Looking for the perfect Easy Pulled Pork Recipe? If you're in the mood for a pulled pork sandwich this barbecue season, we'll show you how easy it is to make! This simple recipe utilizes a slow cooking process to yield tender, juicy meat. It has so much flavor and is made in a large dutch oven!
This recipe is made in an enameled cast iron dutch oven and yields tender meat after a long time of cooking low and slow in the oven. It's a great option for cookouts when you don't have a smoker or grill.
This is the best pulled pork recipe. It yields a big batch, and is full of smoky flavor, along with some spice, and sweetness! It's perfect for pulled pork sandwiches topped with keto coleslaw, some homemade bourbon bbq sauce, and pickles. Yum!
Looking for more perfect summer bbq recipes? This bbq bacon cheeseburger, these grilled shrimp and sausage skewers, these oven-baked ribs, or even these keto fried pork chops.
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❤️Why you'll love this
- Simple ingredients: Everything needed for this recipe is either a pantry staple or can be found at grocery stores nationwide.
- Refined sugar free & gluten free: We sweeten the pork with a brown sugar replacement as opposed to regular brown sugar. All the ingredients are naturally gluten free.
- No special equipment needed: All you need is a dutch oven, that's it!
- Packed with flavor: Sweet, spicy, savory, and smokey, it's everything!
- The best way to transform an inexpensive cut of meat: Cooking the meat low and slow will lead to tender, juicy pork with tons of flavor. It's a win-win!
🐖Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed, plus a few extras. You can find the full quantities in the recipe card.
✏️Ingredient Notes
- Pork butt, pork roast, or boneless pork shoulder is also known as a "picnic shoulder". Any of these cuts would work. We opted for pork butt.
- Dry rub seasonings - Aside from the basics of kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, we use a mixture of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and ground mustard.
- Brown sugar replacement - For sweetness. You could of course use regular brown sugar.
- Avocado or olive oil - To use to sear the pork and cook the onions before braising.
- Onion - To add more flavor in the braising liquid and the meat as it cooks.
- Liquid smoke - Optional, but a very good and easy way to add a smoky flavor to the meat.
- Apple cider vinegar - To add some acidity.
- Beer - You could also use chicken broth or stock, whiskey, Coca-Cola, apple juice, or even Dr. Pepper for added sweetness and flavor. If none of these sound appealing to you, just use some water. Basically, you need enough liquid to help tenderize the meat while it braises slowly.
- Worcestershire sauce - For depth of flavor.
📖Instructions
🔪Prep work
- Use a paper towel to dry off the pork very well before seasoning.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Thinly slice onions and set aside.
Season the pork
In a small bowl, create a bbq seasoning rub by combining all dry seasonings and brown sugar replacement.
Season the pork butt really well on all sides. Reserve some of the spice mixture for later.
Brown the pork
Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat with avocado oil. Once hot, add in the pork butt and sear on all sides until browned, this will take about 5-7 minutes total. Once browned on all sides, remove and set aside on a plate.
Create the seasoned braising liquid
Add more avocado oil to the dutch oven, and add in the onion, and season with a pinch of the seasoning blend.
Cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan every so often, then begin adding the beer, followed by the apple cider vinegar.
Now add the liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, and the remaining seasoning blend, scraping the bottom of the pan.
Bake the pork low and slow
Add the pork butt back into the dutch oven, and ladle with the liquid. Cover with the lid, and add to the oven, cooking for 3 hours until super tender.
Shred then enjoy!
After about 3 hours, remove some of the liquid if desired, then shred with forks or tongs.
Add to your favorite buns, we like these keto buns topped with barbecue sauce, pickles, and keto coleslaw.
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🥣Storage
Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat gently in the oven, on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the air fryer.
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📖 Recipe
Dutch Oven Pulled Pork
Ingredients
For the pork & dry rub:
- 65 grams brown sugar replacement (could use regular brown sugar)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 pounds boneless pork butt
For the braising liquid:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into strips
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 8 ounces beer (or chicken stock or water)
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Create bbq seasoning rub by combining all dry seasonings. Season the pork butt really well on all sides. Reserve some of the seasonings for later.
- Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat with avocado oil. Once hot, add in the pork butt and sear on all sides until browned, this will take about 5-7 minutes total. Once browned on all sides, remove and set aside on a plate.
- Add more avocado oil to the dutch oven, and add in the onion, season with a pinch of the seasoning blend. Cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan every so often. Stir in the beer, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, and the remaining seasoning blend, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Add the pork butt back into the dutch oven, and ladle with the liquid. Cover with the lid, and add to the oven, cooking for 3 hours until super tender.
- When done, shred with forks. Add to buns with bbq sauce, and optional coleslaw and pickles. Enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently in the microwave, in the oven, or air fryer.
Notes
- Buns, barbecue sauce, coleslaw, pickles, etc. are not included in the nutrition facts.
- You can use any braising liquid you like for this recipe, beer is optional.
- Please note that brown sugar replacement can be replaced for brown sugar in a 1:1 substitute.
Nutrition
These nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy and are only estimates. We cannot guarantee the accuracy.
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