Deliciously-fall-apart-tender, this Instant Pot Asian Pulled Pork is an easy, versatile dish that can be enjoyed in your sandwich, rice bowl, or tacos! It’s a perfect recipe to make ahead of time to savor on a busy weeknight.
Instant Pot has been my favorite cooking tool for years now, and I have shared several Instant Post recipes on my blog. Today I want to share this easy, versatile, and delicious Instant Pot Asian Pulled Pork recipe. I usually make a bigger portion and stretch it for 2 meals. It’s a perfect weeknight meal for the entire family, or for saving it for another day in the freezer!
Watch How to Make Instant Pot Asian Pulled Pork
Watch “Instant Pot Asian Pulled Pork” Video on YouTube
Why Instant Pot Asian Pulled Pork?
If you follow my Instagram, you are probably aware how much my family adores Korean food and how much we pig out whenever we visit Los Angeles. There are some good Korean restaurants in the Bay Area, but we just love the variety and authenticity of Korean foods in LA.
Our recent homemade Korean food is my friend Seonkyoung Longest‘s Korean Pulled Pork, which my kids raved for weeks (thanks, Seonkyoung!).
To save time, I use my Instant Pot to cook the pulled pork instead of using her stovetop method. I like that I don’t have to be physically in the kitchen while the pork is being cooked, and yet the result is as amazing as slow cooking on the stove.
Since my children were begging me for another pulled pork for dinner, I created this Instant Pot Asian Pulled Pork with common ingredients in the Asian pantry. With the simple seasonings of soy sauce, sake, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger, this pulled pork is another instant win! No pun intended.
The pork is fall-apart tender, succulent, and it’s so yummy that you want to go for seconds. As we cook the meat in the delicious liquid, the pork stays moist all the time. You’ll have enough juice to drizzle for extra flavor too!
Easy Recipes Using Instant Pot Asian Pulled Pork
Once the pulled pork is cooked, the rest is easy peasy. You can use the shredded meat to make pulled pork sandwich, pulled pork tacos, pulled pork rice bowl, pulled pork fried rice, steamed pork buns and many other different meals. Each one is just as exciting and delicious. Who doesn’t like the idea of one single batch of meat to be used in countless creative ways? To be more efficient in the kitchen, you’re more than welcome to use the same toppings for each dish in a row too.
All you need is some shredded veggies like purple cabbage, iceberg lettuce, and carrot. For the taco, you can top with fresh cilantro and squeeze in some lime juice. For the rice bowl, you can top it off with a fried egg and finish off with some green onions.
If you like things spicy, you can douse it with a drizzle of Spicy Mayo, which is super easy to make. For the best taste, I highly recommend using Japanese mayo.
Here are just some magical meals you can dish up with the pulled pork:
- Asian Pulled Pork Taco
- Asian Pulled Pork Rice Bowl
- Asian Pulled Pork Sandwich
- Spicy Mayo for a kick
In my recipe, I’ve also shown you how to get the extra char for the pulled pork by putting it under high broil in the oven. It is an extra step, but the pulled pork is guaranteed to benefit from this.
Alternative Cooking Method
Stovetop Method:
You can cook covered on a low simmer for 2-3 hours, or until the pork can be easily shredded with a fork.
Slow Cooker Method:
In your slow cooker, cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.
I hope you enjoy making this Asian Pulled Pulled with your instant pot. It is a great tool for juicy, tender, fall-apart delicious pulled pork that you and your family are happy to come home for.
Similar Recipes:
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Instant Pot Asian Pulled Pork
Video
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 1 knob ginger
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 ¾ lb pork shoulder (pork butt) (2.5-3 lbs pork works)
- 2 tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp oil
Seasonings
- 1 ½ cup chicken stock/broth
- 5 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp sake (substitute it with dry sherry or Chinese rice wine)
- 4 Tbsp brown sugar (¼ cup packed)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients first.
- Cut 1 onion into big chunks.
- Slice 1 knob of ginger and smash 6 garlic cloves.
- Cut the butcher’s twine and season the pork shoulder (or pork butt) with 2 tsp kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on all sides.
- Press the “Sauté” button on your pressure cooker (I use 6 QT Instant Pot) and heat 1 Tbsp oil. When the pot is hot, add the pork shoulder.
- Sear all sides of pork shoulder, about 2 minutes per side, then transfer the pork to a clean plate and set aside.
- Add the ginger slices and mashed garlic cloves in the pot, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Once fragrant, add the chopped onion and coat with oil.
- Add 1 ½ cup chicken stock, 5 Tbsp soy sauce, and 2 Tbsp sake.
- And 4 Tbsp brown sugar and mix well, scraping the juicy brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add the pork shoulder back into the pot.
- Cover and lock the lid. Make sure the steam release handle points at “sealing” and not “venting”. Press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button on the Instant Pot to stop cooking. Press the “manual” button to switch to the pressure cooking mode. Press “+ (plus)” button to change the cooking time to 60 minutes on high pressure. It'll take about 15 minutes to pressurize.
- [stove-top pressure cooker] If you’re using a stove-top pressure cooker, you won’t have the buttons to press. Just cook on high heat until high pressure is reached. Then reduce the heat to low but maintain high pressure for about 60 minutes.
- When it is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to the “Keep Warm” mode. Slide the steam release handle to the "Venting" position to let out steam until the float valve drops down, or let the pressure release naturally for about 15 minutes. Unlock the lid and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet pan.
- Shred the pork with two forks.
- [Optional] Using a ladle, take out oil/fat (top layer of the liquid). Oil stays near the surface of the liquid, so if you gently submerge the ladle, only oil goes into the ladle, leaving the flavorful liquid behind. Here I discarded ¾ cup of oil.
- Put the pork back into the pot, and give everything a good toss so that it can soak up the flavors from the sauce.
- Press the “Saute” button again to heat up and serve immediately. Or if you want to give some nice char, transfer to an oven-safe skillet.
- Put the skillet under high broil for 3-5 minutes until the shredded pork has nice char.
To Serve
- You can make pulled pork tacos, serve pulled pork over rice (see the post), or make a pulled pork sandwich!
To Store
- Keep the pulled pork in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator and up to 2-3 months in the freezer.
Notes
- Stovetop: You can cook on a low simmer for 2-3 hours on the stove.
- Slow Cooker: In your slow cooker, cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.
Love watching your video, but this is the first time I’m not able to hear what you’re saying , though the background music audible throughout the video .
Hi Grace! Thanks so much for letting us know. It’s really strange – as we can hear my voice just fine in our original clip (before upload) or on youtube (after upload). 🙁
Wow, this looks easy and delicious. Can’t wait to try. BTW, I was able to hear you clearly. GREAT VIDEO, as always. I follow Seonkyoung Longest’s blog as well. Her enthusiasm is great. However, a little too spicy for my husband’s taste. Your recipes are always spicy friendly. Thanks
Hi Lyn! I hope you and your husband enjoy this recipe!
Thanks for letting me know that audio was fine. We hear just fine too…. not sure how it can be “no voice” situation….
This was delicious…Having bowl tonight and tacos for my husband. You may want to fix written directions; The amount of oil was missing and you didn’t mention when to add the onions. I figured it out by watching the video. Thanks
Hi Lyn! Thanks so much for letting me know – I’ve fixed it. I was a bit in hurry moving information from my notes and failed to spend more time proof reading. Thanks for taking your time to inform me. I’m happy to hear you enjoy this recipe. Thank you for your kind feedback!
Long time reader, don’t usually comment – thanks for this! Always looking for crock/insta pot recipes – I’ll try this out next week!
Hi Emurii! Thank you for reading my blog for a long time! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does! 🙂
Hello Nami! I love your recipes. I live in Kyoto and enjoy learning to cook great Japanese food thanks to your website. What is the name of this cut of pork in Japanese? I can never figure what the shoulder, loin, butt, roast, etc are called in Japanese. I hope I can try his delicious looking recipe soon. Thank you!
Hi Megan! I’m jealous you live in Kyoto! I’m happy to hear you’re cooking Japanese food at home! 🙂 This cut should be 豚もも肉（かたまり）or 豚肩ロース. もも肉 = thigh. かたまり = big chunk. 肩 = shoulder. ロース = loin. I hope this helps! Find a big chunk, and make sure it has enough fat. Don’t buy 豚バラ肉 chunk – that’s pork belly and it has too much fat for this recipe. Hope this helps!
Megan, I am also in Kansai! I made this today, but I could only find cuts of about 450g of 豚肩ロース. I bought 3 pieces that totalled about 1200g and cooked on high pressure in my Instant Pot for 25 minutes. Came out perfectly! Thanks for another great recipe, Nami!
Hi Carrie! Awesome! I’m so happy to hear you tried this recipe IN JAPAN! Thank you for your kind feedback! xo
This looked so delicious I had to make it tonight! Yumm.
Hi Aimee! Hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
Hi, how about sous vide cooking method?.
Hi Mei! I’ve seen sous vide pulled pork recipe before, so I know you can use it, but I had never tried that yet. It’ll take much longer time than pressure cooking, so I never thought of using sous vide… maybe one day I’ll give it a try!
I’ve cooked pork shoulder for pulled pork using the sous vide method, and I must say it is one of my favorite ways to prepare it to ensure great flavor and tenderness if you’re cooking for a crowd and don’t have a couple of IPs. But if you want to produce similar results, the IP is the way to go because it’s done in less than 2 hours, tastes great, and perfect for a family. I definitely plan to make this Asian pulled pork in my IP.
Hi Carrie! I love using sous vide and I’d love to try that method one day! Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. xoxo
I couldn’t hear your voice either. A beautiful video, wish I could have heard what you were saying.
Hi Mel! I re-uploaded the newer version of this video. We fixed temporary for mobile audio. It works for now but we’re still waiting to hear support’s response to see what’s going on with YouTube. Thank you for letting me know!
Hi
You just forgot adding the onion along the garlic and the ginger (step # 7 ) to the written recipe !
Hi Francisco! And 1 Tbsp oil in Step 5. I’m a big mess today (I didn’t spend enough time proof reading my recipe this time)…. thanks for letting me know!
Can the pork be frozen? In Hawaii, pork butt is commonly sold frozen.
Hi Lyn! Please defrost first before you start searing. You can leave in the fridge for 2 days and it should be defrosted – overnight will not be enough. 🙂
Hi Nami, can I use the neck part of pork? thanks
Hi Inge! I had never used the neck (collar?) part before, but if it’s fatty and tender part enough I think you can. 🙂
Thank you, Nami! The pulled pork was easy to make and delicious!
Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know!
Hi Nami
Can I use a pressure cooker to do this recipe as we do not own an instant pot.
Thanks
Hi Sam, Sure! You can use your pressure cooker, set it for high pressure and cook for about 60 minutes. (Step 11) We hope you enjoy this dish!
Nami I finished making a low carb version and it tastes fantastic! The brown sugar substitute worked like a charm. We doubled the meat and made it a 12 serving dish, too. 😀
Hi Alyssa! Awesome! So happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your tip with us! 🙂
Thanks for sharing this recipe! We made it last night for sandwiches and everyone loved it!
Hi Cory! Wonderful! Thanks so much for trying this recipe for your kind feedback! 🙂
I don’t often comment, even though I visit your website and use your recipes so much… but I just had to say that this recipe was sooooo delicious!
It was my first time making pulled pork and thanks to your clear directions it was so easy and the results were amazing. I made it in the slow cooker, starting in the morning when some friends arrived for my boyfriend’s birthday. They were all smelling the growing aroma in the kitchen!
We had wraps for dinner using the pulled pork, and the spicy mayo was a great match. It was also nice with hoisin sauce 🙂
The recipe is VERY generous for 6 portions! I think it’s enough for 8-10 people. We froze the leftovers and today had some as part of a rice bowl. It was just the perfect meal with the bitterly cold weather we’ve been having
I will definitely be making this again in the future. Thank you for introducing such an easy and delicious pulled pork recipe. Keep up the wonderful work on the website!!
Hi Sarah! I don’t often respond to comments this late (12 days later!), and I’m sorry.
Thanks so much for using my recipes! I’m really happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, too. Thank you for your kind feedback and encouraging words. I’m glad you could use the leftover for other dishes too. 🙂 Happy belated birthday to your BF! 🙂
Hi Nami, as usual this is another great recipe. Thanks! I was wondering how would you adapt this recipe to make it a miso-flavored pulled-pork? Should I lessen soy sauce if I add miso?
Hi Ray! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Yeah, definitely reduce the soy, and use soy sauce as just a secret ingredient (maybe try with 1 Tbsp?). The part I’m not too sure is that miso burns FAST, which worries me in a pressure cooker when you can’t open. As long as it hits the bottom, I think it will get burn. And miso ideally should not be boiled otherwise the taste will change and all the good nutrients of miso as well as fragrance will be lost. So considering all these reasons, I may add miso later after the pork is completely cooked… 🙂
Hello from Alaska!
Ive been trying out a lot of recipes and love everyone I have tried. I’m making this tonight and am excited about this recipe!
I bought my Instapot just so I could make your recipe for anko paste which I love so much more than store bought!
Hi Nicole! Thank you so much for trying my recipes and I hope you enjoyed this one. Hahaha you bought IP for anko! 🙂 I just bought azuki beans at Japanese grocery stores so I can make more anko too…. Thank you so much for your kind feedback, Nicole!
can i cook in pressure cooker ??
Hi Amanda! This is a pressure cooker recipe (it’s called Instant Pot), so you can follow same cooking time etc. 🙂
Thank you so much for posting this recipe…. We absolutely love the pulled pork from the instant pot. So much favor – yum! Served the pork with the Asian coleslaw & that made it a great combination..
Thank you.
Hi JP! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks for your kind feedback. 🙂
Way too salty. Added a spoonful of gochujang seasoning = yum! Served with rice and bok choy slaw.
Hi Tessa! Sorry, it came out salty for you. I’m glad you still enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for your feedback!
Hi! I got a big pork shoulder 8.75 lbs and upon opening the package it was cut into slices. How does this affect the time in the instant pot? Currently in one big chunk it’s 60 minutes. I’m using 3 lbs of sliced pork shoulder and cooking for 35. Fingers crossed it works and doesn’t over cook!
Hi Kristina! I’m sorry I couldn’t get back to you sooner. 3 lbs for this instant pot size is okay, and sliced pork shoulder should be okay. Were you able to sear nicely because it adds more flavor from the searing. I hope your pork shoulder came out well. 🙂
Great filling for harumaki.
Oh yeah, that must be delicious! Great idea!
Hi Namiko!
I just realized the pork butt I bought is 4lbs. Can I double the rest of the ingredients in this case? I’m using an instant pot.
PS I have tried several of your recipes and I love them all! Our favorites are the salmon in foil and the short ribs – so easy and delicious!
Hi Kayleigh! You may not need to double the recipe, tho. You’ll have plenty of liquid (juice) with this recipe, so maybe 1.5? So happy to hear you enjoy my recipes. Thank you!
I love the simplicity of this recipe. I am glad that you like Korean food, Nami.
This is another lovely idea of using instant pot. I have tried the spicy version with Korean ingredients and it turned out great, too.
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE Korean food and eat at least once a week (and I found out from 23&me that I’m 3% Korean from 200 years ago! Not related, but just wanted to throw in. 🙂 ). I’m training my kids to eat more spicy food, and my son is pretty good. I just need my daughter to eat more spicy food so I can make a spicy version!
I made this in my Instant Pot and it was delicious! This was the first time I made pulled pork and the first time cooking meat in my IP, so your clear directions were great. I also made cucumber and seaweed salad, and marinaded white daikon radish and carrot salad to go with it on top of rice. Looked pretty! This would taste great wrapped in Vietnamese rice spring roll skin with chopped up lettuce, cucumber, and other veggies. I love your recipes.
Hi Junko! Aww I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe and yes, this meat (and even with different seasonings!) is great for all types of dishes. Hope you continue to enjoy this recipe! 🙂
Oh my goodness, mere words cannot adequately describe how fantastically phenomenal this was! So tender and juicy, and the flavors were perfect. The roast we used was a little bigger than recommended, so we had to put it back into the pot. That in no way took away from the deliciousness this dish brought. I will definitely be making the office jealous when I bring this in for leftovers!
Hi Lisa! Awww I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! This recipe is really versatile. We make tacos, rice bowls, and sandwiches using the same recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback. xoxo
Hi Nami! This recipe looks so good and I have plans to make it since I recently got a slower cooker. I just had a couple questions. If I go with the alternative method of slow-cooking for 8-10hrs, does that mean I would skip some steps that you provided? Do I just put all the ingredients into the pot and let the pork shoulder marinate in it? Thanks for your time, and I hope to hear back! 🙂
Hi Kristin! I recommend following the recipe (everything) and at Step 10, you have to cook for a longer time. I’m not sure if your slow cooker allows you to sear the meat nicely. If not, I would even use a frying pan to do that step. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!
hi,
love your blog and recipes.
wondering what you think about using this for a filling in steamed buns.
Hi Nancy! Thank you for your kind words! That sounds really nice! I’d love that idea. 🙂
Nami chan, I had that same wooden serving spoon for many years. The wood cracked so when we went to Hokkaido I tried to find a replacement. Could only find a similar one but not handcarved. Where did you get yours?.
Hi Kuulei! I got it from my mom’s kitchen… I’m not sure where she got it. 🙁
Take care of it. I don’t think they make it hand carve it any more.
Hi Kuulei! I will! 🙂
Can I make this in my slow cooker? So is this recipe for 1kg roast pork?
Hi El! I never made this recipe with a slow cooker, but typically pressure cooker recipes and slow cooker recipes can be interchangeable. I used 1.25 kg. :0
Very easy and incredibly flavorful! Will definitely be making this again
Hi Erica! Thank you for the kind feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂
Two thumbs up! I made it tonight for dinner. The family loved it! It’s savory and sweet. Great flavor! Thank you!
Hi Selina! I’m so happy to hear your family enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for your kind feedback! xo
Made this today. Superb!!! Pork was flavoursome and tender.
Hi Sandy! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for your kind feedback!
Hi! if I don’t have chicken stock/broth, will it be okay to just use water? or will there be a difference in the flavor?
Hi Rae! I’m so sorry for my late response. Hmmm less flavor for sure… I have never made it with water, so I’m not sure how it tastes like to be honest. If you ended up trying with water (because of my late response), please let us know what you think. I’m curious. 🙂
No worries! I actually ended up making it with water and it turned out good! I thought it still had enough flavor for my liking. I can’t wait to make it again!
Hi Rae! Thank you SO much for sharing your kind feedback. I’m glad it worked just fine. 🙂 Thank you!!
I would like to add little here about meat physics! Pork is about two-thirds water. The manner in which it is cooked can change the diner’s perception of moistness of the meat in the final dish. In general, the slower that meat is cooked, the juicer it will be. This is because the water is trapped within the meat by the proteins, the most common of which is collagen. As it is heated, the collagen contracts and water is extruded from the meat. The faster and the hotter it is heated, the more water is lost.
One of the goals for the cook in making pulled pork, or similar dishes, is to convert the collagen, a long-chain protein, to gelatin, a short-chain protein. This happens very quickly at about 185°F (85°C) and slower at lower temperatures. This process also allows the cooked meat to easily shred. I have more information on how meat cooks in this video at http://www.hertzmann.com/techniques/index.php?Heat
Traditional American barbecue from the Carolinas is done by using a low, often smoky, fire and a mop of vinegar that helps to keep the surface cool. Texas barbecue is totally different animal.
In my home kitchen, I make pulled pork simply by placing a piece or pieces of pork shoulder into a heavy, dry pot and baking it covered at 250°F (120°C) for a few hours. The meat should fit tightly into the pot. It’s not necessary for the meat to be boneless. The bone easily falls out of the cooked meat. By the time the meat is done, it is totally submerged in liquid.
I separate the fat from the gelatinous liquid, which I reduce down significantly and combine with the shredded meat before packaging and freezing.
I have also tried cooking pulled pork with an immersion circulator on two occasions. I didn’t think the results (juiciness of meat) were as good as a conventional oven, but it sure used less electricity.
Thank you so much for sharing your detailed information and tips, Peter!
Hello Nami,
I will be doubling the recipe in 8quart instant pot. Do I need to change anything ? Doubling time ?
Hi Yena! When you double the ingredients, you probably don’t need the same amount of condiments. 1.5 should be enough for putting in the same size Instant Pot, I think…. 🙂
Probably my favorite recipe of the blog, the pork is so tender and flavorful, very easy to prepare
Hi Amelie! I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe! My daughter’s favorite too! Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
Delicious! I made this in the slow cooker and added about a cup of Mexican Coke so the roast wouldn’t dry out. After the meat cooked I defatted the braising liquid and boiled it for a few minutes on the stove with some corn starch to make a sauce. Poured the sauce over the shredded meat and it was a big hit with the family. Thank you Nami!
Hi Julia! Ahhh that sounds really delicious! Thank you for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback! 🙂
Hi there! I’d love to try this recipe! Would I be able to use a Dutch oven for this recipe, using the stovetop method?
Hi Jermo!
Yes! You can cook on a low simmer for 2-3 hours on the stove.
We hope you like this dish!
Hello! Can I use bone in pork shoulder for this recipe?
Hi Jeanie, Sure! You can use bone-in pork shoulder. We hope you enjoy the flavor!