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.
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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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I have a 7 lb BONELESS pork shoulder. Would this work as well – any changes needed?
Thanks Jenn for ALL your perfect recipes.
Tannis
Hi Tannis, I haven’t used a boneless cut, but I think it will work. The timing may be slightly different — to remove any guesswork, I’d 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!
I have a 10 pound pork loin, will that work as well?
Hi Vicki, I wouldn’t recommend pork loin for this — sorry!
Hi Jen- I cooked this yesterday to serve this weekend, and it is delicious! Thanks for the great recipe. But, I have a question. I bought a 9 lb bone in pork butt and prior to cooking I trimmed off about 1 lb of fat, so an 8 lb pork butt went in the oven. I slow roasted for about 7.5 hours and it turned out great. However, by the time I got rid of the bone and the fat, there was only about 2.5 lbs of pulled pork. (I did also pour a good bit of rendered fat/grease out of the pan when done.) I was shocked I only got 2.5 lbs of pulled pork.
Is that an unusual ratio of start to finished product? Maybe I did something wrong? Would appreciate your thoughts! Thanks again for the great recipes!!
Hi Dan, I’ve actually never weighed the amount of meat left after cooking pork on the bone. I suspect the bone contributes a lot to the weight and if you trimmed a fair amount of fat, that would reduce the volume you were left with. All in all, what you’re describing doesn’t sound very far off (and I don’t think you did anything wrong).
Thank you, Jenn! I will definitely cook again. Love your recipes and your cookbooks!
Hi Jenn! The smallest size Boston Butt I could find was 7.5lbs. How long would you estimate that to cook for at 300 degrees? 8-8.5 hours?
Hi Scott, I’d estimate you’ll need to cook it for about 7 hours, but to be certain, I’d use a thermometer and insert it into the thickest part of the pork. When it registers 195°F, it’s done. And if you find that it’s getting too brown during that extra time in the oven, feel free to cover it loosely with foil. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn, I cannot find spicy brown mustard where I live. What type of mustard would be a suitable substitute? Thanks
Hi Rilla, Dijon (or really any other mustard) would be fine here. Hope you enjoy!
Skipped the barbecue sauce and used the meat for tacos with some salsa. Yum!
I always follow these recipes to the letter, because they are usually perfect. Even though 4 tsp didn’t sound like much I found it too salty. I will reduce the amount the next time.
I smoked the shoulder for 2 hours on my grill and then finished it in the oven. It was spectacular! the seasonings are great and don’t overwhelm the pork. I skipped the barbeque sauce and used a mustard vinegar sauce that was perfect with it. Will definitely make it again!
Hi Jenn,
Could you add liquid smoke to make it have that more smoky taste? Thank you!
I’ve never used liquid smoke, but I think you could get away with using a little of it. Hope you enjoy!
The meat was delish, but I can’t believe the amount of cider vinegar called for in the sauce recipe is correct. It was so tart I couldn’t even taste test it without crying.