We make this incredibly flavorful pulled pork in the oven, and as a bonus, I’ll also explain how to make it on the barbecue! This recipe makes enough for 10–12 sandwiches, so invite your friends and family over for a delicious meal together!
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Why this Recipe Works
The great thing about this pulled pork recipe is that the oven does almost all the work. You start a day in advance by marinating the meat so the flavors can develop over night.
Oven-Baked Pulled Pork
There are some recipes that sound like a lot of work, something that’s hard to make. For many people, this dish falls into that category. With this recipe, I want to show you that it’s actually not hard to make at all! It mainly requires a bit of patience and waiting time. But the great thing about that is that you have time for other things.
While you wait, you can prepare the side dishes, such as BBQ sauce, coleslaw, cucumber salad, and soft buns to serve it on.
Pulled Pork Ingredients
To make sure your pork is a real flavor bomb, I would recommend marinating the pork shoulder the night before. For the marinade I use the following ingredients:
- Brown sugar: for a touch of sweetness and balance
- Spices: smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg and ground cloves
- Liquids: vinegar and Worcestershire sauce make a great flavorful base
Oven Roasted Pork
The great thing about this recipe is that the oven does almost all the work. You start a day in advance by rubbing all the spices into the pork, then wrap it up and let it rest in the fridge overnight so all the flavors can really soak in.
The next day, place the meat (on top of the onions) in a roasting pan and pour the marinade over it. Then bake the meat in the oven for 6–8 hours.
BBQ Pulled Pork
Now that warmer days are on the way, you might want to try making this pulled pork on the BBQ. I’ve tested it for you, and it works great! You basically just use the same method as for the oven. So it’s important to have a BBQ where you can keep the temperature fairly consistent, like a gas grill, or to be a real BBQ pro with charcoal.
Keep a close eye on the time, temperature, and internal temperature, and you’ll have delicious pulled pork from the BBQ. Extra tasty: at the end, remove the aluminum foil, pull the meat apart, turn up the heat, and sear the pulled pork for just a moment to get slightly crispy edges—extra delicious if you ask me.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of cut do I use?
For pulled pork, use pork shoulder. This is a tender cut of pork that you can find at the butcher shop and (in some) supermarkets.
Can I make this recipe in any type of oven?
Absolutely! Any oven is suitable for making this. I use the top and bottom heat in this recipe. If you have a convection oven, you can lower the temperature to 130 degrees Celsius / 248 Fahrenheit.
How do I store the pulled pork?
Let the meat cool completely first, then place it in a container (or bag) that seals tightly. It’s best to store it in the refrigerator.
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Ingredients
- 1 kg pork shoulder
- 2 onions
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 25 ml vinegar (red wine vinegar or another vinegar you like)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- pinch of salt
Equipment
- Baking dish
INSTRUCTIONS (how to make this recipe):
- Mix all the spices together for the spice rub, spread it evenly over the meat, and massage it in a bit. Wrap the meat in plastic wrap. Ideally, let the meat marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius / 302 Fahrenheit (top and bottom heat).
- Slice the onions into thin rings and place them on the bottom of a large roasting pan or baking dish.
- Mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Place the pork shoulder (without the plastic wrap) on top of the onions and pour the marinade over it.
- Cover the baking dish or roasting pan with aluminum foil and place it in the oven for about 6–8 hours. If you have a meat thermometer: the ideal internal temperature for pulled pork is around 90 degrees; at that point, it’s done. You can also test this by pulling the meat apart with two forks. If this comes apart easily, your pulled pork is ready.
- Serve with buns, BBQ sauce, and coleslaw as desired. Enjoy!
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