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If you’ve ever wanted to make perfect pulled pork at home, this is the recipe! It’s incredibly juicy, fall-apart tender, and packed with bold, savory flavor with no smoker required.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Pulled Pork
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- What’s the Best Pork for Pulled Pork?
- How to Make Pulled Pork in the Oven
- What to Serve with Pulled Pork
- How Long to Cook Pulled Pork
- How to Make Pulled Pork Sandwiches
- Can I Make Pulled Pork on a Smoker?
- Can I Make This Pulled Pork Recipe in the Slow Cooker?
- Tips to Making the Best Pulled Pork
- Can You Make This Ahead of Time?
- More PORK DINNER RECIPES You Must Try:
- Watch This Video Tutorial!
- Pulled Pork Recipe
This easy oven pulled pork is our go-to for feeding a crowd, meal prepping, or piling high onto soft buns for the ultimate pulled pork sandwich. It does take time, but the process is mostly hands-off and completely worth it. Trust me, once you make pulled pork this way, you won’t go back!
The Secret to the Best Pulled Pork
The magic of this recipe comes down to two simple things:
- Low and slow cooking – This breaks down the meat until it’s melt-in-your-mouth tender.
- Layered flavor – We use a brine, a dry rub, and sauce to build deep, rich flavor in every bite.
The key to making this pulled pork recipe is the brine. You’re actually going to start this recipe two days ahead of time with the brine, and it takes time to make tender, juicy pulled pork in the oven. So plan your schedule accordingly, and get ready for the best pulled pork of your life!
Why You’ll Love This Pulled Pork
- Texture: Fall-apart tender and incredibly juicy
- Flavor: Packed with sweet, smoky, and savory flavor
- Versatile: Perfect for pulled pork sandwiches, tacos, bowls, and more
- No Expensive Equipment Needed: Oven method = no smoker needed
- Budget-Friendly: Great for feeding a crowd or meal prep for cheap
- Freezer-Friendly: Stores well and reheats beautifully
Ingredients You’ll Need
There are three main components to this pulled pork recipe: the brine, dry rub, and BBQ sauce. Each layer adds flavor and helps create that perfectly tender, juicy result.
- Pork Shoulder: The best cut for pulled pork thanks to its fat content, which keeps the meat juicy and tender during long cooking.
Pulled Pork Brine
- Water + Apple Cider: Adds moisture and a subtle sweetness (you can also use apple cider vinegar for a tangier flavor, but we prefer apple cider).
- Kosher Salt: Essential for tenderizing the meat and enhancing flavor.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Balances the salt and adds a hint of sweetness.
- Dry Rub: Adds bold flavor as the pork brines.
- Bay Leaves + Red Pepper Flakes: Add depth and a mild, warm spice.
Pulled Pork Dry Rub
- Onion Powder: Adds a subtle, savory onion flavor that blends seamlessly into the rub without any texture.
- Smoked Paprika: Brings a rich, smoky flavor and deep color that gives the pork that classic BBQ taste.
- Garlic Powder: Adds bold, savory depth and enhances all the other flavors in the rub.
- Chili Powder: Delivers mild heat and a warm, slightly earthy flavor that builds complexity.
- Kosher Salt: Essential for seasoning the meat and helping tenderize it as it cooks.
- Black Pepper: Adds a gentle heat and a little bite to balance the sweetness in the rub.
- Cayenne Pepper: Gives a touch of heat that you can adjust based on your spice preference.
- Dry Mustard: Adds a subtle tang and sharpness that enhances the overall flavor.
- Cumin: Brings a warm, slightly smoky, earthy flavor that deepens the rub.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create a caramelized, flavorful crust on the pork.
Homemade BBQ Sauce
You can use your favorite store-bought sauce, but homemade takes it over the top.
- Apple Cider Vinegar + White Vinegar: Create a tangy, slightly sharp base that balances the sweetness and gives the sauce that classic BBQ bite.
- Brown Sugar: Adds rich sweetness and helps thicken the sauce while balancing the vinegar.
- Chili Powder: Brings warmth and a mild smoky flavor that ties the sauce together.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Add a little kick of heat and extra depth to the sauce.
- Salt: Enhances all the flavors and balances the sweet and tangy elements.
If you want to go Carolina style, make Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce or Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce! You won’t regret it! They are Cade’s favorite!
What’s the Best Pork for Pulled Pork?
For the best results, use a pork shoulder (Boston butt). It has enough fat to stay juicy and shred beautifully after cooking.
How to Make Pulled Pork in the Oven
This pulled pork recipe looks lengthy, but each step of this recipe is incredibly easy. Here’s a quick overview of how to make pulled pork in the oven:
Brine the Pork (12–24 hours): Let the pork soak in the brine overnight for maximum flavor and tenderness.
Season: Pat the pork dry and rub it generously with the dry rub.
Cook Low and Slow: Place in a baking dish, fat side up, and bake at a low temperature until the internal temp reaches 200°F.
Rest: Turn off the oven and let the pork rest for 1–2 hours.
Shred: Remove excess fat, then shred with two forks.
Finish with Flavor: Toss with reserved juices, extra dry rub, and BBQ sauce.
What to Serve with Pulled Pork
If you’re making pulled pork sandwiches, serve with buns or hoagie rolls and a side of coleslaw.
For sides, stick with classic BBQ favorites like:
- Mexican Street Corn – Elote
- Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
- Macaroni Salad
- Potato Salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Baked Beans
How Long to Cook Pulled Pork
Plan for 10–12+ hours depending on the size.
Pulled pork is done when:
- It reaches 200–205°F internally
- It shreds easily with a fork
Low and slow is the key—don’t rush it!
How to Make Pulled Pork Sandwiches
This is where things get really good.
Pile the warm pulled pork onto:
- Hoagie Rolls
- Hawaiian Rolls
- Soft Brioche Buns
Top with:
- Coleslaw (classic!)
- Extra BBQ sauce
- Pickles – if desired, it’s a hard pass for me!
👉 Pro tip: Add a little extra dry rub to the shredded pork before serving—it makes a huge difference in flavor.
Can I Make Pulled Pork on a Smoker?
If you’d rather make smoked pulled pork instead of oven pulled pork, we recommend following our Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe. It gives step-by-step instructions on smoking pulled pork on a Traeger.
Can I Make This Pulled Pork Recipe in the Slow Cooker?
Yes this can be done in the slow cooker, but we’ve found that it doesn’t do it justice. It is also hard to fit the size of pork butt you need into a crock pot. If you decide to try it, it will cook for the same amount of time on low. Follow the brining instructions as written, and no need to add any liquid to the slow cooker. There’s enough juice in the pork to keep cooking properly.
Tips to Making the Best Pulled Pork
- Always let it rest before shredding (at least 1 hour)
- Cook to temperature, not time
- Don’t skip the brine if you want maximum flavor
- Add extra rub after shredding (game changer!)
- Save the juices and mix them back in
Can You Make This Ahead of Time?
This pulled pork is a dream for making ahead, which makes it perfect for parties, trips, or feeding a crowd.
Once the pork is finished cooking, you have a couple easy options:
- Serve it later the same day:
Remove it from the oven, cover it, and let it rest. It will stay hot for quite a while—perfect if you’re traveling or finishing up the rest of your meal. We’ve even taken it straight in the car, and it’s ready to shred and serve a couple hours later. - Make it ahead and store:
Let the pork rest, then shred and cool completely. Store it in airtight containers or freezer bags (We love our Foodsaver for this!) and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat:
Thaw in the fridge overnight, then warm in a covered pan in the oven (at 250°F, covered with foil) or on the stovetop. Add a little of the juices or extra sauce and keep it covered so it stays nice and juicy.
👉 Pro tip: Repurpose the leftovers in pulled pork pizza or pulled pork nachos!
This pulled pork recipe is everything you want…tender, juicy, packed with flavor, and incredibly easy to make at home. Whether you’re serving it as a classic pulled pork sandwich, feeding a crowd, or meal prepping for the week, this recipe delivers every single time.
More PORK DINNER RECIPES You Must Try:
- Hawaiian Pulled Pork
- Apple Chutney Pork Chops
- Apple Cider Braised Pork
- Stuffed Pork Chops
- Roasted Pork Loin
Watch This Video Tutorial!
Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 5-8 Pound Pork Butt, bone in and fat pad on top
For the Dry Rub
- 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika, heaping
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Pepper
- 2 teaspoons Cayenne Powder
- 2 teaspoons Dry Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Cumin
- ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
For the Brine
- 4 Cups Water
- 4 Cups Apple Cider, or eliminate the water and use 8 cups of apple cider
- ½ Cup Kosher Salt
- ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Dry Rub, heaping
- 1 Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 Bay Leaves
For the BBQ Sauce (Optional)
- ½ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- ½ Cup White Vinegar
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar, up to 1/3 Cup
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- 2 Pinches Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- NOTE: This recipe should be started 2 days ahead of time as you need 24 hours in the fridge, 12-14 in the oven and 2 hours of resting.
Prepare the Dry Rub:
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a ziploc bag. Set aside.1 Tablespoon Onion Powder, 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika, 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder, 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder, 1 ½ Tablespoon Kosher Salt, 1 Tablespoon Pepper, 2 teaspoons Cayenne Powder, 2 teaspoons Dry Mustard, 1 Tablespoon Cumin, ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
For the Brine
- In a large stock pot, add the water, apple cider, salt, sugar, 3 tablespoons dry rub, pepper flakes and bay leaves.4 Cups Water, 4 Cups Apple Cider, ½ Cup Kosher Salt, ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar, 3 Tablespoons Dry Rub, 2 Bay Leaves, 1 Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
- Rinse off the pork and add to the pot making sure it is completely covered in the brine and add the lid.5-8 Pound Pork Butt
- Place in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours.
For the Sauce
- In a glass jar, add the ingredients and place the lid on then shake to combine. Set aside.½ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar, ½ Cup White Vinegar, ¼ Cup Brown Sugar, ½ teaspoon Chili Powder, 2 Pinches Red Pepper Flakes, Salt
To Cook
- Heat the oven to 225 degrees F.
- Remove the pork from the brine and place in a roasting dish or 9×13" baking pan as long as the sides don't touch the pan.
- Pat very dry with paper towels.
- Remove 2 tablespoons of the dry rub to another ziploc and set aside for after it is cooked.
- Rub the remaining seasoning all over the pork and in any cracks or flaps.
- With the fat facing up, place the pork in the oven with a meat thermometer.
- Bake for 12-14 hours or until 200 degrees F registers on the thickest part of the pork with a meat thermometer. *Remember to watch your oven, ours turns off automatically at 12 hours so I have to turn it back on.
- At this point you can turn off the oven and leave the pork in there to rest for two hours or if you have more baking to do place foil over the meat and allow to rest on the stove.
- Once the meat has rested, remove the fat from the top and using two forks, shred the meat and remove the bone.
- Drain half of the juices out and add the remaining dry rub to taste, toss to coat and drizzle a little vinegar sauce over everything.
- Serve immediately as is or on buns.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely fabulous! Made this today, came out perfect! I’m a smoker kind of guy but this was the most flavorful recipe I’ve tried. I brined for approximately 36 hours, place in an open pan and cooked for 12 hours. I wouldn’t rest in an oven. I would recommend wrapping in pink butcher paper and place in a cooler. This is a good resting trick for smokers. As recommended, cook to 200 degrees, wrap in paper and place in a cooler. I’ve found that you lose about 10 degrees an hour during resting. So you could finish this and hold it at resting for hours and safely serve it at 150. The rub is fabulous- don’t be put off by the heat. I tasted the rub when I made it and thought it was pretty spicy. But as it cooks, some of the heat was lost. As a final note, I shred everything including the fatty layer as this added a nice smoothness to it all. Served on toasted brioche bun and topped with coleslaw.
Thank you Chris! So glad you enjoyed it and we love it on brioche with coleslaw too! Thanks for the tips on the resting time. We will have to try that!
I’ve got a smaller portion, 3.5 lbs (small family of 3). Would you still recommend the 12 hour cook time or dial it back to say maybe 8 or 9 hours?
Hi Aaron! To cook a 3 lb pork butt you’ll want to decrease the time to 10-12 hours, but more important than time is the internal temperature, so make sure you snag a meat thermometer and pull it out at 200 degrees.
Hi ,if iam using a 15lb pork butt ,do i double the ingredients for the brine? Thanks
Hi Sharon, yes!
I’ve made this twice now, and I have to tell you, it is HANDS DOWN, the best pulled pork I’ve ever made! You have to plan a little in advance, but it’s easy to make and simply delicious. Both times I served it to large crowds and everyone raved about it. This recipe is a keeper, for sure!
Yay!!! This one always gets rave reviews when we make it for friends and family too! Thank you for leaving a comment!
I can’t wait to try this recipe?
Is it possible to cook it in a crockpot instead of the oven?
Do you bake it with any of the juices? Or did I miss that step?
The very bottom of mine was all dried to a crisp and unusable, this also made clean up a pain, but the portion of meat that remained was amazing!
S U P E R recipe! 4 weeks ago I was feeding a crowd and had an extra large pork shoulder so tried two different recipes. One tried and true that is smokey, super easy and until trying yours, was my favorite recipe. I was SURE I’d love the tried and true but thought it would be fun to have two different kinds so gave yours a whirl too. WOW! I LOVED YOUR pulled pork recipe even more than my tried and true. It was sweeter, tender and mouth watering good. Honestly, it doesn’t even need a BBQ sauce. I was almost full before I was done shredding it because I could not stop myself from eating it! Thanks for my NEW tried & true pulled pork recipe! I have a new pork shoulder brining in my fridge now and can’t wait to roast and share it tomorrow. Y U M!
Hello from SoCal!! So I tried this Friday for dinner, and it was a HIT. However, I decided to try it in the crockpot bc I didnt want the house to get overly hot with the oven on all day. Once my pork was ready forthe crockpot it didnt fit, and that was a blessing in disguise! So I cut it in half and decided to do half in the crockpot half in the oven. Let me tell u, the crockpot does this no justice!!! It was just ok, the oven cooked one was amazing, I cant even compare the two bc the oven blew it out of the water!! I will def be making this again, but in the oven. Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you! Yes, the crock pot just doesn’t get the job done quite right. So glad you enjoyed it and thank you for leaving a comment! We get asked a lot if this can be done in the crock pot.
I made this for 40 and had multiple people tell me this is the best pulled pork they’ve ever had!! I’m in South Carolina, so that’s saying something!
It is so good!! And worth every step and minute of prep work! The pork is moist & flavorful, without being overwhelming or fatty tasting.
I did 2 – 9 lb boston butts at the same time. Doubled the brine (& used homemade cider – yum) and cooked for 14 hours. The 3rd 9 lb butt cooked for 12 hours the next night.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
This just made my day!! We love hearing this! Thanks for taking time to give us feedback!!
Do you have a coleslaw recipe to go with? My family likes the slaw on the sandwich!
We don’t! 🙁
We need to work on mastering that one!!