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Home » Blog » Course » Pulled Pork Sliders (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker or Oven Roasted)

Pulled Pork Sliders (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker or Oven Roasted)

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Published: Sep 22, 2022 · Modified: Feb 10, 2023 by Andrea + Stef ·

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The most succulent and flavorful BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. Cooked in the Instant Pot, the meat turns out tender and juicy and is ready in only 80 minutes!
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Pulled pork sliders stacked.
Pulled pork slider pin image.

This is hands down the quickest way to make the best Instant Pot pulled pork sliders ever! Instructions are included for making in a slow cooker or oven as well. Pressure-cooked pulled pork is ready in only 80 minutes and comes out tender, juicy, and absolutely irresistible. Not only does this Instant Pot recipe use a homemade spice rub, but you can make it extra special by also using BBQ sauce made from scratch. Your entire family will love this flavor-bursting sandwich that can be topped with classic coleslaw or whatever topping you prefer. With this delicious recipe, you can treat your family with mouthwatering BBQ pork all year round.

Table of Contents

  • Why cook BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders in the Instant Pot?
  • Why You’ll Love This
  • Ingredients
  • Recommended Tools
  • Instant Pot Pulled Pork Sliders Instructions
  • Other Ways of Preparing Pulled Pork Sliders
  • What To Serve With Pulled Pork Sliders
  • Make Ahead
  • Recipe Tips
  • More Delicious Recipes
  • How To Store
  • Common Questions
  • Pulled Pork Sliders Recipe
two instant pot pork sliders stacked on top of each other

Why cook BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders in the Instant Pot?

While cooking pulled pork in the oven or slow cooker takes hours, the Instant Pot method makes it possible to serve pulled pork sliders in only 80 minutes. Not only does pressure cooking the meat drastically reduce the cooking time, it also produces the most tender and succulent bbq pulled pork.

Pulled pork sliders stacked.

Why You’ll Love This

  • Notable: tender and juicy pulled pork with delicious BBQ sauce on soft buns and topped with crunchy coleslaw
  • Main Ingredients: pork shoulder or butt roast, olive oil, beef broth, BBQ sauce, slider buns, light brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and coleslaw
  • Cooking Method: Instant Pot, Slow Cooker or Oven.
  • Nutrients: 18g of protein per serving
  • Cooking Time: 5 minutes prep time, 75 minutes cooking time
  • Pairs well with: chips, potato salad, macaroni salad, crusty white bread, corn
  • Diets: dairy free
  • Special Equipment Needed: Instant Pot, metal trivet, mixing bowl, instant read thermometer, forks
four pulled pork sandwiches on a piece of paper with bbq sauce and chips on the side
pulled pork slider in front of an Instant Pot

Ingredients

You may have all of these BBQ pulled pork sliders ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts and print the recipe.

  • Pantry Ingredients: light brown sugar, olive oil, beef broth, BBQ sauce, slider buns
  • Produce Ingredients: prepared coleslaw
  • Meat Ingredients: boneless pork shoulder roast
  • Spices: garlic powder, smoked paprika, sea salt

Substitutions:

  • Beef broth: You can substitute chicken broth or vegetable broth for the beef broth.
  • Pork shoulder roast: You may also use a pork butt roast.
  • Coleslaw: Make your own or just use plain cabbage, if you prefer.
  • Spices: We highly recommend uses the spices listed. If you would like, you can add a ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
  • BBQ sauce: Use any type of BBQ sauce you like or make our delicious tangy BBQ sauce.
ingredients for pulled pork sliders

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: Looking for another scrumptious recipe for pork shoulder roast made in the Instant Pot? Then our flavor bursting, melt in your mouth Instant Pot Carnitas are perfect for you! They are easy to make and oh so good!

Recommended Tools

Instant Pot– One cooking method for this recipe is an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker. This Instant Pot isn’t the fanciest you can buy but we love it and it will work for most people’s needs. If you’re looking for one with all the bells and whistles, this 10-in-1 Instant Pot is amazing.

Slow Cooker – You can also use a large slow cooker to make this delicious pulled pork recipe.

Instant Pot Pulled Pork Sliders Instructions

This section shows how to cook BBQ pulled pork sandwiches in the Instant Pot, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below. You can print the recipe with or without photos. For instructions for the crockpot pulled pork sliders and oven pork roast pulled pork sliders see below.

MAKE SPICE RUB AND SEASON: In a small bowl, mix together the spice rub ingredients. Then gently rub the spices all over the pork roast. You can remove the netting or keep in place to keep your roast together. Next, turn the Instant Pot to sauté setting and add 2 tablespoon of oil.

spice rub mixed up in a bowl
roast searing in the instant pot

SEAR: When oil is hot in saute mode, sear roast for about 2 minutes on each side, until it’s lightly browned. Remove and turn sauté off. Then pour beef broth into the pot and deglaze by scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.

deglazing the instant pot with beef broth
pork roast on a metal trivet in the instant pot

PRESSURE COOK: Place the metal trivet into the Instant Pot. Place the roast onto the trivet. Lock the lid, seal and set to high pressure for 65 minutes. Once cook time is done do a quick release to release the pressure in the pressure cooker. Use an instant read meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the roast. Pork roast is safe to eat at 145°F.

BBQ sauce added to shredded meat
pulled pork sliders on a piece of paper with bbq sauce and chips on the side

SHRED AND FINISH: Remove the pork roast and shred with forks. Set aside. Remove the metal trivet and discard any liquid from the pot. Next, return meat to the Instant Pot, add desired amount of BBQ sauce and stir to combine. Finally, place a generous amount of pulled pork on the bottom bun. Add coleslaw and additional BBQ sauce, if desired. Place bun tops on top and serve while warm.

Optional: Brush tops of buns with melted butter.

Other Ways of Preparing Pulled Pork Sliders

Pulled pork can be prepared many different ways. Besides the Instant Pot, which is of course by far the quickest method, you can also cook the pork roast in the oven or in the slow cooker for a couple of hours.

Oven Pork Roast Pulled Pork Sliders Instructions

Sear the meat in a dutch oven first then set aside. Deglaze the pan and add enough cooking liquid. Return the meat to the pot and cover with a lid. Then slow roast the meat in the oven for about 3 hours at 300ºF. Afterwards remove the meat from the dutch oven and discard any leftover cooking liquid. Shred the meat with forks, return it to the pot and mix with desired amount of BBQ sauce.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sliders Instructions

Sear the meat in a large pan first then transfer to the crockpot. Deglaze the pan and add to slow cooker together with any other cooking liquid. Make sure you scrap the bottom of the pan for all the good stuff! Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Afterwards remove the meat from the crockpot and discard any leftover cooking liquid. Shred the meat with forks, return it to the slow cooker and mix with desired amount of BBQ sauce.

What To Serve With Pulled Pork Sliders

Pulled pork sliders are great as a game day snack or a full meal. These hearty sandwiches are often eaten alone but if you want to serve them with something try one of these ideas:

  • Dill pickles or dill pickle spears: Serve these on the side or in slices on the slider, if you prefer.
  • Beans: Baked beans are a classic side dish for pulled pork. Make your own or just open a can of baked beans.
  • Side Salad: Make an easy Italian Salad as a side salad.
  • BBQ Sauce: Serve your sliders with more BBQ sauces. A variety of sauces is great if you’re serving a crowd. Try sweet BBQ sauce or a tangy BBQ sauce with worcestershire sauce, or even a mustard BBQ sauce.

Make Ahead

BBQ pulled pork is a great meal to make ahead since you can either refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Make sure you let the dish cool completely before transfering it to an airtight or freezer safe container. You can reheat the pulled pork in the microwave, on the stovetop or in the slow cooker.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best pulled pork sliders.

  • Tip: Use pork shoulder for this recipe. Pork shoulder has just the right fat/lean ratio for roasting and therefore produces the moistest, most flavorful pulled pork.
  • Tip: Don’t skip the searing. Browning the meat before cooking locks in the juices and adds a great deal of flavor.
  • Tip: Use good BBQ sauce. Use your favorite store bought BBQ sauce or make your own. Have you tried our quick and easy to make BBQ sauce recipe?

More Delicious Recipes

Try this dry rub recipe for baby back ribs in the oven and air fryer is the secret to the most delicious BBQ ribs ever. They’re easy to make, fall off the bone tender and you can’t beat this flavor! Or try these Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders and Sausage Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sliders.

  • instant pot pork roast on a platter with vegetables

    Instant Pot Pork Roast

  • carnitas in tongs

    Instant Pot Carnitas

  • bbq sauce in a jar.

    BBQ Sauce

  • Pastry brush brushing bbq sauce onto ribs.

    Instant Pot Country Style Ribs

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love this delicious pumpkin quick bread, try our amazing Pumpkin Spice Pancake Recipe. You’ll love these pancakes because they are thick, fluffy and packed with pumpkin and warm spices.

How To Store

Refrigerate: After cooking, put pulled pork leftovers into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking. Store Instant Pot pulled pork in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freeze: Transfer leftover pulled pork to a freezer safe container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrosting: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheating: Reheat your pork in the microwave in a covered microwave safe dish.

close up of a bbq pulled pork sandwich

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you also love everything BBQ then you’ll love our tender and juicy Crockpot BBQ meatballs. They are super easy to make and only require 10 minutes of hands on prep time.

Common Questions

What is the best cut of pork to use for this recipe?

We recommend using either a pork shoulder or pork butt roast. Both cuts have an ideal fat/lean ratio and produce juicy and flavorful pulled pork. We do not recommend using pork loin in the pressure cooker. Pork loin (same thing as pork loin roast) is a very lean cut of meat and can overcook very easily in the Instant Pot. Pressure cooked pork tenderloin is often dry and no real joy to eat.

Can I skip the searing step and just put the roast into the Instant Pot raw?

Searing the meat is important for multiple reasons. First, it caramelizes the outside of the meat and therefore adds immense flavor to your roast. Additionally, searing seals up the meat and therefore locks in all the amazing juices that keep your roast nice and moist. So, while it is not impossible to skip this step, we highly recommend searing the roast before cooking in order to create perfectly cooked pulled pork.

Is it better to use store bought or homemade BBQ sauce?

In this case you can use either your favorite brand of store bought or homemade BBQ sauce. If you feel adventurous and want to make this recipe extra special try our quick and easy recipe for homemade BBQ Sauce.

What are other toppings for pulled pork sliders besides coleslaw?

While coleslaw is the most popular topping for pork sliders, you can also top your sandwiches with pickles, more barbecue sauce, Ranch dressing, mustard, sliced jalapeños, a slice of cheddar or provolone cheese, pickled onions, or even guacamole.

Can I use this recipe to create a slider bar at my next party?

Sure can! Prepare the pulled pork as described in the recipe. Turn your Instant Pot to keep warm mode during the party. Next to the electric pressure cooker set up a basket with pre-cut slider buns, a bowl of coleslaw, extra BBQ sauce and little bowls with any other toppings you want to serve.

Pulled pork sliders stacked.
5 from 2 votes

Pulled Pork Sliders Recipe

Author Andrea + Stef

Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
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8 servings
The most succulent and flavorful BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. Cooked in the Instant Pot, the meat turns out tender and juicy and is ready in only 80 minutes!
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Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • metal trivet
  • forks
  • mixing bowl

Ingredients
  

Rub Ingredients:

  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Pulled Pork Ingredients:

  • 2-3 lbs pork shoulder roast or butt roast (not pork loin)
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup beef broth or water
  • ½-1 cup BBQ sauce homemade or store bought
  • 10 slider buns

Garnish:

  • 3 cups prepared coleslaw

Instructions

  • Mix together the rub ingredients. Gently rub the spices all over the pork roast.
    spice rub ingredients in a bowl
  • Set Instant Pot to saute setting. Add 2 tablespoon of oil.
  • When oil is hot, add roast to the pot. Sear roast for about 2 minutes on each side, until it’s lightly browned. Remove and turn saute off.
    seared roast in the instant pot
  • Pour broth into the pot and deglaze by scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
    deglazing the instant pot with beef broth
  • Place the metal trivet into the instant pot. Place the roast onto the trivet.
    pork roast on a metal trivet in the instant pot
  • Lock the lid, seal and set to high pressure for 65 minutes.
  • Once cook time is done, do a quick release.
    cooked pork roast in the instant pot
  • Remove pork roast. Shred with two forks or cut into large chunks then shred with a fork. Set aside.
    shredding cooked pork with forks
  • Remove the metal trivet and liquid from the pot.
  • Return the shredded pork to the pot. Then add BBQ sauce to the pot and stir to mix. Add more BBQ sauce, if desired.
    BBQ sauce added to meat
  • Top slider buns with shredded pork and coleslaw. Serve while warm.
    bbq pulled pork slider in front of an instant pot

Notes

  • For a 4 lb pork roast, pressure cook on high for 80 minutes.
  • Store leftover shredded pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Freeze shredded pork in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. 
  • If you want a thinner sauce, reserve ¼ cup of the cooking liquid and whisk it together with the BBQ sauce before adding shredded pork back into the pot.

Oven Pork Roast Pulled Pork Sliders Instructions

Sear the meat in a dutch oven first then set aside. Deglaze the pan and add enough cooking liquid. Return the meat to the pot and cover with a lid. Then slow roast the meat in the oven for about 3 hours at 300ºF. Afterwards remove the meat from the dutch oven and discard any leftover cooking liquid. Shred the meat with forks, return it to the pot and mix with desired amount of BBQ sauce.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sliders Instructions

Sear the meat in a large pan first then transfer to the crockpot. Deglaze the pan and add to slow cooker together with any other cooking liquid. Make sure you scrap the bottom of the pan for all the good stuff! Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Afterwards remove the meat from the crockpot and discard any leftover cooking liquid. Shred the meat with forks, return it to the slow cooker and mix with desired amount of BBQ sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 649mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 501IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 3mg

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