Oven Pulled Pork
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This oven pulled pork recipe delivers pit-worthy flavor—no smoker required. Slow-cooked until fall-off-the-bone tender, it has a crusty bark and tangy-sweet sauce that rivals your favorite barbecue spot.
This easy oven pulled pork recipe yields plenty of juicy, fall-apart meat with smoky BBQ flavor. It’s simple to make: just rub the pork with barbecue spices, pop it in the oven, and let it cook low and slow. As the irresistible barbecue aroma fills your kitchen, the hardest part is waiting—and then trying not to eat all the pork as you shred it!
I roast the pork uncovered, which allows the spice rub to develop a dark, flavorful bark. But what really sets this recipe apart is the barbecue sauce: after roasting, I deglaze the pan to capture all those flavorful browned bits and juices, then stir them into a tangy-sweet sauce. Tossed with the shredded pork, it makes every bite extra flavorful.
Serve the pork piled onto buns with coleslaw for an easy, crowd-pleasing meal. It keeps and freezes well, making it great for meal prep or easy meals down the road.
“Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. Great flavor, beautiful bark, delicious sauce. The whole family enjoyed it!”
What You’ll Need To Make Pulled Pork
- Pork Butt: Despite the name, pork butt comes from the upper shoulder of the pig. It may also be labeled Boston butt. Its generous marbling and connective tissue make it ideal for pulled pork—the fat keeps the meat moist during the long cooking time, while the connective tissue breaks down until the pork is fall-apart tender.
- Spice Rub: A combination of brown sugar, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt, and pepper seasons the pork and forms a flavorful bark as it roasts. The brown sugar also helps the exterior caramelize.
- Ketchup: Forms the tomato-rich base of the barbecue sauce.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Gives the sauce its tang and cuts through the richness of the pork.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness to the sauce and balances the acidity of the vinegar.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds savory depth and a subtle umami note to the barbecue sauce.
- Mustard: Adds a little sharpness and helps round out the sweet and tangy flavors in the sauce.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Oven Pulled Pork
Season the pork: Pat the pork dry with paper towels. This helps the spice rub stick better and ensures a nice crust as it roasts. Combine the spices for the rub, then coat the pork generously on all sides. Don’t be shy with the seasoning—the pork is a large cut of meat, and the rub will eventually become the flavorful bark on the outside.
Slow cook the pork: Cook the pork uncovered until the exterior is deeply browned and crusty and the meat is tender enough to pull apart easily with a fork. Cooking it uncovered is key: it allows the spice rub to develop into a flavorful bark rather than softening in trapped steam. For truly tender pulled pork, don’t go by time alone—the internal temperature should reach about 195°F, when the connective tissue has broken down and the meat is ready to shred.
Make the BBQ sauce: While the pork roasts, make the barbecue sauce. It should have a tangy-sweet flavor with enough acidity to balance the richness of the pork. Keep in mind that the sauce isn’t quite finished yet—the flavorful juices from the roasting pan will be added later.
Deglaze the pan: Once the pork is done, transfer it to a cutting board to rest and pour off the excess fat. Deglaze the roasting pan, scraping up all the deeply browned bits stuck to the bottom—there’s a tremendous amount of concentrated flavor there. Reduce the liquid until it intensifies, then stir it into the barbecue sauce.
Shred and sauce the pork: When the pork is cool enough to handle, pull it into bite-size pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Toss the meat with enough barbecue sauce to coat it generously without overwhelming it. The pork should stay juicy and flavorful, with bits of the dark bark mixed throughout. Serve with extra sauce on the side.
What to Serve with Pulled Pork
For a classic pulled pork dinner, serve the pork piled onto buns with coleslaw, along with sides like cornbread, baked beans, potato salad, or mac and cheese. For something lighter, pair it with a simple green salad or corn on the cob.
My starting point for this recipe was Tyler Florence’s pulled pork barbecue recipe. I used my own spice rub and barbecue sauce, but the cooking method is identical to the original recipe.
Video Tutorial
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Oven Pulled Pork
Ingredients
For the Pork
- 1 (5 to 6-lb) bone-in pork butt (sometimes called Boston butt; see note)
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Tangy Barbecue Sauce
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons ketchup
- ¾ cup cider vinegar
- ¾ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¾ cup water, for deglazing the roasting pan
For Serving
- 12 hamburger buns, lightly toasted and buttered, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and set an oven rack in the lower-middle position.
- Pat the pork dry with paper towels.
- Mix the salt, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, dry mustard, brown sugar, and pepper in a small bowl. Place the pork in a roasting pan. Rub the spice blend all over the pork, turning to coat evenly (don't leave any of the spice blend in the bottom of the pan; keep turning the meat until it all adheres).
- Roast, uncovered, for 6 to 6½ hours, or until the meat is fork-tender and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 195°F (95°C).
- While the pork roasts, make the barbecue sauce. Combine the ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, garlic, and cayenne pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about ten minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit until the pork is done.
- When the pork is done, take it out of the oven and set it on a cutting board or platter; tent with aluminum foil and let rest for about 10 minutes.
- Pour off and discard the fat from the roasting pan (remember the handles are hot). Add ¾ cup (180 ml) water to the roasting pan and set it over a single burner on medium heat; scrape with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced by about half. (The liquid will be very dark; that's okay.) Pour into the saucepan with the barbecue sauce and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- While the pork is still warm, use two forks to pull the meat away from the bone into large shreds. Remove and discard any large pieces of fat or sinew. Put the shredded pork in a large bowl or dish and pour about two-thirds of the barbecue sauce over it. Toss so that the pork is evenly coated with the sauce. Taste and add more sauce, little by little, if desired.
- To serve, spoon the pulled pork onto the bottom half of each bun. Pass the remaining barbecue sauce on the side.
Notes
- Pork butt (which is also sometimes called Boston butt) is misleadingly named; it does not come from the rear end of the pig. Rather, it comes from the thicker, well-marbled upper shoulder. It is not to be confused with a picnic roast, which comes from the lower end of the shoulder and is a bit leaner. The bone adds extra moisture and flavor, but if you can only find boneless, no worries—just use a 4 to 5-pound roast and expect a slightly shorter cook time.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The pork can be made entirely ahead of time and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat just a few servings of pulled pork, toss the pork in a microwave-safe bowl. Add a bit more sauce if the pork seems dry, and cover the dish with a plate or lid. Microwave the pork for one to two minutes, or until hot. To reheat a larger quantity, place the pork in a baking dish and add a bit more sauce if the pork seems dry. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in a 250°F (120°C) oven for about 30 minutes, or until hot. To freeze, place the pulled pork in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hey Jen,
What about a nice, well-marbled piece of brisket? Would that work as a substitute for the pork in this recipe?
Stay safe…
Hi Alan, it won’t be quite as tender as pork, but it should work. I’d love to hear what you think of it with brisket!
Hi!
Does a boneless butt change the recipe a lot? Or would it be okay to use? Does the bone in add a lot of additional flavour, or make the meat more tender? I usually use a boneless butt in the slow cooker and find it’s sometimes tough and difficult to shred – looking forward to trying your method!
Hi Dianna, Bones do add a lot of flavor when cooking meat, but I do think you could get away with using a boneless butt. I believe the cooking time should be about the same, but to be sure use a thermometer and insert it the thickest part of the pork. When it registers 195°F, you’re good to go. Please LMK how it turns out!
Just realized I never let you know how it turned out! It was great with the boneless butt! Much more tender and easier to shred than my slow cooker pulled pork, and I really liked the charred bits – don’t get those in the slow cooker. Hubby also loved it – when I told him last night that I was thinking about making pulled pork this weekend, he said “the oven one? Cause that one was really good” lol. Thanks again for the recipe
So glad it was a hit, Dianna — thanks for reporting back!!
All I could find was a boneless butt, and it turned out great. Ours was about 4 pounds, and cooked in about 4 and a half hours. It’s delicious!!!
Thanks Mindy!
I own a beautiful stainless steel electric skillet with high sides and a dome cover. Can I make this recipe in my electric skillet?
Hi Tess, I wish I could weigh in, but I’ve never used an electric skillet, so I can’t say for sure whether or not it would work. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Would this recipe work with a pork sirloin roast?
Hi Polly, Unfortunately, pork sirloin is too lean. You really need a well-marbled cut or the pork will dry out.
Hi Jenn, wanted to know if I could use this recipe in the crockpot. Thanks in advance.
Hi Arlene, Unfortunately, a slow cooker won’t work with this particular recipe.
Hi!
Can I make this in a crockpot and, if so, how do you adjust the recipe to accommodate? Thank you and stay safe and healthy to all!
Unfortunately, a slow cooker won’t work with this particular recipe.
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
Hi Karen, Unfortunately, a slow cooker won’t work here. You won’t get the bark, and you also won’t be able to deglaze the pan (those pan juices add a lot of flavor to the sauce). Sorry!
Do you have a recipe for coleslaw to accompany this recipe? Thanks so much for continuing to post yummy recipes.
As of now, I don’t – I’m sorry! I’ll add it to my list of recipes to potentially develop. 🙂
I love this one since it doubles for making tacos (if you have any leftovers) from this recipe ! https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/southwestern_coleslaw/
Hi Jenn,
Thanks for your great recipes. I want to make this but only have pork tenderloin in my freezer. Can I use this and how would I adapt the recipe if possible?
Hi Anna, Unfortunately, this recipe won’t work with pork tenderloin. So sorry!
I’m doubling up on this recipe. One butt roast is 6 lbs and the other 8 lbs. Should I bump up the temperature and how long should I cook?
Hi Misti, I’d keep the temperature the same, but it’s really hard to say how long they’ll take. I’d definitely recommend a meat thermometer to remove any guesswork and would start roasting them the morning you’re planning to serve for dinner so you have plenty to time. (I’d wait until you’re ready to serve to shred it; it will keep the meat more moist.) Hope that helps!
This looks amazing Jen! I have been making pulled pork for years.. usually in my smoker (with the fat cap on top). I am going to adjust to placing a pan under the butt to capture the juices… adding that back to the sauce is absolute gold!!! Great idea! I also do this with a heavily salted pork marinated with Cuban Mojo & cumin … (I trim the fat cap on this one)… that one I do in the oven like yours and turn it over once, around the 3-hour mark, to get some color on the bottom side. I usually pull them around 200 degrees but 195 may retain a bit more moisture.. will try that next time!
Never an unsatisfied customer with this recipe! We make a full 8lb butt and freeze the extra for quick weeknight dishes. Just last night I had some smoked pork over a baked potato… was delish!