Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Recipe

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Published: February 23, 2021Updated: June 29, 2022Author: Kristen Hills
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If you’re an Instant Pot pro or just joining the craze, our Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork needs to be on your meal rotation. With only a handful of simple ingredients, this Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork is sweet, delicious, and makes an amazing dinner!
Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Recipe

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork is one of our tried and true slow cooker recipes—now adapted for the Instant Pot!

If you’re looking for the Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork, you can find it here.

This Dr. Pepper pulled pork recipe is the most simple and delicious and one of the easy meals you can ever have. The great thing is it needs a few minutes of prep.

We love the convenience of making this in the Instant Pot. It cooks up so fast and the pork comes out moist and full of flavor.

Here is what you need to make our Dr Pepper Pulled pork in the Instant Pot:

 PULLED PORK INGREDIENTS:

  • Pork Shoulder Roast
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Seasoned Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Dr. Pepper Soda
  • BBQ Sauce

Everything else you’ll need for this pulled pork recipe:

 

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How to make Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork:

Start by rubbing your pork roast with your desired amount of seasonings and place roast in Instant Pot. 

You could even sear it using the Sauté button if desired.

We love keeping things simple, though. We’ve just thrown the roast in with the seasoning and it tastes great!

Next, pour the Dr. Pepper and BBQ sauce in the pot with the roast.

Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock it into place. Set the knob to SEALING, not venting.

Push the Manual or Pressure Cook button and set it for 60 minutes. Let it cook at high pressure. When it is done cooking, you can do a natural or quick release.

Then, shred the roast with two forks (it should fall apart easily) and serve on top of hamburger buns. For a healthier option, we think it’s delicious on top of a simple salad. You also can make pork sandwiches with shredded pork. If you can make the pork tacos and pork nachos, it’s a plus.

Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Sandwich

Need extra sauce with your pulled pork?

After shredding, we like to keep the meat in the extra liquid.  We use a slotted spoon to serve.

You can also add more barbecue sauce if desired. This will make a thicker sauce.

What if I don’t have Dr. Pepper?

If you don’t have a can of Dr. Pepper on hand, no worries!  You can exchange the Dr. Pepper in this recipe with Coke or Root Beer. You could even try Cherry Coke.

The soda tenderizes the meat while adding flavor.  Adding the soda helps make a tasty meat that falls apart and stays moist.

The soda also serves as the liquid you need for your Instant Pot to come to pressure.  Don’t worry about needing to add any extra water.

Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork on bun

When should I make Pulled Pork?

Our Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork is perfect for:

  • Quick and easy family dinner—dads and kids alike will rave about this flavorful pulled pork.
  • Feeding a crowd—have a houseful of hungry teens or have your neighbors over for dinner? This easy recipe is just right!

Tasty meal after a long day—many of our readers work full time and just need something they can make without much effort. The best thing is this recipe is perfect for such an occasion that can reduce cooking time. Additionally and the meat freezes well in Ziploc bags.

Watch how to make Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Check out our Youtube Channel.  We will show you how to make this Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork.

Each recipe on our channel and blog is tried and true, so you know they will be tasty.

We take you through each recipe, step by step, and show you exactly how to make it. Watch how to make this delicious Instant Pot Smoky Pulled Pork, here.

HOW TO SHRED PULLED PORK

When the bbq pulled pork is finished cooking in the slow cooker, move the meat to a large mixing bowl. You can shred it the following ways:

How to turn this into a freezer meal:

Place roast, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, black pepper, Dr. Pepper, and BBQ sauce into a gallon-sized freezer bag. Place freezer bag into freezer and it will last up to 60 days.

When ready to use, dump ingredients from bag into Instant Pot and add 1/2 cup of beef broth or water in with the frozen food as cooking liquid.

Place the lid on top, move the valve to SEALING, and press the MANUAL button. Set timer for 90-100 minutes (or about 30 minutes per pound of your roast).

Do a NATURAL RELEASE when the timer is done – I even like to let it sit in the Instant Pot for a few hours so that it falls apart so easily on the bottom of the pot. Follow the rest of the instructions as written.

Looking for more freezer meals just like this? Click here for our top 100 Instant Pot Freezer Meals!

Serves: 8

Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Recipe

If you’re an Instant Pot pro or just joining the craze, our Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork needs to be on your meal rotation. You will fall in love with our best instant pot recipe. With only a handful of simple ingredients, this Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork is sweet, delicious, and makes an amazing dinner!
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
Print Pin

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds pork shoulder roast 1 roast (best cut of pork)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 12 ounces Dr. Pepper 1 can
  • 1 cup BBQ Sauce

Instructions

  • Rub pork roast with garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, and pepper. Place roast in Instant Pot.
  • Pour Dr. Pepper and your favorite BBQ sauce on top of roast.
  • Place lid on the Instant Pot and lock in place. Set the knob to sealing, not venting.
  • Push the Manual button and set for 60 minutes. If your roast is bigger, cook it for longer.
  • (For example if you have a 5 pound roast, you will need to cook it for 90 minutes.)

Notes

When the bbq pulled pork is finished cooking in the Instant Pot, move the meat to a large mixing bowl. You can shred it the following ways:
  • Using two forks
  • Using Bear Claws
  • Using an electric mixer or Kitchen Aid

How to turn this into a freezer meal:

Place leftover pork, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, black pepper, chili powder, Dr. Pepper, and BBQ sauce into a gallon-sized freezer bag. Place freezer bag into freezer and it will last up to 60 days.
When ready to use, dump ingredients from bag into Instant Pot and add 1/2 cup of beef broth or little water in with the frozen food.
Place the lid on top, move the valve to SEALING, and press the MANUAL button. Set timer for 90-100 minutes (or about 30 minutes per pound of your roast).
Do a NATURAL RELEASE when the timer is done – I even like to let it sit in the Instant Pot for a few hours so that it falls apart so easily. Follow the rest of the instructions as written.

Nutrition

Calories: 236 kcal · Carbohydrates: 20 g · Protein: 21 g · Fat: 8 g · Saturated Fat: 3 g · Cholesterol: 70 mg · Sodium: 745 mg · Potassium: 445 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 17 g · Vitamin A: 87 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 28 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • Bear Claws

Recipe Details

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

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Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Sandwich

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  1. Todd E Burton says:
    June 1, 2019
    Why is the printed recipe not the same as the video? I just drove four miles to get Liquid Smoke, which is not part of the recipe. I guess I'll have to watch the vid again...
  2. Todd E Burton says:
    June 1, 2019
    Vid does not include Onion Powder, does not require Seasoned Salt, just regular, the three Tablespoons of Smoked Paprika are not in the recipe, and the vid calls for an entire bottle of BBQ Sauce, not one cup. Also, the printed recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper. The vid calls for a whole Tablespoon. Water? Not in the recipe. Who's flying the plane here?
  3. Cyd says:
    June 1, 2019
    The post is for Instant Pot Dr Pepper Pulled pork. The video is an ad for one of our other instant pot recipes. The video is for Instant Pot Smoky BBQ Pulled Pork. They are two totally different recipes. That is why the ingredients are different.
  4. Cyd says:
    June 1, 2019
    We don't have every videos of every recipe yet. We are working on it. We'll get them on as soon as they are made. It takes time. Thanks for your patience.
  5. Brittany Baucco says:
    July 5, 2019
    If I don't want to cook this directly in BBQ sauce, would I have to add more Dr. Pepper?
  6. Jen says:
    July 8, 2019
    The title of the video is "Instant Pot SMOKY Pulled Pork," not "Instant Pot DR.PEPPER Pulled Pork." You just got two free recipes. Maybe read next time before complaining?
  7. Ally says:
    July 13, 2019
    Does anyone know what the release method is?
  8. LindieLee says:
    September 24, 2019
    This happens to me on Youtube often - I just click on the refresh arrow and the correct video link comes up. Try it.
  9. Valeria Forsythe says:
    May 6, 2020
    Can you use diet pop?
  10. Cyd says:
    May 6, 2020
    Diet pop should work fine too.
  11. Janelle Reza says:
    July 18, 2020
    Don’t use diet, the artificial sugar breaks down to something nasty!
  12. Janelle Reza says:
    July 18, 2020
    No, it says we can quick release or natural release. I’m using another recipe’s suggestion 50 minutes high with 10 minutes natural release.
  13. Tanis Gennean says:
    November 24, 2020
    I found another recipe first that said if you cut the meat into 2” cubes, cooking time is still only 1 hr!!
  14. Christy Chester says:
    January 19, 2021
    Can this Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork recipe be a "freeze ahead meal" to go from frozen to cooked in the Instant Pot?
  15. Momma Cyd says:
    January 26, 2021
    Yes, you could make this as a freezer meal.
  16. Annette says:
    March 6, 2021
    This recipe looks good & Easy! Just the way I like it. FYI: the Notes section of your recipe say slow cooker not Instant Pot. 😀 Thx Kristen for the recipe.
  17. Beatrice says:
    August 18, 2021
    How do I Adjust the recipe and cook time if I’m using 5 pounds of pork? I’ve got a big crowd to feed. :)
  18. Momma Cyd says:
    August 23, 2021
    If you don't have the large instant pot, or your roast seems a little snug in your Instant Pot, I would suggest cutting your roast in half and then making this recipe twice for best results. You don't want to overcrowd your Instant pot. If you have the 8 quart, just double all of the other ingredients and make as directed. You may need to cook it for 80-90 minutes. A natural release for a while will help make this roast tender. I hope this helps.
  19. Amy Johnson says:
    February 8, 2022
    Can I use root beer instead?
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