Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork is tender, juicy pork cooked with Dr. Pepper, BBQ sauce, onion, garlic, and simple seasonings until it easily pulls apart with a fork. You can make it in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or oven for an easy pulled pork dinner with a sweet, smoky barbecue flavor.
This has been one of my most popular pulled pork recipes for years, and I still like making it when I need an easy meal that feeds a crowd. We can pile the pork onto sandwiches, add more BBQ sauce, and let everyone add their favorite toppings and sides
Why I Love Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
- Three cooking methods — Instant Pot, slow cooker, or oven.
- Dr. Pepper adds sweetness that works perfectly with the BBQ sauce.
- Tender, shreddable pork without a complicated ingredient list.
- Great for feeding a crowd at parties, game day, or family gatherings.
- Leftovers are versatile for sandwiches, tacos, wraps,
Ingredient Notes
- Dr. Pepper: Two cups of Dr. Pepper provide the cooking liquid while adding sweetness and flavor to the pork as it cooks.
- BBQ Sauce: One cup of your favorite BBQ sauce adds the sweet, smoky, and tangy barbecue flavor to the pulled pork.
- Pork Shoulder or Pork Butt: Use a 4-pound pork shoulder or pork butt. This cut has enough fat and connective tissue to become tender, juicy, and easy to shred after cooking.
- Onion: One onion cooks along with the pork and adds savory flavor to the meat and cooking liquid.
- Liquid Smoke: One tablespoon is optional but adds a deeper smoky flavor to the pulled pork, especially when you’re cooking it indoors.
- Onion Powder: One tablespoon adds savory onion flavor throughout the pork.
- Garlic Powder: One tablespoon adds plenty of garlic flavor and pairs well with the BBQ sauce and seasonings.
- Salt: One tablespoon seasons the pork and helps bring out the flavors of the Dr. Pepper, BBQ sauce, and seasonings.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How To Make Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
Instant Pot Directions:
- Cut the pork shoulder or pork butt into 4–5 large chunks.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Season the pork evenly on all sides.
- If using liquid smoke, add it to the seasoned pork.
- Chop the onion and spread it evenly over the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Place the seasoned pork pieces on top of the onion.
- Pour the Dr. Pepper over the pork.
- Pour the BBQ sauce over the top of the pork.
- Secure the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on Manual/Pressure Cook, High Pressure for 50 minutes.
- When the cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the pork from the Instant Pot and place it on a large platter or cutting board.
- Shred the pork with two forks, removing and discarding any large pieces of fat.
- Drain or skim excess fat from the cooking liquid as needed.
- Return the shredded pork to some of the cooking liquid to keep it moist, or toss it with additional BBQ sauce before serving.
Slow Cooker Directions:
- Cut the pork into 4–5 large chunks.
- Combine the salt, onion powder, and garlic powder, then season the pork evenly on all sides. Add the liquid smoke, if using.
- Chop the onion and spread it over the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Arrange the seasoned pork pieces over the onion.
- Pour the Dr. Pepper over the pork, followed by the BBQ sauce.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8–10 hours or HIGH for 4–6 hours, until the pork is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.
- Carefully transfer the pork to a large platter or cutting board and shred it with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat.
- Skim excess fat from the cooking liquid if needed.
- Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and toss with some of the cooking liquid to keep it moist. Add additional BBQ sauce before serving if desired.
Oven Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Cut the pork into 4–5 large chunks.
- Combine the salt, onion powder, and garlic powder, then season the pork evenly on all sides. Add the liquid smoke, if using.
- Spread the chopped onion over the bottom of a large Dutch oven or covered roasting pan.
- Arrange the seasoned pork over the onion.
- Pour the Dr. Pepper over the pork, followed by the BBQ sauce.
- Cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil.
- Bake for 3–4 hours, or until the pork is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.
- Carefully remove the pork and transfer it to a large platter or cutting board.
- Shred the pork with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat.
- Skim excess fat from the cooking liquid if needed.
- Return the shredded pork to the cooking liquid to keep it moist, or toss with additional BBQ sauce before serving.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
Tips I Found Helpful
- Cut the pork into 4–5 large, similar-sized chunks so it cooks evenly and becomes tender at about the same time.
- Season the pork on all sides before placing it in the pot so the flavor is distributed throughout the meat.
- Place the onion on the bottom and the pork on top, just as the recipe directs.
- Use the full 2 cups of Dr. Pepper called for in the recipe rather than adding extra liquid to completely cover the pork.
- For the Instant Pot method, don’t skip the 10-minute natural release before releasing the remaining pressure.
- Don’t rely only on the cooking time to determine when the pork is ready. It should be fork-tender and pull apart easily. If it still feels tough, it needs additional cooking time.
- Remove any large pieces of fat as you shred the pork. Before returning the shredded pork to the cooking liquid, skim off excess fat so the finished pulled pork doesn’t become greasy.
- Add only as much of the cooking liquid back to the shredded pork as needed to keep it juicy and moist.
- Add extra BBQ sauce after shredding if you prefer a stronger barbecue flavor. This also lets everyone adjust the sauce to their liking. 🍖🥤
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Favorite
Side Dish to go with Pulled Pork
Dr. Pepper Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Yield:
8
Prep Time:
2 minutes
Cook Time:
50 minutes
Total Time:
52 minutes
Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork is tender, juicy pork shoulder cooked with Dr. Pepper, BBQ sauce, onion, and simple seasonings until it easily pulls apart with a fork. Make it in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or oven for an easy pulled pork dinner that’s perfect for feeding a family or crowd.
4.4 Stars (573 Reviews)
Ingredients
- 2 cups Dr. Pepper
- 1 cup bbq sauce
- 4 Pounds pork roast
- 1 onion
- 1 tbs liquid smoke (optional)
- 1 tbs onion powder
- 1 tbs garlic powder
- 1 tbs salt
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions
Cut the pork shoulder or pork butt into 4–5 large chunks.
In a small bowl, combine the salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Season the pork evenly on all sides.
If using liquid smoke, add it to the seasoned pork.
Chop the onion and spread it evenly over the bottom of the Instant Pot.
Place the seasoned pork pieces on top of the onion.
Pour the Dr. Pepper over the pork.
Pour the BBQ sauce over the top of the pork.
Secure the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on Manual/Pressure Cook, High Pressure for 50 minutes.
When the cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure.
Remove the pork from the Instant Pot and place it on a large platter or cutting board.
Shred the pork with two forks, removing and discarding any large pieces of fat.
Drain or skim excess fat from the cooking liquid as needed.
Return the shredded pork to some of the cooking liquid to keep it moist, or toss it with additional BBQ sauce before serving.
Slow Cooker Directions
Cut the pork into 4–5 large chunks.
Combine the salt, onion powder, and garlic powder, then season the pork evenly on all sides. Add the liquid smoke, if using.
Chop the onion and spread it over the bottom of the slow cooker.
Arrange the seasoned pork pieces over the onion.
Pour the Dr. Pepper over the pork, followed by the BBQ sauce.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8–10 hours or HIGH for 4–6 hours, until the pork is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.
Carefully transfer the pork to a large platter or cutting board and shred it with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat.
Skim excess fat from the cooking liquid if needed.
Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and toss with some of the cooking liquid to keep it moist. Add additional BBQ sauce before serving if desired.
Oven Directions
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Cut the pork into 4–5 large chunks.
Combine the salt, onion powder, and garlic powder, then season the pork evenly on all sides. Add the liquid smoke, if using.
Spread the chopped onion over the bottom of a large Dutch oven or covered roasting pan.
Arrange the seasoned pork over the onion.
Pour the Dr. Pepper over the pork, followed by the BBQ sauce.
Cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil.
Bake for 3–4 hours, or until the pork is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.
Carefully remove the pork and transfer it to a large platter or cutting board.
Shred the pork with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat.
Skim excess fat from the cooking liquid if needed.
Return the shredded pork to the cooking liquid to keep it moist, or toss with additional BBQ sauce before serving.
Notes
For the best tender, shreddable pulled pork, use a 4-pound pork shoulder or pork butt and cut it into 4–5 large chunks before cooking.
For the Instant Pot method, cook on High Pressure for 50 minutes, followed by a 10-minute natural release before releasing the remaining pressure.
The pork is ready when it is fork-tender and shreds easily. If it is still tough, it needs additional cooking time.
After shredding, remove any large pieces of fat and return some of the cooking liquid to the pork to keep it juicy and moist. Add additional BBQ sauce before serving if desired.
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Has anyone ever tried this recipe with either beef or chicken? my family doesn’t eat pork. Thanks!
O you can do either one 🙂 I don’t like pork either but my daughter loves it 😉
I do a similar recipe with beef roast and a can of coke.
I have a lot of liquid left over, is that normal? New at this!
@Sheliza, I’d google “instant pot Dr Pepper chicken” which I’m going to try now. Sounds delicious.
@Monique, Either your roast was too small and/or you used too much Dr. Pepper/BBQ sauce. Basically the balance was off. It’s not a problem though. I just use the extra liquid as a kind of sauce. Use a spoon or ladle to drizzle some over your sandwich or over the pulled pork on your plate. It’s even pretty good on rice (fried or white) or on mashed potatoes.
Can this be done with frozen pork?
yes it can 🙂
Extra. Time?
When it says manual release of pressure for 10 min. Does that mean I cook it for 50 min, then turn off the heat. Let it sit for 10 min and then release pressure manually? Thanks! Trying this tonight!!!
yes
Any idea how long I would cook for 7 lbs?
should be the same time 🙂
And the same time for a half recipe, 2# of meat?
If I’m going to half the recipe, I would still cook at the suggested time. Is that correct?
Same time 🙂
Can I use Pepsi instead? I only have Pepsi or Cherry Dr Pepper.
of course!
I’m new to IP and trying this recipe, I have a 7# pork butt. Should I cut into more than 4-5 pieces? Use double the Dr Pepper and BBQ Sauce?
I had a 6# butt. I did NOT double the Dr. Pepper and BBQ sauce, but still had more than enough liquid for an even larger roast. However, I did cut it into 8 or 9 pieces. I also added another 10 minutes to the cooking time, but only let it rest about 5 minutes before doing a manual release. (This may not have been necessary.) It turned out great!
If I wanted to make several different things from the pulled pork (tacos. Etc.) can I leave out the bbq sauce when cooking?
Use the same recipe as listed. When you strain out meat from the juices, the meat will be “light” in BBQ flavor – you can use the pulled pork for sandwiches by mixing the pork with more BBQ (Sweet Baby Ray’s is my favorite). If you decide to use some of the shredded pork for tacos or oven baked nacho pork, do not mix with more BBQ. Use :”as is” in tacos or burritos with pico or lettuce, tomato, sour cream and favorite taco sauce (Pace Picante Mild is my fav) . Lay flat in pan DO NOT add BBQ, top with nacho sauce (canned works well) and place in pre-heated 350 oven for 10-15 min. Scoop out using tortilla strips (Santitos white corn strips; use triangle chips if all you can find)…. So awesome, so good… I lick the dish clean when done!! NJoy!!!
Can I use diet Dr. Pepper?
Absolutely!
Looks good!
You answered yes to a comment about whether this can be done with frozen pork. Do you need to change anything if its frozen or will it just take longer to come to pressure or something?
PS. I made this when I first bought the pork. It worked really well and tasted amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
same time I think it will just take longer to come to pressure
I have a boneless 4.25 lb pork butt, will that work or is it to0 fatty? Thanks, I really appreciate your recipes and web site.
I would love to make this for my 12 bunco ladies. Would I need to double the recipe?
One tablespoon each of garlic powder and onion powder plus a tablespoon of salt? Has anyone tried this? That seems like a lot of salt.
Garlic powder and onion powder contain very little sodium. You may be thinking of garlic and onion salt. Very different.
@Capitolah, I made this exactly as recipe called for, and it was perfect. I don’t normally cook with much salt, but it wasn’t to salty.
I would like to make this but a 4lb seems like too much for my family. If I did this with a 2lb would I need to change the liquid amount and/or the cook time?
should be the same time 🙂
…but is one C Dr. Pepper enough liquid if we cut the recipe in half, or does it need more liquid? This might be the first thing I EVER make in my IP! 🙂
Can i make this in a crock-pot since i don’t have a instant pot? If so how long would i need to let it cook?
Absolutely 🙂 just cook it on low for like 8 hours
Sounds delish …Would a pork loin work with this recipe?
Looking forward to making this for out family reunion Sunday.. I am pretty new to the instant pot. What do I turn the top valve to before, during and after?
This recipe worked perfectly! I’m a novice with IP, so I followed your recipe exactly. It was so delicious! I’ve never made pulled pork before but this will now become a staple!
For those wondering, my pork roast was 4.89 pounds with bone in. It made 12 generous pulled pork sandwiches.
Thank you for sharing your great recipes!
I also have a pork roast with bone, did you still cut into 4 large chunks?
@Sarah, I never cut mine at all. The important thing is that it fits in the slow cooker. That’s all.
My son is Type 1 diabetics, could I use diet soda in the instant pot??
If you sure chicken how long would you cook it? I don’t want to over cook it.
I just made this tonight using a 4.25 lb boneless pork shoulder roast.
I cooked 50 min high pressure, let NPR for 10 min.
I scooped out the pork which fell apart! Places in a pan to cool before taking off remaining fat.
I strained the juices and reduced it till it thickened. The sauce was a great addition!
The pork was delicious, moist and flavorful!
I will make this again!
How do you reduce the juices? Sautee?
Will this serve 12 people or should I get more meat?
I would add more meat
Has anyone tried it without the bbq sauce?
I made this last night. YUM!!!! It was a huge hit with the whole family. We don’t drink Dr Pepper so I only had Coke at the house. Next time I will buy a Dr Pepper for this to see if it makes the pork any better…if that’s even possible. I used a homemade BBQ sauce I already had on hand. I have a feeling we will be eating pulled pork on a weekly basis!
I don’t have the insta pot, I have the 6qt power cooker, how can I make it using that?
Yes you can still make it 🙂 same directions 🙂
If you halve the amount of pork do you also reduce the amount of liquid or would you still need 2 cups of Dr Pepper?
1 cup should be enough 🙂
This was so delicious! So flavorful even without adding extra BBQ sauce afterwards. My incredibly picky step-dad really loved it. This was my first instant pot recipe and I was amazed at how well it cooked the pork! Thanks!!
I made this in my Mini Instant Pot in two batches because the smallest pork roast I could find was over 7 pounds! I did cut off tons of fat. I left out the fresh onion and the bbq sauce and will reheat the meat tomorrow for a party and add the sauce then. 50 mins was perfect. I’m defatting the juices and am thinking of cooking some beans in it later. Thanks for the recipe!
Is the meat on the trivet..or the bottom of the pot?
I made this tonight but accidentally had it set on low pressure instead of high. Do I need to cook it longer since it wasn’t on high pressure?
I love your site. I tried the chicken crack tonight and it was delicious. Thanks for sharing your receipts
So glad you liked it 🙂
This has become an absolute family favorite! It’s also a regular meal when I do meal trains for friends through church. I use a Pork rub instead of the garlic powder, onion powder and salt. I also leave the BBQ sauce out when I take it to families with small children that may be picky. It is a requested dish. I have used Dr. Pepper in pulled Pork for years before my Instant Pot. It is absolutely the best addition to this dish.
If I need to double or triple the meat, what should I do with the time and the liquid?!
same liquid 🙂
This was delicious. I used a pork loin and it came out juicy and falling apart. I used a combo of spicy and sweet bbq sauces. I have an XL and used the Canning button with the recommended time. Thank you so much! Your website is amazing. I’m a recenty retired x-ray tech and your recipes are really going to help me save money on a fixed income.
Love this recipe!
If I needed to double or triple the meat, what would I need to do with the liquid and time?
Nope no need to double the liquid 🙂
I have made this many times but today I have no Dr Pepper. My husband drank all of it! Can I use Mt Dew? Otherwise I need to run out to get Dr Pepper
So did you end up using Mountain Dew? Curious if it turned out ok.
I always use root beer
Love root beer but tried mountain dew too, does not taste as well.
Is the time the same if you double or triple the batch? This question was asked but not answered.
Same time 🙂
What BBQ sauce is your go to?
I usually use what’s on sale LOL
This was Amazing! Definitely will be making this again. I added a little spicy bbq sauce and topped with coleslaw on a toasted kisser roll. Mmmm. So good!!!
Kaiser roll
Are the nutritional stats for all 6 servings or for just one?
I am wondering the same thing?
Have made this 4 times with the Dr. Pepper and Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet and Spicy sauce (we like some kick to ours). Twice with country-style ribs. Was awesome every time. The whole family raved over it.
If I do a 7lb how do I adjust the ingredients? I’m doing this tonight for a friend and she gave me a 7.5lb bone in.
The market only had pork shoulder. Would the time change?
No that’s fine same time
What would you say is the best tasting cut of pork for pulled pork? I usually get boneless ribs or pork loin. Wondering if I should try something else?
This was absolutely delicious. Will make again
If I Wanted to double this for a large group… 1. would it fit in the pot? Also, would I need to add cooking time? THank you
Could you please add email to your group o f ways to share? I’m sure i’m not the
only grandma living in the dark ages. You share such delicious sounding recipes
that I would like to add them to my recipe file by sending them to my iPad. Thanking you in advance for your help.
We just fixed this for supper & it is very good. It’s so tender & moist. I wish all recipes were this easy to prepare! Thanks for sharing.
This recipe was fantastic! Quick, easy and just fell apart-delicious!
What buns did you use? They look delicious.
This came out very tasty. We doubled the recipe for the sauce and were quite glad we did. Rather than remove the pork and shred, I shredded it in the pot with the juices and sauce. I think it adds a little moisture to the meat, as well as, additional flavor. It made plenty. Sandwiches the first night and then we made enchiladas with leftovers a couple of nights later.
I found this keeper about a year ago! Everyone that I make it for loves it! I didn’t have Dr Pepper on hand and used orange juice instead. Delicious!!
Can I use Diet Dr Pepper? I have a friend who is diabetic
Most tender meat ever!
This was my first meal in my Instapot, delicious!!
This sounds delicious! In fact I’m gonna try this for dinner tonight.
Tried this tonight with a wild boar shoulder I killed last night. Recipe was great! I felt it needed a bit more garlic and salt. Next time I’ll ditch the garlic powder and use fresh minced garlic, more salt, and maybe some Liquid Smoke. It still went great with my homemade hot BBQ sauce! I look forward to future tweaks!
Is it ok if I only do a NR for over an hour? I’m thinking of starting this during a break time at work and then just let it do a NR and come home to supper ready. Will that hurt anything?
How much extra time for frozen pork? Any different steps?
it should be the same time just longer to come to pressure
Why is the sodium content so high in this recipe?
Superb! Rave reviews from my family and from me – the non chef.
If I half the recipe, do I still need to cook it for 50min? Thanks!
Yes
I have a instant pot duo mini? Would I have to cut the time and portions
When you put the meat in the instant pot, do you put it on the little stand, or do you put it directly in the liquid? I thought keeping it outside of the liquid would make the pork more tender since you lose less moisture.
Do you put the meat on the metal stand that comes with the instant pot, or do you throw it directly in the liquid?
Can you stack the meat on top of each other to get it all in the pot and still have it cook fine?
So good! This is a new staple in my house. So easy and quick to put together. Loved having this on Hawaiian buns topped with coleslaw. I make it with pork loin and it still comes out super moist and tender. One of my favorite restaurants in my neighborhood is $45 for 2 similar sandwiches, drinks, and sides. For $20ish dollars I was able to make enough pork (6lbs) and coleslaw for my family of 7 to have a huge lunch, plus we all took leftovers. There was enough in my leftover portion for my hubs and me to make 5 additional sandwiches. So happy I can make it at home!
We are a no soda household but I do buy Zevia…would that work in place of the Dr. Pepper?
OMG…This was the best thing I have put in my mouth in a long time. So tender. Our disabled son has eating problems, sometimes doesn’t chew and swallow unless he REALLY likes something. He devoured this!
I’m so happy to hear thatb
If i only use a 2lbs roast. Would you cyt the Dr. Pepper in half? Also how abour the cook time?
My family LOVED IT. I’m think I would add more onion to it but otherwise it was great. Would definitely make it agin
How do I cook from frozen if i can’t cut it into pieces?
What temperature do you cook the dr pepper pulled pork at?
What size onion is best for this?
Wow, great recipe, pork broke down great and was easy to shred, flavor was fantastic, will definitely make this again
I have made your pulled pork recipe many times for family & friends. Your
Pulled pork recipe is absolutely the best, my friends & family request your pulled
Pork all the time.
Thanks I’m happy to hear that
This recipe does not say what size pork you use. Can you put somewhere how big or the size range of the pork this recipe works for?
You can do as much or as little you would like with that same cooking time
I am not sure if I did something wrong or if the roast that I bought was not fatty enough but mine was dry 😭
I’m not sure 🙁 sorry