Get ready to impress your family with our irresistible pulled pork recipe. Perfectly seasoned and slow-cooked to perfection, this delicious favourite will have everyone asking for seconds!
We love pulled pork. It’s one of those things that I don’t make often enough because I think it’s hard work. But then, when I do make it, I remember how easy it is and promise that I’ll make it more often!
Slow-cooked pork just drops apart and tastes absolutely delicious.
This is my go-to recipe for perfect oven-baked pulled pork. It’s a super kid-friendly recipe that always tastes great and actually takes very little work!
*This post may contain affiliate links to products I find useful when making this recipe. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.*
Ingredients for Pulled Pork
When I make this recipe, I make a simple rub for the pork using store cupboard spices, but you don’t need anything fancy.
I use:
Pork Shoulder – Some pulled pork recipes use pork butt, but shoulder is easier to get here.
Paprika
Cumin
Salt and Black Pepper
Dark Brown Sugar
Cider
BBQ Sauce
What BBQ Sauce Should You Use?
I use my homemade BBQ sauce with ketchup, apple cider vinegar and honey (and a few other bits!) which I love.
This BBQ sauce recipe makes a portion big enough for probably 2 lots of pulled pork, and it keeps in the fridge really well.
You can also use any store-bought BBQ sauce or another recipe that you like for this oven pulled pork.
I’d say you need about 100ml, but you can use more or less depending on how strong you want the flavour to be.
What Do You Need to Cook Pulled Pork?
I cook my pulled pork in a large Dutch oven, in the oven.
Anything large, heatproof and lidded will work.
How to Make Pulled Pork – Step-by-Step
This is such an easy pulled pork recipe.
You can get the full instructions and quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post too.
Step One
Find a large, heatproof, lidded dish, that your pork will fit in well.
I use a large Dutch Oven.
Step Two
In a small bowl mix together the paprika, cumin, black pepper, salt, and dark brown sugar.
Step Three
Place the Pork Shoulder in the cooking dish, and liberally rub with the spice mix, all over. You can do this on a plate, but it will be less messy this way.
Step Four
Pour about 300 ml of cider, pouring onto the bottom of the dish, not over the pork.
Step Five
Cover and place in the oven. You don’t need to preheat, so turn it on to 120 degrees C (fan-assisted) now.
Step Six
Cook for around 4 hours (a little more or less is fine, but I don’t think it needs to be crazily long!) checking every hour or so and adding more cider if needed.
I ladle a bit of liquid onto the top of the pork every time I do this too.
If you are making your own BBQ sauce, do it now.
Step Seven
Remove from the oven and remove the lid.
Carefully remove the pork from the cooking dish and place it on a plate to rest. It will probably start to fall apart as soon as you pick it up, so be careful.
Re-cover the dish and keep it to one side.
Step Eight
Loosely cover the meat with foil (this isn’t essential you can just leave it on the plate) and leave it to rest for 15 minutes.
Step Nine
Use your fingers to peel away the excess fat layer on top of the joint. Throw this away.
Step Ten
Use two forks to pull the pork apart, so that it’s in thin, shredded pork strips. Place on a tray or large plate.
Step Eleven
Ladle over a good scoop of the liquid from the bottom of the cooking dish and drizzle on the BBQ sauce.
Mix thoroughly.
What Happens if You Overcook Pulled Pork?
You can’t really overcook pulled pork.
The liquid might dry out, but you can always add more, and the outside of the pork where you rubbed on the spice mix might go a little crispy. But it will still taste yummy.
Even if the pork itself is a little dry, adding the sauce will revive it well.
How Do You Pull Pork?
I literally stick two forks in and pull it apart. Sometimes I pull the forks away from each other, and sometimes I kind of rub them against each other, depending on the grain of the meat.
Why Won’t My Pork Pull?
If just a little bit of pork won’t pull, you might have just hit a bit of fat, or a tough edge. Dig it out with your fingers and carry on.
You might also want to try turning it and pulling from a different angle so that you are working with the grain of the meat.
If the whole joint isn’t coming apart at all, it might need cooking for a little longer. Baste with some of the liquid and cook for another hour, at a lower temperature.
It could also mean that your oven was too high, try it lower for longer next time.
How Do You Serve Pulled Pork?
I served pulled pork shoulder on burger buns with a little grated mozzarella and a little more BBQ sauce.
You can serve it on a plate with a side of chips, or something like mac and cheese.
You could just put it on some bread for sandwiches.
What to Serve with Pulled Pork?
I tend to serve my pulled pork burgers with corn on the cob and salad, maybe some mac and cheese, but there’s really no right or wrong.
What Do You Do with Leftover Pulled Pork?
Leftover pulled pork could be heated up and used for pulled pork sandwiches the next day, or even served with pasta and some veggies.
Another option is pulled pork flatbread pizzas which are amazing!
Reheating Pulled Pork
How you reheat pulled pork will depend on how much you’ve got.
But first, you should make sure you are storing it properly if you are going to keep it. Place in an airtight tub, leave to cool fully and then seal and place in the fridge.
Disclaimer: While I aim to be as accurate as possible, any advice in this post, including but not limited to, cooking times, quantities, nutritional information and storage and freezing guidance is based on my own experience. Please use your own skills, knowledge and judgement, and get up to date food safety information.
I’d only keep it for a day, and never keep out on the side. You shouldn’t keep it if the pork was going out of date that day. You can get more tips on storing leftovers here.
Then, if you’ve got a lot of leftover pulled pork, I’d place it in a thin layer on a baking tray, drizzle with a little water, and bake for 15-20 mins at 180 degrees, until the meat is piping hot.
If you’ve got a lot less, I’d probably put it in a pan with a little water and heat slowly on the hob, until it’s piping hot.
If you’ve got one, you could also use a microwave.
Can You Freeze Pulled Pork?
Yes, as long as the meat is in date, you can freeze cooked pulled pork in an airtight tub for up to two months.
Thaw fully in the fridge when you are ready and then reheat as above.
Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg Pork Shoulder (a little more or less is fine)
- 2 Teaspoons Paprika
- 2 Teaspoons Cumin
- Pinch Salt and Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Dark Brown Soft Sugar
- 300 ml Cider (a 500ml bottle is ideal so you can add more later if you need to)
- 100 ml BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix together the paprika, cumin, black pepper, salt, and dark brown sugar.
- Place the Pork Shoulder in the cooking dish, and liberally rub it all over with the spice mix.
- Pour about 300 ml of cider around the pork.
- Cover and place in the oven. Heat to 120 Degrees C (fan assisted).
- Cook for around 4 hours.
- Every hour or so check, ladle over a scoop of liquid from the bottom, and add more cider if it’s drying out.
- Remove from the oven and remove the lid.
- Carefully remove the pork from the cooking dish and place it on a plate to rest. It will probably start to fall apart as soon as you pick it up, so be careful.
- Re-cover the dish and keep it to one side.
- Loosely cover the meat with foil and leave it to rest for 15 minutes.
- Use your fingers to peel away the fatty layer on top of the joint. Throw this away.
- Use two forks to pull the pork apart, so that it’s in thin, shredded strips.
- Place on a tray or large plate.
- Ladle over a good scoop of the liquid from the bottom of the cooking dish and drizzle on the BBQ sauce.
- Mix thoroughly and add more sauce if desired.
- Serve with sides, on buns, or as it is.
Notes
- Use store-bought or homemade BBQ sauce – get my recipe here!
- See the post above for more tips and information.
- Nutritional info is just for the pork and sauce, not any bread or sides.
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
