18 Best Pulled Pork and Leftover Pulled Pork Recipes

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Diana Rattray
Updated 06/29/20
Pulled Pork Tortillas with avocado on a blue plate
Diana Rattray

Here's a dozen of the best recipes for pulled pork, along with some recipes using leftover pulled pork. Most of these recipes are simple to prepare and cook in the slow cooker, and there's also an oven version and one for pulled pork on the grill.

The typical pulled pork sandwich is piled on buns and served with coleslaw (on the pork or on the side), extra barbecue sauce, dill pickle slices, and your favorite side dishes. Some of the more traditional sides include baked beans, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, and fries. 

  • 01 of 18

    Pulled Pork Barbecue

    Pulled Pork Barbecue
    Diana Rattray

    This popular pulled pork is made with a pork shoulder roast, onions, and purchased barbecue sauce. The slow cooker makes it extra-easy to prepare and cook while you do other things. Pulled pork barbecue is always a hit with friends and family.

  • 02 of 18

    Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork

    Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork
    Diana Rattray

    Instant Pot or pressure cooker pulled pork is used to cook this pork shoulder in a fraction of the time. It took only 80 minutes to cook this succulent, shreddable pork! Serve it with barbecue sauce and your favorite sides.

  • 03 of 18

    Oven Pulled Pork Barbecue

    Oven Pulled Pork Barbecue
    Diana Rattray

    This spiced pork roast is slow roasted in the oven until it is falling-apart tender, then it's shredded and blended with homemade or purchased barbecue sauce. Serve this wonderful oven pulled pork barbecue on soft buns with slaw and beans on the side. Be sure to serve extra barbecue sauce for the sandwiches.

  • 04 of 18

    Slow Cooker Mexican Pulled Pork

    Pulled Pork Tortillas
    Diana Rattray

    Southwest seasonings, salsa, and peppers make this out-of-the-ordinary slow cooker Mexican pulled pork memorable. Serve this pulled pork with spicy slaw and a chipotle or Sriracha mayonnaise in soft corn or flour tortillas.

    Continue to 5 of 18 below.
  • 05 of 18

    Pulled Pork Sandwiches

    Pulled Pork Sandwiches
    Diana Rattray

    This pulled pork recipe is an oven barbecued pork roast, shredded then heated with barbecue sauce, onions, and seasonings. It's a great dish for a party or big meal, or freeze the pulled pork in batches. Keep it warm in the slow cooker for a party and let guests serve these pulled pork sandwiches themselves.

  • 06 of 18

    Pulled Pork With Peppers

    Slow Cooker Pulled Pork With Peppers
    Diana Rattray

    This flavorful pulled pork is made with a little grill seasoning, bell peppers, onions, and barbecue sauce. The slow cooker makes preparation a snap! Serve this pulled pork with peppers it with soft rolls and coleslaw.

  • 07 of 18

    Instant Pot Carnitas

    Instant Pot carnitas in flour tortillas.
    Diana Rattray

    The Instant Pot shaves hours from the cooking time, making this recipe for carnitas (braised, shredded pork) dinner-ready in a little over an hour. The pork shoulder is cooked with a variety of seasonings, jalapeno, and orange and lime juices, shredded, and then broiled. Serve in soft tacos with homemade pickled onion.

  • 08 of 18

    Chipotle Pulled Pork

    Chipotle Pulled Pork
    Diana Rattray

    You'll enjoy the spicy chipotle flavor in this chipotle pulled pork barbecue. It's a very simple recipe cooked in the slow cooker.

    Continue to 9 of 18 below.
  • 09 of 18

    Instant Pot Pork Shoulder

    instant pot pork shoulder shredded
    Diana Rattray

    Tender, succulent shredded pork shoulder is quicker and easier in the Instant Pot. Cooking under pressure keeps the meat moist and renders it perfectly tender. It's delicious on its own or in a bun as a sandwich.

  • 10 of 18

    North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork

    North Carolina style pulled pork

    The Spruce Eats / Nita West

    This North Carolina-style pulled pork makes a great weekend meal with beans, potato salad or fries, and slaw. Warm the reserved sauce and pass it at the table for people to spoon over their pork. Serve barbecue sauce as well for people who might prefer the alternative. Serve with slaw, pickles, buns, and baked beans or your favorite sides.

  • 11 of 18

    Instant Pot Pulled Pork

    Instant Pot pulled pork on buns with all the "fixins."
    Diana Rattray

    This classic pulled pork recipe cooks in a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot until tender and succulent. It's ready in under an hour and can be eaten as is, piled until buns as sandwiches or sliders, or used in tacos or nachos.

  • 12 of 18

    Texas Pulled Pork

    Texas Pulled Pork
    Diana Rattray

    A homemade Texas-style barbecue sauce flavors this succulent perfectly seasoned Texas pulled pork. The slow cooker makes preparation a snap.

    Continue to 13 of 18 below.
  • 13 of 18

    Pulled Pork Barbecue Cups

    Pulled Pork BBQ Cups
    Diana Rattray

    We freeze extra pulled pork to use later. These pulled pork barbecue cups are an excellent way to use leftover pork barbecue. Serve these treats for lunch or dinner with coleslaw and fries or chips.

  • 14 of 18

    Pulled Pork Pizza

    Deep Dish Pulled Pork Pizza
    Diana Rattray

    Use your favorite pizza crust recipe to make a deep dish or thin crust pulled pork pizza with a tasty topping of leftover pulled pork and barbecue sauce. Feel free to use purchased or leftover pulled pork for this pizza topping.

  • 15 of 18

    Root Beer Pulled Pork

    Root beer pulled pork in tacos with slaw and peppers.
    Diana Rattray

    Slow-cooked in root beer, onions, and spices, this succulent pulled pork is easy as can be. The root beer adds a mild sweetness without overpowering the meat.

  • 16 of 18

    Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Barbecue With Homemade Sauce

    Pulled Pork Sandwich
    Diana Rattray

    The flavorful homemade sauce for this slow cooker pulled pork barbecue with homemade sauce is made with vinegar, ketchup, crushed red pepper, and barbecue sauce.

    Continue to 17 of 18 below.
  • 17 of 18

    Pulled Pork on a Charcoal Grill

    grilled pork bbq
    Regarding BBQ, Inc.

    Yes, you can cook your pulled pork on a charcoal grill! These step-by-step instructions make it easy.

  • 18 of 18

    Oven-Baked Pulled Pork Sandwiches

    Smoked pulled pork sandwich

    Foodie Photography / Getty Images

    This oven-baked pulled pork sandwiches recipe makes a big batch, and it freezes well! The pork is baked with a flavorful rub and then it's cooked with barbecue sauce and some vinegar.