Root Beer Pulled Pork in the Instant Pot

Succulent and flavorful pulled pork doesn’t have to take all day! This root beer braised pork is made quick and easy in the instant pot.

Pulled pork is one of our favorite party meals. Usually it takes all day on the smoker or in the slow cooker, but it doesn’t have to.

This root beer pulled pork can be made on a weeknight with the help of a pressure cooker!

I have long been curious about those pulled pork recipes that are braised in soda (or maybe pop depending on where you live.) I bought some root beer a while back to give it a try.

But life is busy and I was having issues thinking to make it early enough to actually get it done. Braising in a slow cooker is easy to do, but it does require planning as it takes a while.

Plus, if you want to brown the meat first you have two whole dirty pans. The inhumanity of it all!

So I finally got my wits about me and made it in an electric pressure cooker instead. That solved both of my problems!

First, you can brown the meat right in the instant pot. So there is no dirty skillet to clean. Secondly dinner is done in just over an hour by the time it’s all said and done.

You don’t have to suffer all day smelling deliciousness that won’t be edible for hours upon hours!  The aromas will be around just long enough to get you ready for a fabulous supper.

So grab some buns and whip up some creamy coleslaw.  We had ours with some macaroni and cheese too.

What to do With Leftover Pulled Pork

A big batch of pulled pork an economical way to feed a crowd, but you certainly don’t have to have a party to enjoy it. I often make extras for the expressed purpose of having plenty of leftover pulled pork to turn into other things.

In fact, pulled pork leftovers are super versatile.  They are one of my favorite things to repurpose.

These leftovers would be fabulous is creamy BBQ pulled pork spaghetti. It is an unexpected twist on a BBQ dinner.

If spaghetti isn’t what you are craving, maybe you’d prefer a bbq pulled pork rice skillet. It’s an all in one meal that’s made right on the stove top.

If you haven’t tried bbq pulled pork enchiladas yet, you are really missing out. The sour cream cheese sauce is out of this world.

In fact, now I’m worried I don’t have nearly enough leftovers to make all of these good dinners. I need to put more pork butt on my grocery list!

How do you store leftover pulled pork?

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Otherwise freeze it for up to 3 months.

4.84 from 6 ratings

Instant Pot Root Beer Pulled Pork

Author: Carlee

Servings: 18 Servings

Succulent and flavorful pulled pork doesn’t have to take all day! This easy recipe for root beer braised pork uses simple ingredients and makes tasty shredded pork sandwiches in a fraction of the time.

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Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Equipment

• Blues Hog Sauce Barbeque 
• OXO 4-Cup Fat Separator

Ingredients 

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• ▢ 4-6 pounds pork butt shoulder
• ▢ salt and black pepper
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• ▢ 3 cups root beer
• ▢ desired amount of barbecue sauce

Instructions 

• Cut pork butt into several large chunks, about fist size or slightly larger is good. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  4-6 pounds pork butt
• Heat oil in instant pot, using the saute function. Once the oil is hot, brown the pork a few pieces at a time. Work in batches so as to not overcrowd the pan. 
  1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• Add all of the meat back into the pressure cooker, then add garlic powder and root beer.
  2 teaspoons garlic powder, 3 cups root beer
• Put the lid on the instant pot, then cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.  Do a natural release for at least 15 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure.
• Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid, with any grease removed. Discard the remaining liquid.
• Shred pork, then add back the desired amount of cooking liquid. Stir in your favorite BBQ sauce to taste.

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Nutrition Information

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 117mg | Sugar: 4g

“Cooking With Carlee” is not a dietitian or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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