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How to Make Pulled Pork in the Oven
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Learn how to make tender, flavorful braised pulled pork in the oven, no smoker required! This easy method slowly cooks pork shoulder in a Dutch oven with a blend of spices, liquid smoke, and a savory braising liquid until it’s fall-apart tender. The braising process locks in moisture while creating deep, smoky barbecue-style flavor right in your kitchen. Whether you’re serving it in sandwiches, over fries, or with a side of coleslaw, this oven-braised pulled pork delivers that slow-cooked, Southern-inspired taste with minimal effort. Pair the pulled pork with homemade BBQ sauce and baked beans and cheesy corn muffins for a complete spread.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tender and juicy every time. Slow roasting the pork shoulder in the oven creates perfectly tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat without needing a smoker.
- Versatile for any meal. Enjoy it piled high on buns with coleslaw, served over fries, or stuffed into tacos for an easy weeknight dinner or game day spread.
- Perfect for meal prep. This recipe makes a generous amount and reheats beautifully, making it great for leftovers throughout the week.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Pork shoulder – This cut can be referred to as the pork shoulder, picnic shoulder or picnic ham. It’s a similar cut to the pork butt which is higher up on the leg. Because these cuts gets a lot of work, they are very muscle-heavy cuts, making them ideal for braising. These two cuts can both be used in this recipe. Slowly cooking the meat at a low temperature helps to break down the tough meat, resulting in tender, succulent pork.
- Spices – Rather than using a store bought BBQ rub I opt to mix my own using brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, mustard powder and cayenne.
- Liquid smoke – Liquid smoke is used to imitate the flavor created by smoking foods. A little goes a long way. I typically use the Hickory variety for the best flavor.
- Vegetable broth – Vegetable broth is added to the pork to keep it moist as it braises. The broth can be swapped with chicken stock if needed.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Why You Should Braise Your Meat
Braising is the method of cooking meat at a low temperature for a long period of time in a tightly sealed container like a Dutch oven. It’s a forgiving method of cooking. Slowly cooking the meat allows for tough, lean (and often cheaper) cuts of meat to break down and become tender and juicy. I love a good braise because you really can’t mess it up. With this “hands-off” method, the meat is first seared to lock in the juices. It’s then added to a tightly covered oven-safe pot. Since you cook it for a long time at a low temperature, so you don’t run the risk of overcooking as you would using other methods.
How much pork to buy
Some advice on calculating how much pulled pork you need:
- Plan for leftovers: I love having extra pulled pork for other recipes, but I also don’t want to be eating it for every meal for two weeks—so it’s good to plan ahead.
- Understand yield: You’ll end up with roughly half the starting weight once it’s cooked due to shrinkage. The fat renders out or gets discarded.
- Example: Starting with 6 pounds of pork will yield just over 3 pounds of cooked meat.
- Serving size guide: Estimate about 3 people per pound of cooked meat for average eaters.
Special equipment
Dutch ovens are the best for braising. They can go from stovetop to oven and both retain heat and distribute it evenly. The heavy, tight fitting lid keeps the steam and liquid in while the ingredients slowly cook. If you’re looking to start braising I’d recommend one of these Dutch ovens:
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- 7-quart Staub Dutch Oven
- Le Creuset (both are more of an investment purchase)
- Lodge (a much more affordable option)
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How to Make Pulled Pork in a Slow Cooker
This recipe can easily be made in a slow cooker! I recommend searing the pork as directed and cooking on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours.
How to Make Braised Pulled Pork (Step-by-Step)
Preheat the oven to 325ºF (170ºC). Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
Trim any excess fat off the pork butt and cut it into large hand-sized chunks.
In a small bowl whisk together the salt, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, mustard and cayenne. Toss the pork in the seasoning.
Heat a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil and heat through. Sear the pork on all sides, working in batches so as to not overcrowd the pan. Add the onion to the pan then add the vegetable stock to the pan.
Add the liquid smoke (if using). Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat then cover and move the Dutch oven into the oven. Cook the pork until it is fork tender, turning halfway through, about 3 hours.
Once the pork is cooked remove it from the pot to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat and add it to a large mixing bowl. Discard any large pieces of fat. Add some of the liquid back to the pulled pork if it needs more moisture.
Serve the hot pulled pork topped with your favorite BBQ sauce. Serve alone or on sandwich rolls topped with coleslaw.
Uses for Pulled Pork
It’s great on it’s own with a bit of BBQ sauce or some sides like coleslaw, cornbread or roasted vegetables. You can also try:
- Serve it on a sandwich with coleslaw
- In tacos with a simple slaw
- In a quesadilla with shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- As a topping for nachos
- Over mashed potatoes
How to Store Pulled Pork
Add leftover pulled pork to a resealable container and store, refrigerated with additional braising liquid (so it doesn’t dry out) for up to a week. Add to resealable plastic bags and freeze for two to three months.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Braised pulled pork actually gets better as it sits. You can make it up to 2 days in advance. Simply reheat it gently in the oven or on the stove with a splash of broth to keep it moist.
Pork shoulder (also called pork butt or Boston butt) is ideal. It has enough fat and connective tissue to become tender and juicy after slow braising.
Yes! I recommend searing the pork as directed first for extra flavor and cooking on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours.
Liquid smoke helps mimic the flavor of smoked pork without a smoker, but it’s optional. You can substitute a touch of smoked paprika or chipotle powder for an alternative smoky depth of flavor.
Try serving it on brioche buns with barbecue sauce, alongside coleslaw, cornbread, or roasted vegetables. It’s also great in tacos, nachos, or over mashed potatoes.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this pulled pork recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:
Tried it? Loved it? Tweaked it? Leave a review below and tell me how it went – I’m all ears (and always hungry).
Oven Braised Pulled Pork with Homemade BBQ Sauce
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Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 (6-pound) boneless pork shoulder or butt
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke (optional)
- Favorite BBQ sauce, warmed, as needed for serving
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF (170ºC). Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Trim any excess fat off the pork butt and cut it into large hand-sized chunks.
- In a small bowl whisk together the salt, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, mustard and cayenne. Toss the pork in the seasoning.
- Heat a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil and heat through. Sear the pork on all sides, working in batches as to not overcrowd the pan. Add the onion to the pan then add the vegetable stock to the pan.
- Add the liquid smoke (if using). Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat then cover and move the Dutch oven into the oven. Cook the pork until it is fork tender, turning halfway through, about 3 hours.
- Once the pork is cooked remove it from the pot to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat and add it to a large mixing bowl. Discard any large pieces of fat. Add some of the liquid back to the pulled pork if it needs more moisture.
- Serve the hot pulled pork topped with BBQ sauce. Serve alone or on sandwich rolls topped with coleslaw.
Notes:
Nutrition:
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