This Instant Pot pork butt, also known as Boston Butt, is fast and easy to prepare, taking a fraction of the time required by other cooking methods. The result is tender and juicy pork that's perfect for any occasion. Plus, it's a cheap option that can feed a crowd and is sure to impress.
Jump to:
Cooking pork butt in an Instant Pot is the perfect way to cook pork. First, it makes your dish incredibly tender and juicy. Second, it's quick and easy, taking only a fraction of the time it would take to cook in a conventional oven or slow cooker. Finally, with this Instant Pot pork butt recipe, you'll have plenty of leftovers, making it a great way to save time and money in the kitchen. So, if you're looking for a delicious, easy, and cost-effective meal, this Instant Pot pork butt recipe is the way to go!
Oh, and did you notice that this recipe calls for just 2 ingredients? You only need the Pork Butt Roast (Boston Butt) and the Italian dressing. This dressing has all the spices and ingredients needed to give this pork the perfect savory flavor, keeping it simple, easy, and delicious! Plus, it's the perfect option for those looking for a pulled pork recipe without bbq sauce.
By the way, if you like easy recipes, these Pan seared chicken breasts are super flavorful and take just a few minutes to make.
Ingredients
This Instant Pot pork butt is the easiest, most delicious pulled pork you'll ever try! It requires just 2 simple ingredients that deliver so much flavor!!
Not everybody likes to eat sweet pork with bbq sauce. So, I decided to bring this pulled pork without bbq sauce. It's very simple and requires mainly just 2 ingredients:
- Pork Butt: Pork butt, also known as Boston butt, is very flavorful and a great choice when making pulled pork, but pork shoulder (picnic roast) is also a good option.
- Italian dressing: The liquid one, sold in a bottle at grocery stores. They have all the seasonings the pork butt needs to taste amazing. Pick the brand you like the most.
- Salt: It's optional, but I always feel it needs some extra pinches.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Pork Butt in an Instant Pot
Here are the step-by-step photos for instructions.
Cut the Pork Butt into 4 parts. If it's bone-in, you can cut around it.
Place meat inside the Instant Pot and add ½ cup of Italian dressing.
Close the lid and vent (if your model requires) and set it to cook on high pressure, 12 minutes per pound (450g). In my case, it cooked for 80 minutes because my roast was 6.5 lbs.
Remove cooked meat, shred it with a fork, and transfer half of it to a very hot skillet. Add about ½ cup of dressing and a pinch of salt. Taste and add more if necessary. Transfer it to a serving plate and do the same to the remaining shredded pork.
Hint: Instant Pot has a time chart that states 15 minutes per pound of butt roast when using models that range from 10.15 – 11.6 psi (80kPa), but I've cooked it many times for 12 minutes per pound, and it's always been perfect and falling apart. This way, you can save a few minutes in the kitchen.😉
Pork Butt x Pork Shoulder
Pork Butt is also known as Boston Butt or Pork Shoulder Butt Roast. And Pork Shoulder is also known as Picnic Shoulder or Picnic Roast.
The names can be confusing because both pork butt and pork shoulder come from the shoulder region of the pig, although they are actually two different cuts of meat. Pork Butt is a rectangular cut that comes from the top of the front leg, and it contains more marbling than pork shoulder, making it a more tender and juicy cut. In contrast, Pork Shoulder comes from further down the shoulder, has a triangular shape, and typically has less intramuscular fat and marbling.
Despite the differences, since both cuts are fairly tough and fatty, they both benefit from long, slow cooking or pressure cooking (which is what we're going for here). They're also flavorful, versatile, and relatively inexpensive, which makes them great for creating delicious meals on a budget.
Storage
Once cooked, you can store leftovers in the fridge for no longer than 4 days or freeze them in a freezer container for 2 to 3 months for optimal taste.
Top Tips
- Keep the skillet very hot to sear the meat and get that perfect brown crispy crust. The technique used here is called reversed sear, which means we cook the meat first and sear it later.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet, or you won't be able to sear the meat properly. Work in batches.
- People have different tastebuds, so start adding a little bit of the dressing to the meat being seared, along with a pinch of salt, toss and taste it; then add more if you feel necessary. It's easier to add more than remove it.
FAQs
Although this recipe was created to be eaten as is, you can add BBQ sauce if desired. Just add less of the Italian dressing and add the barbecue sauce as it sears in the skillet.
I like serving this shredded pork with rice, beans, and a salad. But you can also eat it in tacos, buns, pasta, tortillas, casseroles, or pies. This recipe is very versatile.
Pairing
These are amazing dishes to serve with it:
Don't miss a recipe! Subscribe to our newsletter.
📖 Recipe / Receita
Instant Pot Pork Butt (Boston Butt)
Equipment
- Instant Pot (Pressure cooker)
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 6 lbs Pork Butt Roast/ Boston Butt (2.7kg). Bone-in or boneless Approximately
- 16 fl oz Traditional Italian Dressing & Marinade (473ml)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Trim off excess fat and cut the Pork Butt into 4 parts. If it's bone-in, you can cut around it.
- Place meat inside the Instant Pot insert and add ½ cup of Italian dressing.
- Close the lid and vent (if your model requires it) and set it to cook on high pressure, 12 minutes per pound (450g). In my case, it cooked for 80 minutes because my roast was 6.5lbs.
- Once it's done, wait about 10 minutes to release the remaining pressure. Transfer the meat to a cutting board, and shred it with a fork.
- Heat a big skillet over high heat, and transfer half of the meat to the skillet (add more or less depending on the size of your skillet. Don't overcrowd it). Add about ½ cup of dressing and a pinch of salt, and mix to combine. Taste and add more if necessary. Wait about 1 or 2 minutes until the meat sears and gets that nice golden brown color. Turn the meat around with a kitchen tong and brown the other side. Once it gets the sear you like, transfer the meat to a serving plate and do the same to the remaining shredded pork.
- Serve it hot. Here are some side options: rice, beans, tortillas, mac and cheese, buns, pasta, or whatever you'd like.
Nutrition Estimate:
All nutritional information above is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Nutritional content may vary according to brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, substitutions, optional ingredients, etc. Simple Living Recipes is not responsible for any miscalculation or misinformation in the nutrition label.
Related
Looking for other delicious recipes? Try these:
Would you like some desserts? These are amazing and so easy to make!
Follow us on Social Media!
Save this recipe for later in your Pinterest
Comments
No Comments