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Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Chipotle Pulled Pork

Hello, friends! Welcome to Sunday Supper. Today’s Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Chipotle Pulled Pork is a great summertime Sunday Supper. With the Instant Pot, there’s no oven heating up your kitchen for 6 hours. Speaking of 6 hours, the other great thing about the pressure cooker is you will have delicious, tender pulled pork in about 1 hour. This recipe is super simple, so let’s get right to it.

Easy Recipe, Sunday Supper, Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, Pressure cooker, chipotle, adobo sauce, pork shoulder, pork butt, Tacos, pulled pork, pulled pork sandwiches, quick recipe, summer recipe,

I learned how to cook pork with soda pop way back when I was a line cook. One of my co-workers used to make this once a week for our family meal. Sometimes he used Dr. Pepper, sometimes a combination of Coca Cola and Orange Soda. The sugars and flavors in the soda do magical things to slow-cooked pork shoulder. We are speeding it up with the pressure cooker, but it still works just as well.

Prep the Pork

Easy Recipe, Sunday Supper, Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, Pressure cooker, chipotle, adobo sauce, pork shoulder, pork butt, Tacos, pulled pork, pulled pork sandwiches, quick recipe, summer recipe,

This is a 4 pound pork shoulder. I have trimmed the excess fat and sliced it in half to make it easier for me to manage in and out of the pot. You can use a bone in or boneless pork butt. Mine has the bone. Generously salt all sides with kosher salt. Let the pork shoulder shake off the chill from the fridge for about 20 minutes.

Otherwise we have a large white onion, 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar, 2 small cans of chipotle in adobo, and 4 small cans of Dr. Pepper. You can certainly reduce the chipotle in adobo by half, to cut down on the spiciness, or omit it altogether if you want zero heat.

Brown the Pork

Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the pork to the Instant Pot and brown the pork shoulder on all sides.

Once browned on all sides, transfer the pork shoulder to a sheet tray and turn the Instant Pot off. Slice the white onion into quarters and add it to the pot. Then transfer the pork back to pot on top of the onion slices.

Season the pork with cracked black pepper. Then add the chipotles and the adobo sauce from each can (if using). Now pour in the Dr. Pepper.

Easy Recipe, Sunday Supper, Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, Pressure cooker, chipotle, adobo sauce, pork shoulder, pork butt, Tacos, pulled pork, pulled pork sandwiches, quick recipe, summer recipe,

Ready to Instant Pot!

Close and lock the Instant Pot lid, Set the pressure to high and set the timer for 1 hour.

Easy Recipe, Sunday Supper, Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, Pressure cooker, chipotle, adobo sauce, pork shoulder, pork butt, Tacos, pulled pork, pulled pork sandwiches, quick recipe, summer recipe,

After 1 hour and the 20 minute steam venting , it’s time to check the tenderness of the Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Chipotle Pulled Pork.

Use a fork to test the tenderness of the pork shoulder. It should pull apart very easily.

Easy Recipe, Sunday Supper, Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, Pressure cooker, chipotle, adobo sauce, pork shoulder, pork butt, Tacos, pulled pork, pulled pork sandwiches, quick recipe, summer recipe,

I wanted to reduce a bit of the cooking liquid, so at this point, I left the Instant Pot uncovered and set the Pot to sauté and let it bubble and boil for 30 minutes. This isn’t necessary, but I wanted to do it.

Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Chipotle Pulled Pork

Transfer the pork shoulder to a sheet pan and pull the meat apart with two forks. Use a ladle to ladle on some of the cooking liquid and onions.

So you can serve this any way you like. On buns with slaw; or go for tacos. I went with tacos. Because the meat is spicy and has the smoky flavors of the chipotle, I did a kind of tacos al pastor with pineapple, onions and cilantro.

Easy Recipe, Sunday Supper, Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, Pressure cooker, chipotle, adobo sauce, pork shoulder, pork butt, Tacos, pulled pork, pulled pork sandwiches, quick recipe, summer recipe,

The pork shoulder is so flavorful and tender. It is quite spicy, but it has the smoky, fruity flavor of the chipotle in adobo to temper the heat. if you’re worried about it being too spicy, definitely cut the chipotle in adobo by half. Because the leftovers will just get more spicy as it sits overnight in the fridge!

I had quite a bit of cooking liquid left in the pot so I strained it into a jar to freeze. It will be great to add to chili or soup for a little extra kick of heat and flavor.

Easy Recipe, Sunday Supper, Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, Pressure cooker, chipotle, adobo sauce, pork shoulder, pork butt, Tacos, pulled pork, pulled pork sandwiches, quick recipe, summer recipe,

Thank you all so much for joining me today for this quick and easy Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Chipotle Pulled Pork. I do hope you give it a try. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can do this in a slow cooker, just plan on a 6-7 hour cook time. Same deal if you do it in a Dutch oven in your kitchen oven. Looking for another great Instant Pot recipe? Try Black Vinegar Braised Beef. Take care and be well, xo Kelly

Key Equipment

Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Chipotle Pulled Pork

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Dinner, Main Course American
By Kelly Djalali Serves: 12-16
Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 Hour, 20 Minutes Total Time: ~1 Hour, 30 Minutes

Deeply, yet simply, flavored with Dr. Pepper and Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, this pork shoulder is perfect for tacos, or sandwiches.

Ingredients

  • 4-6 lb. Pork Shoulder, excess fat trimmed
  • Kosher Salt
  • 2 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
  • Black Pepper
  • 2 tbsp. Brown Sugar
  • 1-2 7-oz. Cans of Chipotle in Adobo Sauce, optional
  • ~24 oz. Dr. Pepper

Instructions

1

Generously salt all sides with kosher salt. Let the pork shoulder shake off the chill from the fridge for about 20 minutes.

2

Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the pork to the Instant Pot and brown the pork shoulder on all sides.

3

Once browned on all sides, transfer the pork shoulder to a sheet tray and turn the Instant Pot off. Slice the white onion into quarters and add it to the pot. Then transfer the pork back to pot on top of the onion slices.

4

Season the pork with cracked black pepper. Then add the chipotles and the adobo sauce from each can (if using). Now pour in the Dr. Pepper.

5

Close and lock the Instant Pot lid, Set the pressure to high and set the timer for 1 hour.

6

After 1 hour and the 20 minute steam venting, use a fork to test the tenderness of the pork shoulder. It should pull apart very easily.

7

If you want to reduce the cooking liquid, leave the Instant Pot uncovered and set the Pot to sauté and let it bubble and boil for 30 minutes.

8

Transfer the pork shoulder to a sheet pan and pull the meat apart with two forks. Use a ladle to ladle on some of the cooking liquid and onions.

9

So you can serve this any way you like. On buns with slaw; or go for tacos. I went with tacos. Because the meat is spicy and has the smoky flavors of the chipotle, I did a kind of tacos al pastor with pineapple, onions and cilantro.

Notes

I had quite a bit of cooking liquid left in the pot so I strained it into a jar to freeze. It will be great to add to chili or soup for a little extra kick of heat and flavor. To make in the oven or slow cooker, plan on a 6-7 hour cooking time. Turn the pork shoulder once halfway through the 6-7 hour cooking time.

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  • Terry
    July 31, 2022 at 11:07 am

    This is one of my favs but I’ve never made it with Dr Pepper or chipotle adobo sauce. I have however made it with coke and other spices. This sounds good I like the adobo sauce. I never even knew about this sauce until I started following you and making your recipes I have it on hand all the time…I will make this I will keep you posted have a great Sunday 🤗❤️ Mom

    • Kelly Djalali
      July 31, 2022 at 12:16 pm

      Hi Mom, It’s really delicious! It’s pretty spicy with the two cans of chipotles, but it has wonderful flavor – just like everything with chipotles in adobo! xo Kelly

  • HOLLY
    July 31, 2022 at 11:42 am

    Oh, Kelly, thanks so much for this recipe. I feel like you developed it just for me and my three-generation family. Since we don’t use wine or beer in cooking, soda is a great substitute. Plus our family loves ‘pork products.’ I’m going to try it in the crockpot later this week. Best Wishes and Stay Cool, Holly

    • Kelly Djalali
      July 31, 2022 at 12:17 pm

      Hi Holly, I am sure your family will enjoy this! Go easy on the chipotles in adobo if anyone is sensitive to spicy food. Let me know how it goes for you in the crockpot! Have a great day! xo Kelly

      • Holly
        August 11, 2022 at 8:35 pm

        As it turned out, my six pound pork shoulder wouldn’t fit in my crockpot so we decided on the oven. Then it wouldn’t fit in any of my dutch ovens either. So we ended up using our our big turkey roasting pan. I cooked it at 300 for about five hours and it was delicious. I only used one-half can of the chipotles in adobo and the spice was just right. We’re freezing the left overs. Thanks again for another great recipe and making me look good!

        • Kelly Djalali
          August 12, 2022 at 8:16 am

          That sounds wonderful, Holly! I am so happy it was a hit. Thanks so much for reporting back on your success! xo Kelly

  • Mari
    July 31, 2022 at 1:42 pm

    This is a great one for me to try. I have seen recipes with Dr.Pepper,Coke and 7-Up before, but have never tried them. This looks really good and really easy, so I have to make it. I have had my Instant Pots for more than six years, and I have three of them, and I love using them. I go in streaks where I only use the slow cooker function for months on end, or just the pressure cooking function. I have even made cakes in mine. A layer cake is just as easy as a cheesecake. I’m in to pressure cooking now, so this recipe is perfectly timed for me. I just got a recipe the other day for IP potato salad that cooks for 0 minutes. Apparently the machine coming up to pressure is what cooks the cubed potatoes, and you steam three eggs in their shells at the same time. I have some potatoes to get rid of, so that’s my next cooking adventure. Ihope you’re having a happy, peaceful, and wonderful Sunday with Alex and the impertinent pups. My birds are doing a time out in their cages for chewing on the wood frame on the mirror. They are raising their voices, and not in song. Yikes! I hope your day is quieter than mine. ☀️😠🦜🦜👀

    • Kelly Djalali
      July 31, 2022 at 3:34 pm

      Hi Mari, We had a little bit of action/drama today, Penny got another chipmunk this morning (her third one). She was really proud of herself, but her triumph resulted in unplanned baths for all three dogs. It makes me sad to lose another one of our chipmunks, but I can’t fault her really, she is a terrier. The potato recipe sounds really interesting in the instant pot. I will have to check that out. Have a great Sunday! xo Kelly

  • Roberta
    July 31, 2022 at 3:04 pm

    Hi, Kelly

    I don’t have an instant pot. Could I make this in my crockpot? We have family Sunday suppers and
    thought this would be a great addition.
    Thanks, Roberta

    • Kelly Djalali
      July 31, 2022 at 3:37 pm

      Hello Roberta, yes of course you can do this in your slow cooker, just set the cooker for high and expect 6-7 hours cooking time. Browning the pork ahead of the cook is not necessary, it just gives it that little extra. Be sure to turn the pork shoulder over once midway through the cooking time. Let me know how it goes for you! xo Kelly

  • Beth Crawford
    July 31, 2022 at 6:53 pm

    Hi Kelly, this looks wonderful. I do have a question, I always thought you need to allow at least 15 minutes after the cook time before releasing the steam manually. That is what I have always done. I’m reading your directions to say that you immediately let the steam out manually. Is that correct ?
    Thanks for the help !

    • Kelly Djalali
      July 31, 2022 at 7:13 pm

      Hi Beth, You are correct. I manually released the steam after the 1 hour and 20 minutes. I will amend the recipe/post for clarity. Thank you for noting this with your question. I hope you give this one a try! xo Kelly

  • Sally Burke
    August 2, 2022 at 3:07 am

    Hello Kelly, I was also thinking about whether could do this in the slow cooker, I’m always a bit scared to turn it up to high as I have had a slow cooker pot crack!! I have to admit that our slow cooker is not the modern variety, it was given to us as a wedding present 41 years ago, and YES it is still working!! Anyway this is another recipe that I will give a try when we go home. I am sitting here writing to you and sipping on a glass of wine in ‘sunny Queensland’ albeit it hasn’t been as warm as we would hope, in fact we now have the heating on lol! Keep up the good work and happy cooking 🧑‍🍳
    Sally 🤗

    • Kelly Djalali
      August 2, 2022 at 8:34 am

      Hi Sally, It’s amazing how long a well-made piece of kitchenware can last! I would say, if you’re cooking on low it will take likely 8 hours for this pork shoulder. It sounds like a lovely getaway in Queensland, enjoy the rest of your trip! xo Kelly