make extra. It takes a while to cook a whole pork roast, so be sure to make enough to freeze for later! A general rule of thumb to remember is that for an 8 pound roast, you will yield about 4.5 to 5 pounds of pulled pork, so you can plan accordingly when buying the pork roast.
- Don’t skip the resting period. It’s super important to let the pork rest for at least 1 hour after it has cooked. It’s a huge piece of meat and you need to give it time for the juices to redistribute.
- Invest in a good wireless meat thermometer. When you are cooking any kind of meat for a long time like this, it’s important to keep track of the internal temperature so that it doesn’t overcook, cook too fast, or cook too slowly. It’s equally important to make sure the thermometer is accurate so test it ahead of time!
Storage Instructions
- Storing instructions: let your shredded pork cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.
- Reheating: to reheat in the microwave, place into a microwave-safe container and reheat for about 30 seconds at a time on high until warm. Or, reheat in a pot on medium heat over the stove with a little broth or water.
More You’ll Love
Making pulled pork in the smoker is easier than you might think, and doesn’t require any special ingredients. Serve with your favorite bbq sides, on a sandwich, or tucked into tacos, enchiladas, and more.
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Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe
This easy smoked pulled pork recipe doesn’t require any fancy techniques or ingredients—just a smoker, pork roast, and some time. It’s a great way to make juicy, flavorful pulled pork for your next bbq with plenty left over to make sandwiches, tacos, and so much more.
Yields people
Ingredients
- 8 pounds pork roast, (or pork shoulder, Boston butt or picnic roast)
- 2/3 cup yellow mustard
Sweet Rub
- 1½ tablespoons onion powder
- 1½ tablespoons garlic powder
- 1½ tablespoons paprika
- 1½ tablespoons chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F for about about 15-20 minutes.
- Take the pork out of the packaging and pat it dry with a paper towel. Use a pastry brush and coat the pork roast with a thin layer of yellow mustard on all sides.
- In a small bowl, mix together the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the entire pork roast- pressing it in so it sticks.
- Place the pork roast directly on the grill grates, fat side up.
- Insert a digital meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast and smoke until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 160 degrees F—about 5-7 hours.
- Once it reaches 160 degrees F, wrap it in butcher paper, or place in an aluminum tray and cover with aluminum foil. Continue to cook until the internal temperature hits 203 degrees F.—another 3-5 hours.
- Once cooked, take the roast off the grill and leave it wrapped in the butcher paper. Wrap it up in an old towel and place it in a cooler to rest for at least 1 additional hour to help the meat become tender and break down all the connective tissue.
- After resting, unwrap the smoked pork, remove the bone if needed, and shred the pork. Reserve the meat juices and add them back to the shredded meat.
- Serve with your choice of barbecue sauce, buns, or slaw. Or enjoy in tacos, burritos, sandwiches, nachos, salads and more. Enjoy!
Notes
Best wood for smoking: Use hickory, apple, or cherry, or a mix of these pellets for a smoky and slightly sweet flavor.
Storing instructions: let your shredded pork cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.
Reheating: to reheat in the microwave, place into a microwave-safe container and reheat for about 30 seconds at a time on high until warm. Or, reheat in a pot on medium heat over the stove with a little broth or water.
Nutrition
Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 927mg | Potassium: 499mg | Vitamin A: 595IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2.3mg
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4th of July, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Healthy, Main Dish, Nut-Free, Pork, Summer Recipes,
