Best Traeger Pulled Pork Recipe

This Traeger pulled pork recipe is unbelievably tender and bursting with smokey flavor. It is juicy and smoked to perfection on your pellet grill or other type of smoker over indirect heat. Low and slow is the key to achieving ultimate greatness with your pork shoulder or pork butt. Read on to learn the best way to make pulled pork for your family and friends today.

If you love this pulled pork recipe, you will love my other Traeger recipes including Traeger Smoked Ham, Ultimate Traeger Wings, 3-Step Traeger Pork Loin, and Smoked Spatchcock Chicken.

Key Ingredients

Pork Butt- My pork butt was 11 pounds raw weight which results in about 5 1/2 pounds cooked pulled pork.

Pork Rub- I LOVE Traeger’s Pork and Poultry Seasoning in this recipe. Use your favorite dry rub.

Pulled Pork Sauce- All of the delicious spices and tang from apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup make this sauce a winner.. don’t skip out!

Equipment

Smoker- I love using my Traeger pellet smoker (Ironwood 885) for all of my smoking endeavours. It is so easy to use and the indirect heat makes cooking a breeze. Any smoker will work for this pork butt recipe including charcoal smokers, electric smokers, propane/gas smokers, offset smokers, and others. The key to cooking the perfect smoked pulled pork is cooking it low and slow over indirect heat.

Meat Thermometer-My Traeger grill comes with a probe and wifi capabilites but if you don’t have this option with your smoker, the Meater probe measures internal temperature perfectly and can be monitored from your phone.

Chafing Pan or Aluminum Pan- It is important to catch the juices coming off of your roast in the final hours of cooking. Choose a stainless chafing pan or disposable foil pan for easy cleanup.

Tips + Tricks for Smoked Pulled Pork

Time- This slow cooking method results in the best pulled pork. Start your pork early in the morning for an out of this world supper.

Meat Thermometer-My Traeger Ironwood comes with a probe and wifi capabilites but if you don’t have this option with your smoker, the Meater probe measures internal temperature perfectly and can be monitored from your phone.

This is a fairly long cook!! Make sure that you have enough pellets on standby that you will have enough. Colder days require extra pellets to get the job done.

Don’t Rush! Rushing your Traeger pulled pork and turning up the heat can result in a more tough piece of pork that doesn’t shred properly. If your pork shoulder or butt hasn’t been cooked long enough, the connective tissues wont be softened properly and it will be difficult to shred.

Turn Up The Heat- Add 1 tablespoon of chili powder to your sauce to add a hint of spice.

Pro Tip: Place the pork butt with the fat cap facing up. With a sharp knife, cut right under the fat cap about 80% of the way through it. Cut straight over creating a pocket that you can generously apply the honey and spice to.

Difference Between Pork Butt and Pork Shoulder

Both the pork butt and pork shoulder come from the shoulder of the pig. Also known as Boston Butt, pork butt comes from higher up (above the shoulder blades) whereas the pork shoulder (picnic roast) meat is found lower down and extends toward the pigs front hoofs. Pork butt contains more fat and marbling which makes it the best choice when making this Traeger smoked pulled pork recipe either on the smoker or barbecue.

Trimming Pork Butt

Leave the fat cap in place, it renders as the pork shoulder cooks and provides rich flavor. Look for any loose hanging pieces of fat and trim them off. Flip over to the opposite side of the fat cap and remove any veins + blood. Lightly trim some of the fat off the underside of the muscle (this helps to expose more meat for the rub to stick to).

Pro Tip: Place the pork butt with the fat cap facing up. With a sharp knife, cut right under the fat cap about 80% of the way through it. Cut straight over creating a pocket that you can generously apply the honey and spice to. Check out this awesome video if you are more of a visual learner.

Best Wood / Wood Pellets For Smoking Pulled Pork on Your Traeger or Other Pellet Grill

Apple and hickory give amazing flavor to any smoked pork recipes including this Traeger pulled pork recipe. If you don’t have these wood pellet types handy, any flavor will suffice!!

Exactly How to Make The Best Smoked Pulled Pork

Whether you are using a Traeger pellet grill, Pit Boss, or your other favorite smoker, the directions will be the same. Make sure that your pork is being cooked over indirect heat for best results.

Step 1. Preheat your traeger or other pellet grill to 250°F.

Step 2. Trim While the smoker comes to temperature, trim any excess fat off of your pork butt and make a pocket under the fat cap to add more honey and seasoning! See the section on trimming for more in depth instructions.

Step 3. Season Warm 1/4 cup of honey in the microwave over high power for 15-20 seconds to liquify it. Pour this overtop of your pork butt, fat side down. Cover liberally in your favourite dry rub. Do the same inside of the pocket you made under the fat cap at this time.

Step 4. Smoke Place the pork onto your smoker on the top grill grate with an aluminum foiled pan below (if possible) for easier cleanup. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the meat, being careful not to rest it right on the bone. Check the roast after 4 hours to make sure that your pellets are sufficiently stocked and that it is coming up to temperature nicely. My 11 pound pork butt took right around 6.5 hours to come up to 160 degrees f.

Step 5. Cover + Final Cook Once the pork butt has come up to temperature, take it off of the smoker, keeping your meat probe in or replacing it with an alternate probe. Wrap it in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet or in a disposable aluminum pan large enough to catch the drippings. I used a half sized chafing pan and only had to foil the top, leaving the cord to my probe coming out underneath. Restore to your smoker OR oven. At this point you have a few choices… you can continue to cook the pork at 225°F on your Traeger, Pitboss or other smoker and wait for it to rise up to 200-204°F or you can save on some pellets and finish it in the oven. The pork has already soaked up an incredible amount of smoke flavor and will not continue to benefit from the smoke once it has been wrapped. I opt to throw it into my oven at this point to save on pellets. If you are cooking this as part of a large feast, you may opt to keep the smoker rolling to save on oven space- you do you! My pork shoulder took 3 more hours to come to 200°F in my oven.

Step 6. Allow your pulled pork to rest for 15 minutes before saucing and shredding. While the pork is resting, make the sauce. (This is completely optional- you may choose to sprinkle a little bit extra dry rub on or forego any extra seasoning at all.. I am PRO sauce.) Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small pot including 2 teaspoons cumin, 4 teaspoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup ketchup. Warm over low heat and simmer until ready to use.

Step 7. Remove the fat cap and any extra fatty bits that are left (always optional, some may choose to keep a large amount of fat). Drain all of the juices from the pork into a heat safe jar or container to separate after shredding. Shred your pork using two forks or shredding claws. I have also used my Kitchenaid Artisan mixer with the dough hook attachment and worked in small batches to get the meat shredded. Once the pork is shredded, separate the fat that has now risen to the top of your jar and pour the remaining juices onto the shredded pork. Add the pulled pork sauce and gently toss until combined. If mixed too rigorously, the pork will start to mush together and the texture will suffer.

Step 8. Serve with your favourite side! I love to slather a slice of whole grain sourdough with butter and pile the Traeger pulled pork on top. Enjoy!

Other Cuts of Pork That Can Be Used For This Traeger Pulled Pork Recipe

Traditionally, pork shoulder and pork butt are used to make pulled pork. If you are wanting to make smaller portions or to use up different cuts of pork, this will work too! The most important thing to consider when cooking pork on the Traeger or other pellet grill is the internal temperature of the meat. Bring the meat to 160°F on the smoker, wrap, and cook until it reaches at least 200°F. Shred and season or sauce as normal. A regular sized pork roast will require about half of the sauce recipe listed in this Traeger pork shoulder recipe.

Additional cuts of pork that will work include pork tenderloin, boneless pork shoulder, picnic roast, and just about any other pork loin or pork roast.

Batch + Storage

Count on your pork losing about half of its weight after trimming, cooking, removing the bone, and removing the fat cap. My 11 pound pork butt was right around 5 1/2 pounds finished weight. 1 pound of smoked pulled pork will yield 3 servings. This smoked pork butt will yield 16 servings.

Refrigerate: USDA recommends keeping smoked pulled pork no longer than 3-4 days in the fridge.

Freeze: Place in an airtight container or a vacuum sealed bag for up to 6 months in the freezer.

Pressure Can: Check out these instructions from creative homemaking to pressure can your pulled pork for long term storage.

Printable Recipe Card

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