This Super Easy Mexican Pulled Pork is everything a busy cook dreams of—flavorful, tender, and ready in just 30 minutes with only 5 simple ingredients. Made in the Instant Pot, it’s perfect for tacos, burritos, rice bowls, and more. Whether it’s a casual weeknight dinner or a festive get-together, this recipe always delivers big on taste with minimal effort.
Oriana’s Thoughts On The Recipe
Over the years, I’ve made pulled pork in the slow cooker and Dutch oven with delicious results, but this Instant Pot version? It’s hands-down my favorite. Just five simple ingredients and 30 minutes stand between you and the most tender, juicy, flavor-packed pulled pork. It’s a total crowd-pleaser and incredibly versatile—stuff it into tacos, roll it into burritos, layer it in enchiladas, or pile it high on a bowl of rice. Whether you’re feeding a hungry family on a weeknight or hosting a Cinco de Mayo fiesta with all the fixings, this one’s a guaranteed hit.
What I Love About This Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need, Substitutions & Notes
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Pork: The best cut for pulled pork is pork shoulder or pork butt. However, sometimes I use pork roast to make pulled pork because it is leaner cut than pork shoulder or pork butt, but you can use whatever fits your liking. No doubt, the fatter cuts of meat produce a much more tender pulled pork.
- Taco seasoning: You can use store-bought or homemade taco seasoning. I used my homemade taco seasoning.
- Orange juice
- Chicken stock
- Lime juice
Food Allergy Swaps
- This recipe is naturally egg, dairy, gluten, nut, peanut, and sesame free, making it suitable for most dietary needs, but always check labels for hidden allergens.
- Soy-Free: Store-bought taco seasoning may contain soy additives. Use homemade soy-free taco seasoning. Also, instead of store-bought chicken stock (which may contain soy additives), use homemade chicken stock or a certified soy-free brand.
Best Pork Cut to Make Pulled Pork
The best meat for pulled pork is pork shoulder or pork butt. However, I like to use pork roast to make pulled pork because it is leaner than pork shoulder or pork butt, but you can use whatever fits your liking. Apparently, the fatter cuts of meat produce a much more tender pulled pork, but my family cannot stand the extra fat.
Pork Butt vs. Pork Shoulder
Pork shoulder or pork butt are the same things, a cut of meat from the same section of the pig: the shoulder.
This time I chose to season the pork with my homemade taco seasoning. You can find the recipe here.
Process Overview: How to Make Mexican Pulled Pork in the Instant Pot Step by Step
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Season the Pork
Season pork chunks on all sides with taco seasoning. You can use homemade or store-bought taco seasoning.
- Cook
Add seasoned pork, orange juice, chicken stock, and lime juice to the Instant Pot. Mix to combine. Cover. Cook on high pressure for 30 min.
- Shred the Meat
Remove the pork from the pot and shred it with two forks. Reserve the cooking juices.
- Crisp it Up
After shredding the pork, you can crisp it up in the oven or over the stovetop.
Oven: Preheat oven to 450º F and position one of the oven racks into the center of the oven. Line a baking pan with foil for easy cleanup later, if desired. Spread pork into an even layer. Add ¼ – ½ cup of the cooking liquid to the shredded pork to moisten it. Bake the pork for 5 – 10 minutes, or until it reaches the desired crispiness level.
Stove: Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add pork in batches when the oil is hot and sear until just crisp. Add about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid and continue cooking until the liquid reduces down and the meat is nice and crispy.
PRO TIP: Instead of crisping the pork up, you can make some gravy with the leftover juices. Either way, it’s ridiculously delicious.
No Instant Pot? No Problem…Use Your Slow Cooker Instead!
To make this recipe in the slow cooker, follow the same steps and then cover and cook until very tender (the meat should fall apart easily with a fork!), on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
Recipe Tips
Trim any excess fat surrounding the pork. Pork butt will usually have more to trim than pork shoulder, but both are great.
If you don’t want to deal with the extra fat of pork butt or pork shoulder or just want a leaner cut, you can use pork roast.
Slow Cooker. To make this recipe in the slow cooker, follow the same steps and then cover and cook until very tender (the meat should fall apart easily with a fork!), on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
Serving Suggestions
Pulled Pork is super versatile. You can use it to make sandwiches or fill tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas, and arepas, or use them as a topping for nachos! Or serve it as a main dish alongside:
- Easy Creamy Eggless Coleslaw
- Easy Mexican Rice
- Instant Pot Drunken Beans
- The Best Homemade Restaurant-Style Salsa
- Homemade Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas
- Easy Avocado Sauce (Guasacaca)
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. If refrigerated, warm the pork gently in a covered casserole dish in a 300°F oven before serving.
Pulled pork also freezes really well. Just let it cool completely, place it in an airtight container or a freezer plastic bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw it and reheat the pork gently in a covered casserole dish in a 300°F oven before serving.
Reheating Pulled Pork
Reheat pulled pork gently in a covered casserole dish in a 300° F oven until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best meat for pulled pork is pork shoulder or pork butt.
Yes! pork shoulder or pork butt are the same things, a cut of meat from the same section of the pig: the shoulder.
You can crisp up pulled pork in the oven or on the stove. Oven: Preheat oven to 450º F and position one of the oven racks in the center of the oven. Line a baking pan with foil for easy cleanup later, if desired. Spread pork into an even layer. Add ¼ – ½ cup of the cooking liquid to the shredded pork to moisten it. Bake the pork for 5 – 10 minutes, or until it reaches the desired crispiness level. Stove: Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add pork in batches when the oil is hot and sear until just crisp. Add about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid and continue cooking until the liquid reduces down and the meat is nice and crispy.
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Recipe Card
Instant Pot Mexican Pulled Pork
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb boneless pork butt or shoulder, excess fat trimmed, cut into 2-inch chunks (see notes)
- 1/3 cup taco seasoning
- 1 cup (240 ml) orange juice
- ½ cup (120 ml) chicken stock
- ¼ cup (60 ml) lime juice
Important
Don’t forget to check out the step-by-step photos above in the post—they’ll guide you through the process and make everything super clear!
Instructions
Instant Pot:
- Season pork chunks on all sides with taco seasoning.
- Add seasoned pork, orange juice, chicken stock, and lime juice to the Instant Pot; mix to combine. Cover.
- Select "Meat" mode, then adjust until time reads 30 minutes. Cook. When the time is over, let the Instant Pot release pressure naturally, about 10 minutes. Carefully turn the vent to release any extra pressure that might still be in there. Remove the lid.
- Shred the pork with two forks. Remove extra fat if necesary.
To crisp up pulled pork:
- Preheat oven to broil. Place the shredded pork on a large baking sheet. Spoon 1/3 to 1/2 of the leftover cooking juices evenly on top of the pork. Broil for 4-5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork are brown and crispy.
- Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve immediately or store for later use.
Slow Cooker:
- To make this recipe in the slow cooker, follow the same steps and then cover and cook until very tender (the meat should fall apart easily with a fork!), on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
- This recipe is naturally egg, dairy, gluten, nut, peanut, and sesame free, making it suitable for most dietary needs, but always check labels for hidden allergens.
- Soy-Free: Store-bought taco seasoning may contain soy additives. Use homemade soy-free taco seasoning. Also, instead of store-bought chicken stock (which may contain soy additives), use homemade chicken stock or a certified soy-free brand.
- Trim any excess fat surrounding the pork. Pork butt usually has more to trim than pork shoulder, but both are great.
- You can use pork roast if you don’t want to deal with the extra fat of pork butt or pork shoulder or want a leaner cut.
- Slow Cooker. To make this recipe in the slow cooker, follow the same steps and then cover and cook until very tender (the meat should fall apart easily with a fork!), on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
This recipe was originally published in April 2017. The recipe remains the same, but more notes, tips, photos, and information were added to the post in March 2023 to make it as helpful as possible!
I just finished making this. Very tasty and easy to make. IP makes pretty short work of the cooking.
I think the lime juice may have overwhelmed the orange juice in the broth. But, that may just be my personal preference. I’ll likely cut the lime juice in half when making it again.
And, instead of shredding with forks I use my big mixer with paddle to break down the pork. (See the pic on her FB page. It’ll be up soon).
Looking forward to enjoying it in some tortillas with all the great garnishes.
With so much orange juice in it, does it taste a lot like orange?
Hello Shelly! In my opinion, it doesn’t. But feel free to substitute some orange juice for more chicken stock if you don’t like the orange flavor. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
Hi Shelly, I find it tastes more like lime. I’ll likely use less lime next time I make it because the orange flavor seemed to get a bit lost to the lime.
I would give it more stars if I could!
Hello Sheila! Awww…you are so kind! This one is a family fave. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to come back and let me know!
Delicious. I recommend doing the broil to make the pork crispy. I like fattier pork for flavor purposes so I did not trim my tenderloin and I will try this again with a shoulder/butt. I topped mine with a pineapple peach salsa with the fresh cilantro and it was a great pairing. Great easy recipe
Hello Michael! I’m SO GLAD you enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know!?
Fixed this tonight. I followed the instructions except did not broil at the end. It was perfect. My family raved about how tender and flavorful it was. I used shoulder cut. Looking forward to other Instant Pot recipes. Thanks!!
Hello Andrea! Thanks for trying this recipe. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!!
Is it possible to double this recipe? I’m feeding a large crowd…
Hello Samantha! Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Yes, you can double the recipe, just don’t fill the pot past the max fill line.
Sorry if this is a silly question but is a pork roast the same as a pork shoulder?
Hello Lauren! Not silly at all. The pork roast is leaner. I tend to use pork roast because I really don’t like the pork fat, but to be honest, the shoulder is way more flavorful. You can use either cut for this recipe Thanks for your interest in my recipe.
I’m going to be getting one so I need all the help I can get.
You’ll love it, Krisha!! Let me know if you have ay question. Thanks so much for stopping by. ?
I just made this! It was so delicious! The only thing I added was pickled red onion to the final tacos! Super easy to make and So good! Thank you!
Hi Carrie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know!
Keep the Instant Pot recipes coming please! I just got mine and can’t stop using it. Tried your turkey balls and loved them! Thanks ???????? and hoping you keep your Instant Pot Phase going. This sounds delicious and looking forward to trying ????
YES YES YES! I’m so glad you enjoy my Instant Pot recipes, Donna!!!! More recipes are coming soon =)