Honey Balsamic Instant Pot Pulled Pork is a sweet and unctuous dish that is fall-apart tender. Perfect for salads, sandwiches, and all on its own.
Recipe Must-Haves
If I had to guess, a good number of these simple honey balsamic pulled pork ingredients are already in your kitchen. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Bone-in Pork Butt – The shoulder of the front leg of the hog. If you don’t see it in the display case or in the meat aisle, say hello to your butcher and ask if they have one that is bone-in. Cooking pork with the bone makes for a more tender bite. It is also labeled as pork shoulder. You can absolutely use a bone-out pork butt here too. There are some benefits to keeping the bone in when you are cooking over a long period of time, but when a pressure cooker is involved, all bets are off.
- Hoisin Sauce – A blend of sweet and salty and used for stir fry and glazing meats. Easily found at the grocery store in the Asian food section or online.
- Honey
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Vegetable Broth
- Brown Sugar
- Garlic Powder
- Sweet Onion
- Cornstarch
Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker
Making this dish in the crock pot is another easy option, but will surely take longer. Follow all of the prep instructions except the cooking method.
Instead of placing it all in the IP, Set the crock pot for 7 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Keep pot on high while pulling pork to cook and thicken sauce or transfer it to a saucepan to make this process go a little faster.
Make it A Meal
The good news is that this recipe is super versatile and friendly to almost any pairing you can think of. I like serving mine with a side of Lemon Couscous , Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad, Homemade Baked Beans or Garlic Herb Grilled Corn.
Of course, it always pairs nicely with a green salad!
You can use this best pulled pork recipe to make pulled pork sandwiches. Use either hamburger buns or slider buns if serving at a party. You could make pulled pork nachos and top with a homemade bbq sauce. The options are endless.
Honey Balsamic Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup honey
- 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 5 pound bone-in pork butt
- 1 sweet onion , thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the 3/4 cup honey, 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup hoisin sauce, 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper and 1 tablespoon garlic powder.
- Rinse the 5 pound bone-in pork butt with cold water and place into inner pot of Instant Pot.
- Cover the roast with the prepared sauce and top with the sliced 1 sweet onion.
- Lock the lid and set to manual high pressure for 75 minutes.
- Allow for 10 minutes natural release then quick release remaining pressure.
- Remove the pork, shred the roast with two forks and discard the bone and any large fatty pieces.
- Remove a small amount of remaining liquid from the pot and whisk with the 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Whisk it back into the larger batch.
- Set the pot to saute function so the sauce simmers and thickens.
- Return the shredded pork to the pot, tossing well with the sauce.
- Serve however desired.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!
Nutrition
Storage and Freezing
Store leftover pulled pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Leftovers can be heated low and slow in the oven at 300°F for 15-20 minutes covered in aluminum foil or heated in the microwave.
Transfer the cooled pork to an airtight plastic bag expelling as much air as possible, and then freeze for 3-4 months. To eat it, allow it to thaw fully and reheat it according to the instructions above.
Common Questions
The culprit is most likely using the quick release and not the natural release for at least 2 minutes. This recipe uses the natural release for 10 minutes and then the quick release to ensure a tender bite every time.
In my opinion, there are two secrets to great pulled pork. You can either cook low and slow OR you can bust out the Instant Pot and slash the cooking time greatly. Both will give you amazing results, but only one will give you time back.
That depends on the size of the cut. For something like a pork loin, it may only need 40 minutes on high. For a larger, denser cut like a pork butt, 75 minutes on high is recommended.
More Easy Pork Recipes
While we love beef in our family, pork is another constant winner! Here are some of our favorite pork recipes.
Pulled pork in an hour? Wow, the instant Pot is such a time saver, and this pork looks so tender and flavourful. Can’t wait to try it!
Yum! I love how easily this pulled pork comes together. Sounds absolutely perfect for pairing with salad.
I can imagine how good and it is. Perfect with potatoes, rice or pasta. Yummy!
Love how juicy and tender this looks! Can’t wait to give this a try!
I loved this recipe, I love instant pot recipes too so it was a win win for me!