BBQ Pineapple Pulled Pork
Making homemade pulled pork has never been easier! This simple Instant Pot recipe makes the juiciest Pineapple BBQ Pulled Pork for all of your sandwich, taco, nachos, and slider needs. Slow cooker instructions included.
I almost always have a pork butt or pork shoulder in my freezer for big batches of pulled pork. It’s great to have on hand for quick high-protein, paleo, and Whole30 meals throughout the week. This Instant Pot pineapple BBQ pulled pork is my go-to preparation method when I don’t have the energy for the grill or smoker.
Seasoned pork butt (or shoulder) goes into the Instant Pot with pineapple juice and comes out as sweet, savory, and succulent pulled pork. While you can certainly leave the pork as is, a quick toss in Whole30 compliant BBQ sauce makes it something extra special.
💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This is the best paleo and Whole30 pulled pork recipe!
- Uses budget-friendly pork shoulder or pork butt.
- No Instant Pot? No problem. You can make it in a slow cooker.
- It’s perfect for repurposing into a variety of healthy meals.
🍍Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pork Butt or Shoulder: These are great cuts to stock up on and freeze (especially when they’re on sale). They cook well low and slow, so the fat has plenty of time to cook down and tenderize the meat. Pressure cooking achieves this in a fraction of the time.
- BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite store-bought sauce or make it from scratch. The Whole30 approved Classic BBQ from The New Primal does not disappoint.
- Canned Pineapple Tidbits (no sugar added): You’ll need the juice for cooking and the tidbits for serving.
- Smoked Paprika: adds smokey flavor and subtle spice to the meat.
- Coarse Sea Salt: enhances the naturally salty pork flavor.
- Cilantro & Red Onion: for serving.
📖 How To Make BBQ Pineapple Pulled Pork
1️⃣ Prepare pork for pressure cooking.
First, place your cut of pork on a large cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. Then, rub on all sides with salt and smoked paprika. Cut the seasoned pork into 2 to 3 pieces to fit inside the pressure cooker.
2️⃣ Add pineapple juice.
Transfer the pieces of pork to the Instant Pot. Drain the pineapple juice from the can over top of the meat. Set the pineapple chunks aside.
3️⃣ Pressure cook.
Close the lid and make sure the pressure valve is sealed. Then, set the Instant Pot to cook on HIGH pressure for 90 minutes (it will take an additional 15 to 20 minutes to reach temperature and begin cooking).
4️⃣ Let pressure release naturally.
When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally while the Instant Pot is set to WARM for another 90 minutes.
5️⃣ Shred pork and add BBQ sauce.
Carefully remove the meat and transfer it to a large bowl or platter. You can discard the liquid and fat left in the pot. Shred the pork with a fork, and then toss with as much BBQ sauce as you like.
6️⃣ Broil and serve.
This is totally optional: to achieve those classic burnt edges, spread the pork out in an even layer on a sheet pan and broil until the ends begin to brown and turn crisp (about 5 minutes). Serve topped with pineapple chunks, cilantro, and red onion.
👉 Recipe Tips
- Sear the pork first – Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the Instant Pot and warm on SAUTE mode. Brown the pork butt for a few minutes on all sides to create lightly crisped edges and deepen the flavors.
- Store without BBQ sauce – Instead of finishing the pulled pork in BBQ sauce, store it without sauce. Then you can enjoy it with a different flavor for each serving.
- Slow cooker adaptation – Place your seasoned pork shoulder in the Crockpot and dump the pineapple juice on top. Slow cook on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or on LOW for 8 hours.
- Internal temp – Pork is safe to eat at 145F, but for tender, shredded pork, it should be cooked to at least 195F.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
If you want to cook once and eat all week, this Instant Pot pineapple bbq pulled pork is the way. Check out the list below for delicious meal ideas:
Whole30 pulled pork tacos: Use Boston lettuce leaves as your taco shells and fill them with pineapple bbq pulled pork, mango cucumber salsa, avocado, and a drizzle of habanero ranch.
Pork BBQ sandwiches or sliders: Serve on fresh potato or slider rolls topped with dill pickle slaw.
Pineapple pork nachos: Yes, please. Pile bbq pulled pork and shredded cheese over tortilla chips and bake until the cheese melts. Top with pineapple, red onion, and cilantro.
🧊 Storing & Freezing
Storing: After cooling to room temperature, place pineapple bbq pulled pork in an airtight container and keep frigerated for up to 4 days.
Freezing: One of the best things about this recipe is having plenty of leftovers to freeze. If you plan to freeze some, leave that portion unsauced. After it’s cooled, freeze it in an airtight freezer bag for 2 to 3 months—Thaw in the fridge before reheating in sauce.
❔FAQ
No. The taste won’t be quite the same, but feel free to use orange juice or apple juice instead of pineapple juice.
Yes. Bone-in pork tends to have more flavor and nutrients than boneless cuts.
Tough pork typically means it needs to cook longer. If it doesn’t shred easily, return it to the Instant Pot and pressure cook on HIGH for 10 minutes. Quick-release the pressure. Check for doneness and repeat if it needs more time.
More Instant Pot Meat Recipes
Instant Pot Beef Shortribs
Instant Pot Carnitas
Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
Instant Pot Pineapple BBQ Pulled Pork
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker or slow cooker
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork butt or sholder boneless or bone-in
- 8 ounces bbq sauce
- 15 ounces canned pineapple tidbits no sugar added
- 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ½ red onion diced small
Instructions
- Place the pork butt (or shoulder) on a cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. Then, rub on all sides with salt and smoked paprika. Cut the pork into 2 to 3 pieces to fit inside the pressure cooker.
- Place the pieces of pork in the Instant Pot. Drain the pineapple juice from the can and pour it over the top of the meat. Set the pineapple chunks aside.
- Close the lid and make sure the pressure valve is sealed. Then, set the Instant Pot to manually cook on HIGH pressure for 90 minutes (it will take an additional 15 to 20 minutes to preheat and begin cooking).
- When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally while the Instant Pot is in WARM mode for 90 minues (some pressure cookers automatically switch to the WARM setting when the time is up).
- Carefully remove the meat and transfer it to a large bowl or platter. Discard the liquid and fat left in the pot. Shred the pork with a fork and toss with as much BBQ sauce as you like.
- OPTIONAL: For burnt, crispy edges, spread the pork out in an even layer on a sheet pan and broil until the ends begin to brown and turn crisp (about 5 minutes). Serve topped with pineapple chunks, cilantro, and red onion.
