Dutch Oven Pulled Pork
Slow-cooked to perfection, this easy one-pot recipe turns a well-marbled pork shoulder into fall-apart, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Perfect for sandwiches, tacos, or served with your favorite sides, this recipe delivers bold, smoky, and savory flavors with minimal effort.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork shoulder cut into large chunks
- 1 ½ tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt I use Redmond's Real Salt
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup apple juice
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 ℉.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, pepper, and ground mustard.
- To a large bowl, add the chunks of pork shoulder. Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the pork and toss to evenly coat each piece.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add 4-5 chunks of pork. Make sure to not over-crowd the pan. Cook on for 3-4 minutes on all sides, until you get a nice golden crust. Remove the meat to a large plate and repeat the process with the remaining meat.
- Once all the meat is seared, add the apple juice and liquid smoke to the pan to deglaze the pan. Using a wooden spoon, gently scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits.
- Add the seared meat back to the Dutch oven and cover. Add the Dutch oven into the oven and bake for 4 hours, until the meat reaches a temperature of 200℉-205℉. The meat should easily shred as you pierce it with a fork.
- Add the meat to a large platter or sheet pan and shred using 2 forks.
- Discard all but 1 cup of the liquid from the Dutch oven. Add the shredded pork back to the pot and coat stir to coat with the liquid.
- Serve and enjoy!