Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Recipe

Name: Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 65 min
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

This Dr. Pepper pulled pork is an easy recipe for your meal rotation - with only seven ingredients in the Instant Pot for a delicious dinner.

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.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

To make this Dr. Pepper pulled pork recipe, you need the following ingredients:

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

Equipment Needed

For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:

How to Make Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

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.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you 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 do not 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.

When should I make pulled pork?

Our Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork is perfect for quick and easy family dinners or feeding a crowd. 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.

How do you shred pulled pork?

When the pulled pork is finished cooking, move the meat to a large mixing bowl. You can shred it the following ways: using two forks, using bear claws, or using an electric mixer or Kitchen Aid.

Freezer Meal Modifications

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.

Enjoy More Delicious Pulled Pork Sandwiches

From sandwiches to burgers, to wraps, hand-held meals are great for lunch, picnics, and family dinners. Check out our comprehensive collection of sandwiches, burgers, and wraps here.

A close-up of a pulled pork sandwich served on a white plate. The sandwich has shredded pork meat inside a bun.

5 from 1 vote

This Dr. Pepper pulled pork is an easy recipe for your meal rotation – with only seven ingredients in the Instant Pot for a delicious dinner.

8 servings

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 5

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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

Equipment

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

To turn this recipe into a freezer meal, follow the following steps:

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

Cuisine: American

Cost: $18

Author: Steph Loaiza

Course: Main Course

Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.

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Questions & Reviews

Todd E Burton says:

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...
Todd E Burton says:

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?
Cyd says:

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.
Cyd says:

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.
Brittany Baucco says:

If I don't want to cook this directly in BBQ sauce, would I have to add more Dr. Pepper?
Jen says:

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?
Ally says:

Does anyone know what the release method is?
LindieLee says:

This happens to me on Youtube often - I just click on the refresh arrow and the correct video link comes up. Try it.
Valeria Forsythe says:

Can you use diet pop?
Cyd says:

Diet pop should work fine too.
Janelle Reza says:

Don’t use diet, the artificial sugar breaks down to something nasty!
Janelle Reza says:

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.
Tanis Gennean says:

I found another recipe first that said if you cut the meat into 2” cubes, cooking time is still only 1 hr!!
Christy Chester says:

Can this Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork recipe be a "freeze ahead meal" to go from frozen to cooked in the Instant Pot?
Momma Cyd says:

Yes, you could make this as a freezer meal.
Annette says:

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.
Beatrice says:

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. :)
Momma Cyd says:

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.
Amy Johnson says:

Can I use root beer instead?
Momma Cyd says:

We have a recipe for Root Beer Pulled pork too! https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/instant-pot-root-beer-pulled-pork-sandwiches-recipe/
Lily Yee says:

I used a can of Diet Dr Pepper cuz that's all I had. This came out soon good!