This BBQ dutch oven pulled pork is delicious, tender and easy to make following some simple steps. It's a budget-friendly recipe, that is always a crowd favourite. Ideal for batch cooking, to freeze portions, and to have leftovers for the entire week.
Whenever I cook pulled pork I get the feeling that Will loves me a bit more... I'm serious! And to be honest I can understand why, it's so good!
This dutch oven pulled pork recipe it's the dutch oven version of my pulled pork on stove top. If you are after more slow cooked meat recipes, don't miss out on this pulled BBQ beef brisket or this slow cooked guinness beef stew.
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Ingredients
All you need to make this pulled pork dutch oven recipe is...
Pork
- Pork shoulder
- Salt
- Ground pepper
- Brown onion diced
- Garlic diced
- Celery stalks diced
- Beef stock
- Gluten-free beer
BBQ sauce
- Tomato passata
- Tomato paste
- Honey
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Smoked paprika
- Cayenne powder
- Ground pepper
- Salt
See recipe card for quantities.
What is the best cut for pulled pork?
A fatty cut of pork is a must for pulled pork! The fat will melt during the cooking process and will make the meat extra tender. Pork shoulder is the best cut, and pork butt is also a good one!
How to make pulled pork in a dutch oven
This dutch oven pulled pork recipe is super easy to follow. Plus you can do other stuff while the meat is slow-cooking. Don’t you love that? 😊 First of all, preheat the oven at 180 degree Celsius in top and bottom mode.
1- Season and sear the pork
Add the ground pepper and the salt to the meat and rub on both sides. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil to a dutch oven on medium-high heat, and sear all sides until they’re nicely golden-brown (approx. 4-5 minutes per side). Remove the pork from the dutch oven, and set aside on a plate.
2- Cook the veggies
Add the garlic, onion and celery with a pinch of salt to the same oil where you cooked the pork. Cook for 20 minutes until both the celery and onion are soft.
3- Slow cook the pork
Put the pork back into the dutch oven, and pour the beer and the stock. Cover with the lid, and put in the oven for 2h 45min - 3h. Once the time is up, check that you can easily pull-apart the meat with a fork.
4- Prepare the BBQ sauce
While the meat is cooking, prepare the BBQ sauce. Simply add all the ingredients to a medium pot with lid, and cook on medium-low setting, stirring occasionally. You can cook this sauce for as little as 20 minutes or as long as you want (the longer the better).
5- Pull apart the pork
Put the dutch oven on a heat proof surface. Using two forks, pull apart all the meat directly in the dutch oven. Stir to combine the pulled meat with the sauce.
Put back in the oven, and cook for another 30 minutes without lid. As the pork rests, it will keep absorbing liquid, so be mindful of not letting all the liquid evaporate.
6- Add the BBQ sauce
Add the BBQ sauce to the meat, stir to combine, and cook in the oven without lid for another 15-25 minutes.
Hint: it’s important to not let all the liquid evaporate. Once the pork cools down it will absorb more liquid, and the sauce will thicken.
How long to let pulled pork rest
As with all slow-cooked recipes, I find the flavours deepen as the recipe rests for a while. My preference is always to cook it the day before. However, you can eat it straight away after cooking if you like or if you have time constraints.
Substitutions & variations
- Add other veggies – like leeks.
- Use a store-bought BBQ sauce – look out for low sugar content and no nasty additives!
- Make it hot – adding more cayenne pepper to the BBQ sauce. Add progressively though! Bear in mind that you can always keep adding, but you can’t rectify if you put too much.
- Skip the beer – add an extra 250ml of beef stock instead.
Equipment
- Knife & chopping board
- Timber spatula
- Dutch oven
- Small pot with lid
- Forks
Storage
How long does pulled pork last in the fridge?
You can store the pulled pork in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
How to freeze pulled pork
This recipe is great for batch cooking and to freeze portions to enjoy later!
Store portions in the freezer in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
Top tip for the best dutch oven pulled pork!
A fatty cut of pork is a must to ensure the meat ends up extra tender! If you feel like the meat you bought has too much fat, feel free to trim a bit, but make sure to leave some!
FAQ
Yes! This dutch oven BBQ pulled pork recipe is healthy. It is made with a homemade BBQ sauce that is low in sugar content. Pork is high in protein.
The amount of pulled pork per person will depend on what you’re eating it with (salad, burrito, tacos…). I usually aim for 120g-200g per person!
It's a personal preference, but I find cooking it in the oven gives it that extra roast flavour which is amazing.
Related
Easy BBQ Dutch Oven Pulled Pork
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 - 12 servings 1x
- Category: Main course
- Cuisine: Australian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This BBQ dutch oven pulled pork is delicious, tender and easy to make following some simple steps. It's a budget-friendly recipe, that is always a crowd favourite. Ideal for batch cooking, to freeze portions, and to have leftovers for the entire week.
Ingredients
Pork
1.2kg pork shoulder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 large onion / 2 medium diced
5 garlic diced
2 celery stalks diced
1 cup of beef stock
33 cl gluten-free beer
BBQ sauce
1 cup of tomato passata
3 tablespoon of tomato paste
3 tablespoon of honey
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
⅛ teaspoon cayenne powder
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 180 degree Celsius in top and bottom mode.
- Season and sear the pork: Add the ground pepper and the salt to the meat and rub on both sides. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil to a dutch oven on medium-high heat, and sear all sides until they’re nicely golden-brown (approx. 4-5 minutes per side). Remove the pork from the dutch oven, and set aside on a plate.
- Cook the veggies: Add the garlic, onion and celery with a pinch of salt to the same oil where you cooked the pork. Cook for 20 minutes until both the celery and onion are soft.
- Slow cook the pork: Put the pork back into the dutch oven, and pour the beer and the stock. Cover with the lid, and put in the oven for 2h 45min - 3h. Once the time is up, check that you can easily pull-apart the meat with a fork.
- Prepare the BBQ sauce: While the meat is cooking, prepare the BBQ sauce. Simply add all the ingredients to a medium pot with lid, and cook on medium-low setting, stirring occasionally. You can cook this sauce for as little as 20 minutes or as long as you want (the longer the better).
- Pull apart the pork: Put the dutch oven on a heat proof surface. Using two forks, pull apart all the meat directly in the dutch oven. Stir to combine the pulled meat with the sauce. Put back in the oven, and cook for another 30 minutes without lid. As the pork rests, it will keep absorbing liquid, so be mindful of not letting all the liquid evaporate.
- Add the BBQ sauce, stir to combine, and cook in the oven for another 15-25 minutes without lid.
Notes
It’s important to not let all the liquid evaporate (step 5). Once the pork cools down it will absorb more liquid, and the sauce will thicken.
As with all slow-cooked recipes, I find the flavours deepen as the recipe rests for a while. My preference is always to cook it the day before.
A fatty cut of pork is a must (pork shoulder or pork butt) to ensure the meat ends up extra tender! If you feel like the meat you bought has too much fat, feel free to trim a bit, but make sure to leave some!
Lea says
OMG this pulled pork is so good! And not just good but also very easy to cook. I love the pulled pork tacos, and perfect for a dinner with friends 🙂
alicia gonzalez tome says
Glad you liked it Lea! Thanks for the comment and sharing the love 🤍
Will says
Delicious! And the best part is you get to enjoy it again and again for lunches afterwards!
alicia gonzalez tome says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe and the leftovers Will 🙂 x