These Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos are everything you love about a classic pulled pork sandwich – tender pork, barbecue sauce, and crunchy slaw – put in a soft flour tortilla instead of on a bun! A little different, a lot of delicious!
Who doesn’t love a BBQ pulled pork sandwich? It’s a classic go-to recipe when you’ve got a crowd to feed (think summer picnics, graduation and birthday parties, game day).
If you’re like me, sometimes you get a little bored with the same old same old and want to change things up a bit. These pulled pork tacos are a change-up everyone is sure to love!
I decided to give them a try after having a bunch of leftover flour tortillas from the Easy Homemade Flour Tortillas post I did a few weeks ago. I already had BBQ pulled pork on my mind since I was expecting some company, and I thought why not use those tortillas instead of buns?
Holy WOW! A-MA-ZING! Seriously, I’m not sure that I will ever go back to pulled pork on a bun! These tacos are sooo good!
AND can I please also shout out – once again – my love for my Instant Pot?!? The pork comes out fall-apart tender, juicy, and flavorful in less than 2 hours!
If you haven’t used your Instant Pot yet to make pulled pork, now is the time!
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED:
- Onion
- Pork shoulder roast/Boston butt (boneless or bone-in)
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Salt
- Pepper
- Dr. Pepper soda (root beer or cola will also work)
- Barbecue sauce (your favorite brand…or try my Homemade No-Cook Barbecue Sauce)
- Sweet and Tangy No-Mayo Coleslaw (half the recipe)
- Flour tortillas (taco-size)
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
- Instant Pot
HERE’S A QUICK LOOK AT HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT BBQ PULLED PORK TACOS:
A pork shoulder roast (also called pork butt or Boston butt) is really the best cut of meat for this recipe. It’s got some fat on it, and (yes) that’s a good thing in this recipe because it adds flavor and moisture to the meat.
Leaner cuts like a pork loin roast may result in the meat being a little less flavorful and a little more dry.
I like to use a boneless pork shoulder roast to get as much meat as possible, but a bone-in roast will also work if that’s all you can find or if that’s your preference (you might want to get just a slightly larger roast, though, to make up for the difference).
You have plenty of time to make the coleslaw and let it sit while the pork is cooking. By the time the pork is done and shredded, you’ll be ready to eat!
Of course, you could always make the coleslaw ahead of time if you’d like, which is what I often do.
Okay, now let’s talk tortillas.
Yes, these tacos are really good using store-bought tortillas. BUT if you want to give everyone’s taste buds a real treat, please, please, please make some homemade flour tortillas! It’s so worth it, and the flavor is incredible!
When serving, I recommend having some extra barbecue sauce on hand to put on your tacos even though there’s barbecue sauce in the pulled pork. It really adds an extra flavor punch!
This recipe makes 16 tacos total. If I’m just making this for dinner, I usually figure 2 tacos per person, so you should definitely have enough for 8 people. If you’re having a get-together or party with a whole bunch of other stuff to eat, you can probably stretch it out to one taco per person.
COMMON QUESTIONS:
- Can I freeze the leftover pulled pork? Yes! If you plan to freeze any, I recommend saving a little bit of the cooking liquid and adding some to the pork before freezing to help keep it moist. Thaw before reheating.
- I don’t have an Instant Pot. Can I cook the pork in a slow cooker? Yes! Just put everything in the slow cooker instead and cook on low for 8 hours or until the pork is tender and pulls apart easily.
I hope you try this recipe for Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon black pepper
- 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast/Boston butt (bone-in will also work if that is all you can find)
- 2 cups Dr. Pepper soda (root beer or cola will also work)
- 1½ cups barbecue sauce (or more to taste), divided
- ½ recipe Sweet and Tangy No-Mayo Coleslaw
- 16 taco-sized flour tortillas
- extra barbecue sauce for topping the tacos, optional
Instructions
- Add the chopped onion to the Instant Pot.
- Cut the pork roast into 4 equally-sized pieces.
- In a small bowl, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Season the pork with the spice mixture, rubbing it all over the meat.
- Place the pork in the Instant Pot. If any of the spice mixture didn't adhere to the pork, add it to the Instant Pot also.
- Add the Dr. Pepper to the Instant Pot. Note: Try to avoid pouring the soda directly onto the pork. You don't want to remove those yummy spices!
- Pour 1 cup of barbecue sauce over the top of the pork. Don't stir.
- Close the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the steam release handle to "sealing."
- Set the Instant Pot to cook for 50 minutes at high pressure. Note: it will take about 15 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure before the cooking time will begin to count down.
- If you haven't already made the Sweet and Tangy No-Mayo Coleslaw ahead of time, make it while the pork is cooking and let it sit for at least an hour to allow the flavors to blend.
- When the pork is done cooking, turn off the Instant Pot and allow the pressure to release naturally. Note: This will take about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the pork from the Instant Pot and shred it with two forks. Discard any fat and bone.
- Pour the cooking liquid out of the Instant Pot, reserving ½ to 1 cup of the liquid.
- Put the shredded pork back into the Instant Pot. Add about ½ cup of the reserved cooking liquid to the pork and stir to moisten the pork a bit. Add more liquid if needed, but just be sure that it doesn't become too wet and soupy (don't forget you'll be adding some barbecue sauce as well).
- Add the remaining ½ cup of barbecue sauce and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning (and barbecue sauce) if needed. Turn the Instant Pot on to Keep Warm. Put the lid on the pot and keep the pork warm until you are ready to serve.
- To serve: Spoon some of the pork mixture onto each tortilla. Top with additional barbecue sauce, if desired, and some of the coleslaw.
Notes
- These tacos are even better with homemade flour tortillas.
- Leftover pulled pork freezes well. I recommend adding just a little bit of the cooking liquid to the pork when freezing to help keep it moist.
- I used an 8-quart Instant Pot DUO-80 for this recipe.
Pulled pork recipe adapted from Adventures of a Nurse.
Karisty
Very good!!!
Michelle
Thank you so much, Karisty!!
Jimmy
Michelle,
Thank you for this easy recipe. Absolutely wonderful and so tasty!! Our next venture is your Turkey Sloppy Joes. Happy cooking. Thanks again!
Jimmy
Michelle
Hey, Jimmy! You’re welcome. I’m so happy that you enjoyed the tacos AND that you’ll be trying the Sloppy Joes next! Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe!