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shredded meat on bun with red cabbage slaw
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Instant Pot Root Beer Pulled Pork Sliders Recipe

Instant Pot Pulled Pork Sliders are incredibly tender, thanks to a secret ingredient - root beer! Top with coleslaw and pickles for extra crunch!
Author: Donna Elick
Servings: 8
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard ground
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 4 pound pork shoulder roast pork butt roast
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 cups BBQ sauce divided
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 7.5 ounces root beer
  • 2 tablespoons pickle juice or apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 8 Buns
  • Dill pickle chips and coleslaw for serving, optional

Instructions

  • Combine salt, chili powder, black pepper, garlic salt, dry mustard, and onion powder in a small bowl.
  • Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the top, bottom, and sides of the pork roast and rub into the roast.
  • In the pot of an Instant Pot pressure cooker, heat the oil using the saute setting. Brown the roast on all sides in the oil. (If the roast does not fit into the instant pot, it can be cut into 3-4 larger pieces).
  • Meanwhile, whisk together 1 cup of BBQ sauce, brown sugar, root beer and pickle juice or vinegar. Pour sauce over the browned roast in the instant pot.
  • Secure the lid of the instant pot and cook on the manual setting for 60 minutes (additional time required for the pot to pressurize).
  • Carefully release the pressure from the instant pot and remove the lid.
  • Lift the roast from the liquid in the pot. Shred the meat of the roast (it should fall apart easily) using two forks. If there are large pieces of fat, discard them.
  • Remove oil/fat and about half of the liquid from the instant pot. Add the remaining cup of BBQ sauce.
  • Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water. Turn the instant pot back on to the saute setting and bring the liquid to a simmer. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce in the pot and continue cooking and whisking until the sauce thickens.
    Return the shredded meat to the thickened sauce.
  • Mound meat onto slider buns. Top with a large scoop of coleslaw and dill pickles.
    Serve immediately

Notes

The root beer helps to tenderize the meat and adds a little bit of flavor - you can substitute regular cola, Dr. Pepper or chicken stock instead.
Spices, amount of brown sugar, and the type of BBQ sauce can all be customized to your preference. As written, this pulled pork is mild and a little bit sweet. You can add cayenne pepper or a spicy BBQ sauce to kick up the heat.
Serve with additional BBQ sauce, onions, jalapenos, etc.
The coleslaw adds some nice crunch and a little zing.
Leftover pulled pork can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 499cal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 1704mg | Sugar: 33g | Fiber: 2g | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 4mg