Juicy and fall-apart tender, Instant Pot Asian Pulled Pork is an easy main dish that requires only 15 minutes of prep time. Enjoy this delicious and versatile protein in your sandwich, rice bowl, or tacos. It‘s also a perfect make-ahead recipe to feed a crowd at your next potluck dinner party. {Stovetop, slow cooker, and stovetop pressure cooker methods included}
Pulled pork has to be one of the most loved summer meals or potluck recipes! Juicy, flavorful, and endlessly versatile, it makes an amazing dish to feed a crowd. Most people have their favorite BBQ flavored pulled pork, but today, I’m going to show you how to make this Instant Pot Asian Pulled Pork recipe that will be your new favorite!
Instant pot is your best friend here as it creates no mess and cooks a lot faster than a crockpot. In fact, I think it’s the secret to moist pulled pork. It’s such an easy recipe with amazing results and you’ll get the most tender pulled pork packed with sweet and savory flavor.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Asian ingredients but big on flavors. It only requires a few common ingredients from the Asian pantry, but you’re guaranteed the MOST FLAVORFUL, FINGER-LICKING deliciousness.
- Yield incredible fall-apart tender and succulent meat in less time! With the pressure cooking feature, the pork stays moist in the liquid and there’s no worry about meat getting dry. You’ll have enough juice to drizzle for extra flavor too. Also, it reduces the cook time which usually takes up 8 hours in a crockpot to just 60 minutes.
- Amazing versatility and freezer-friendly. There are so many ways to serve (tacos, rice bows, salad, and more!) and repurpose this pulled pork recipe!
How to Make Instant Pot Asian Pulled Pork
The Ingredients You’ll Need
- 2.5-3 lbs pork shoulder (pork butt) – see below for the best cut of pork to use.
- Onion
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Chicken stock
- Seasonings: Soy sauce, sake (Japanese rice wine), and brown sugar
The Cooking Steps
- Heat oil in the Instant Pot and then add the pork shoulder to sear on both sides. 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 chicken stock, soy sauce, sake, brown sugar and mix well. Add the pork shoulder back into the pot. Cover and lock the lid. Cook 60 minutes on high pressure.
- After 15 minutes of pressure release, shred the pork with two forks. It’s ready to be serve.
Pulled Pork with Extra Char
In my recipe card below, I will also show 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 will benefit big time from this. If you don’t want to crank the oven, you can also crisp up the meat in a pan over the stovetop.
This pulled pork is an instant win! No pun intended.
The Best Cut of Meat to Make Pulled Pork
Pork shoulder is the most common cut for making pulled pork. It is the thinner, bottom cut of the “shoulder” area of a pig’s forelegs. You can also use Pork Butt or Boston Butt, which is from the top cut, thicker section of pork shoulder. It has more fat marbling compared to pork shoulder. Both would work fine for this pulled pork.
Alternative Cooking Methods
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. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can also use these two methods.
- 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 if you split the meat in half, or low for 8-10 hours. Cooking low and slow is best to break down all the collagen and connective tissues and you’d get fall-apart tender texture.
Ways to Use Asian Pulled Pork
Once the pulled pork is cooked, the rest is easy peasy. Who doesn’t like the idea of one single batch of meat being used in countless creative ways?
- Taco. Add shredded veggies, cilantro, and spicy mayo, and squeeze in fresh lime juice!
- Rice bowl. Top it off with a fried egg, kimchi, and finish off with some green onions.
Here are just some magical meals you can dish up with pulled pork:
- Fried rice. Use this classic fried rice as your template and add in the pulled pork.
- Sandwich. Make pulled pork sandwich!
- Steamed pork buns. So delicious with some fresh or pickled cucumber and red onions.
Like things spicy? I recommend dousing your pulled pork with a drizzle of Spicy Mayo! You’ll need just 3 ingredients to make this amazing sauce with a kick.
Delicious Sides to Serve with the Asian Pulled Pork
- Asian Coleslaw with Sesame Dressing
- Asian Cabbage Salad
- Grilled Corn with Miso Butter
- Quick Korean Fresh Kimchi
- Japanese Potato Salad
Storage and Reheating
How do you store leftover pulled pork?
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months in the freezer.
What is the best way to reheat the pulled pork?
You can reheat the pulled pork in the microwave, but it tastes the best when you reheat it in a skillet. In a frying pan, add very little oil and cook the leftover meat for a few minutes until warmed through. If it gets too dry, just sprinkle in some water.
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Instant Pot Asian Pulled Pork (Tacos and Rice Bowls)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 onion (11 oz, 312 g)
- 5–6 slices ginger (cut a 1-inch, 2.5 cm knob)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2¾ lb pork shoulder (pork butt) (2½–3 lbs pork will work for this recipe)
- 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
For the Seasonings
- 1½ cups chicken stock/broth
- 5 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp sake (or substitute dry sherry or Chinese rice wine)
- 4 Tbsp brown sugar (¼ cup, packed)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Cut 1 onion into big chunks.
- Cut the ginger knob into 5–6 slices ginger. Peel and smash 6 cloves garlic.
- Cut off and discard the butcher’s twine from your 2¾ lb pork shoulder (pork butt). Season all sides of the roast with 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To Sauté the Ingredients
- Press the Sauté button on your electric pressure cooker (I use a 6 QT Instant Pot). When the inner pot is hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. Then, add the pork shoulder. Tip: Select the High setting on Sauté mode, if your cooker has the option.
- Sear all sides of the pork shoulder, about 2 minutes per side. Then, transfer the pork to a clean plate and set aside.
- Add the ginger slices and smashed garlic cloves to the pot and sauté for 2–3 minutes. Once fragrant, add the chopped onion and toss to coat with the oil.
- Next, add 1½ cups chicken stock/broth, 5 Tbsp soy sauce, and 2 Tbsp sake and stir to combine.
- Add 4 Tbsp brown sugar and mix well, scraping the juicy brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Finally, add the pork shoulder back into the pot.
To Cook under Pressure
- Cover and lock the lid. Make sure the steam release handle points at Sealing and not Venting. Press the Keep Warm/Cancel button to stop the Sauté function. Then, select the Pressure Cooking mode. Set the cooking time to 60 minutes and select High pressure. Then, press Start. It‘ll take about 15 minutes to reach full pressure.
- In a Stovetop Pressure Cooker: If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker, close and lock the lid and set over medium-high heat until the cooker reaches high pressure. Then, reduce the heat to low to maintain high pressure for about 60 minutes. In a Slow Cooker: In your slow cooker or crockpot, cook on High for 5–6 hours or Low for 8–10 hours. In a Pot on the Stove: Cook, covered, in a heavy-bottomed pot on a low simmer for 2–3 hours on the stove.
- 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 quick release the pressure until the float valve drops down; alternatively, you can let the pressure release naturally for about 15 minutes. Then, unlock and remove the lid and transfer the roast to a rimmed baking sheet pan.
To Prepare the Pulled Pork
- Shred the pork with two forks.
- While optional, I recommend removing the excess oil and fat from the cooking liquid in the pot. To do so, gently submerge a ladle into the liquid to skim off only the oil and fat at the surface, leaving the flavorful liquid behind. Here, I discarded ¾ cup of oil.
- Put the pulled pork back into the pot, and give everything a good toss so that the pork soaks up the flavors of the sauce.
- Press the Sauté button again to reheat the pork. Serve immediately. Or, if you want to give the pulled pork a nice char (optional), transfer it to an oven-safe skillet.
- Then, put the skillet in the oven and broil on High for 3–5 minutes until the shredded pork on the surface crisps and browns.
To Serve
- To Prepare Asian Pulled Pork Rice Bowls: Shred iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, and carrots, chop green onions, and thinly slice red radishes. Pan-fry eggs. Make Spicy Mayo. Put the pulled pork and the toppings over hot steamed rice in a bowl. Garnish with black sesame seeds.
- To Prepare Asian Pulled Pork Tacos: Shred iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, and carrots, chop green onions and cilantro, and thinly slice red radishes. Make Spicy Mayo. Put the pulled pork and toppings in the tortilla. Garnish with wedges of lime.
- Instant Pot Asian Pulled Pork is a comforting and versatile protein that works in many popular dishes! Try it in taco rice, add it to lettuce wraps and fried rice, fill steamed buns with it, or enjoy it in pulled pork sandwiches.
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.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on February 10, 2018. It’s been republished with more information on July 24, 2023.
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!
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… 🙂
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! 🙂
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! 🙂
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! 🙂
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!
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
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!
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, 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
This looked so delicious I had to make it tonight! Yumm.
Hi Aimee! Hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
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
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! 🙂
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!
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). 🙁