Sweet and Sticky Pulled Pork Recipe

Name: Sweet and Sticky Pulled Pork Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast; ½ cup chicken broth ((or water)); 1 cup BBQ Sauce; 1½ cups apricot preserves; 2 Tablespoons soy sauce; 1 ounce dry onion soup mix ((1 packet)); 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard; 8 hamburger buns

Enjoy our sweet and sticky pulled pork recipe prepared in the Instant Pot with a few simple ingredients for a delicious, easy weeknight meal.

You can enjoy our sweet and sticky pulled pork recipe while you are lounging out on your patio this summer. Since it is an Instant Pot pork recipe, the Instant Pot will do a lot of the work and you can spend your time doing everything else!

Our sticky pulled pork recipe is one of those recipes you will save and make over and over again. It is just so delicious, tender, and full of amazing flavor. Especially when you pair it with some hawaiian rolls and make them into little siders.

Not to mention, this recipe is perfect to feed a crowd. You just have to put it in the Instant Pot, let it cook, and then let everyone else build their sandwiches, nachos, or whatever and they will be in awe of how amazing this recipe is.

A pulled pork sandwich on a white plate sits on a wooden board, with a bowl of extra pulled pork in the background.

A white bowl filled with shredded cooked meat sits in front of an electric pressure cooker on a white surface.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

To make our sweet and sticky pulled pork, you need the following ingredients:

Boneless pork shoulder roast
Chicken broth
BBQ sauce
Apricot preserves
Dry onion soup mix
Soy sauce
Dijon mustard
Hamburger buns

Equipment Needed

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

How To Make Our Sweet and Sticky Pulled Pork Recipe

To begin this recipe, pull out your Instant Pot and place the pork shoulder in the bottom of the Instant Pot.
Then pour a ½ cup of chicken broth or water if you prefer, in with the pork roast.
Now, in a small mixing bowl combine the bbq sauce, apricot preserves, dryon onion soup mix, dijon mustard, soy sauce, and then mix it all together to form the delicious sauce.
Once the sauce is made up, pour it over top of the roast and place the lid on the Instant Pot.
Make sure to turn the valve on the lid to the SEALING position and then press the MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK button and set the timer for 60 minutes. NOTE: We generally use a rule of thumb that you need 20 minutes per pound. So this is for a 3 pound roast, any bigger make sure to adjust the cook time.
After the time is up, let the Instant Pot do a NATURAL RELEASE of the pressure which should take about 20-25 minutes, but letting it rest longer up to 2-3 hours if you have the time will give you a wonderfully tender pork roast.
When all the pressure is out and the pin has dropped down, remove the lid from the Instant Pot and take out the pork.
Shred the pork with 2 forks and then return the shredded pork to the Instant Pot and mix it into the sauce (or you can leave the pork in the Instant Pot and use a hand mixer to shred it and mix the meat into the sauce).
After the meat is shredded, serve it on hamburger buns and enjoy!

A fork places shredded barbecue meat onto a toasted sandwich bun on a white plate, with a bowl of meat and a kitchen appliance in the background.

A pulled pork sandwich sits on a white plate atop a wooden board, with a bowl of pulled pork and a pressure cooker in the background.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep pulled pork moist?

Texture is one of the most important things when you are cooking pulled pork. You do not want a dry and overcooked pork roast because then you will just sit there for days just trying to chew your food. No one wants that! Haha. So, to avoid that, take a look at BBQ Host’s article on how to keep pulled pork warm and moist before serving it! They have some great ideas and are easy to do and might just save your day.

Can you use pork loin for pork roast?

We have used both a pork loin roast and a pork shoulder. The pork shoulder tends to have more fat, making it more juicy and tender. But if you use the right method and don’t overcook your pork, a pork roast will turn out perfectly as well! Just make sure to watch it closely. You can even use chicken breast if you aren’t a huge fan of pork. Pull chicken is always tasty!

Recipe Notes

We have used both a pork loin roast and a pork shoulder. The pork shoulder tends to have more fat, making it more juicy and tender.

Enjoy More Delicious Pulled Pork Recipes

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.