Instant Pot Pulled Pork is something we all need a good recipe for. I’ve tinkered with this Instant Pot version for a while and am so pleased with the results. Don’t let the time it takes to pressure cook throw you off from trying it. The active time to get this rolling is 10 minutes. Give it a try and serve it with your favourite BBQ sauce on top of a delicious brioche bun – or – use it in taco shells!
Not so sure about orange and cinnamon on your pork? Try Dry Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Herb Cream Sauce.
The Ingredients
You can use your favourite BBQ spice blend or use mine together. The orange juice is key to braising and tenderizing the pork shoulder.
- pork shoulder
- brown sugar or honey
- paprika
- garlic powder
- dehydrated onion slices
- cumin
- cayenne
- black pepper
- cinnamon
- olive oil
- orange juice
- bbq sauce
Cutting Up The Pork
This is the one difference between slow cooking and pressure cooking pork shoulder. You truly need to cut up the piece of pork shoulder to get it to properly break down. Rub the oil on the pork and then coat each nook and cranny with the seasoning blend.
Pressure Cooking
Pressure cook the pork with some orange juice and a stick of cinnamon and get your taste buds ready for the easiest pulled pork ever.
Shredding the Pork
While pressure-cooked pork shoulder doesn’t have that ‘bite’ that smoking does, it’s so easy to pull. Remove the pork chunks from the braising liquid and put it into a new bowl. Using a potato masher (yup, no forks here!) mash-up the pork. Add enough BBQ sauce to taste and enjoy!
Orange Cinnamon Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Potato Masher
Ingredients
- 5 lb pork shoulder
- 6 tbsp brown sugar or honey
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp dehydrated onion slices
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp cayenne
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 2" stick cinnamon
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1½ cup bbq sauce of choice
Instructions
- Remove pork from the refrigerator 30 min before you're about to get cooking.
- Debone pork shoulder and cut into 8 even pieces. Keep the bone.
- Mix brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion slices, cumin, cayenne, black pepper and salt together in a small bowl. Rub pork shoulder pieces with olive oil and rub in spice blend.
- Put pork into the instant pot and drizzle in orange juice along the outside edge of the instant pot as to not wash the spices off of the meat.
- Place in cinnamon stick and bone from the shoulder. The bone adds flavour and gelatin to the meat as it cooks.
- Pressure cook on high for 55 minutes. Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes.
- Remove pork from the instant pot with a slotted spoon leaving the liquid behind. Put pork into a clean bowl.
- Using a potato masher, shred the pork to your desired consistency.
- Add bbq sauce ½ cup at a time and stir in. Taste to see if it's to your desired amount of BBQ sauce. If not, keep adding until you like it!
- Serve as desired on buns, taco shells, salad, etc!
Orange Cinnamon Instant Pot Pulled Pork – Make it, Love it, Share it!
Discover Delicious
Looking for more beginner-friendly recipes? Click here!
Need a Side Item?
Coleslaw is a traditional side for pulled pork in the south USA. Give our Green onion and apple slaw a try.
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