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Elevate your next barbecue with Apple Cider Brined Smoked Pulled Pork. A bone-in pork shoulder is soaked overnight in a sweet and salty apple cider brine, coated in a savory dry rub, and smoked to tender perfection.
The result? Juicy, flavorful shredded pork that’s perfect for sandwiches, sliders, or serving with your favorite barbecue sides.
This recipe was originally published in November 2017 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Don’t worry – the recipe hasn’t changed!
Why This Recipe Works
- Tender and Juicy: The apple cider brine ensures every bite is moist, while the bone-in cut and fat cap lock in flavor. I use a similar process when making my Oven Roasted Turkey with my Apple Cider Turkey Brine.
- Versatile Cooking Options: Works with pellet smokers, charcoal grills, or any setup where you can control the temperature.
- Perfectly Smoked: Apple wood enhances the pork’s natural flavor, creating a mouthwatering smoky crust.
Ingredients
- Bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt): For maximum tenderness and flavor.
- Apple cider brine: Combines apple cider, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and kosher salt for a flavorful soak.
- Dry rub and yellow mustard: Create a flavorful crust while keeping the meat juicy.
Exact quantities are listed below in the recipe card. Note: the recipe card allows you to easily scale the recipe and will automatically adjust the ingredient quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Always refer to the recipe card below, but here is a visual summary.
1. Brine the Pork (Optional)
Rinse the pork shoulder under cold water. Combine apple cider, water, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and kosher salt in a large oven bag or airtight container.
Submerge the pork, seal tightly, and refrigerate overnight. An injector can also be used to inject the brine into the pork roast, if desired.
2. Preheat the Smoker
Prepare your smoker or pellet grill to 225°F. If desired, inject the brine into the meat for added flavor.
3. Prepare the Pork
Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels. Coat it in yellow mustard, then generously apply your dry rub to all sides.
4. Smoke the Pork
- Slow Smoke: Place the pork on the smoker with the fat side up. Smoke at 225°F for 10–20 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 195–200°F.
- Quick Smoke: Smoke the pork for 3 hours, then transfer it to an aluminum pan and increase the smoker temperature to 250°F. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 195–200°F (about 4–6 hours total).
5. Rest and Shred
Wrap the pork tightly in aluminum foil and let it rest for 20–60 minutes. Once rested, shred the meat using forks or meat claws, discarding the bone and excess fat.
6. Save Cooking Liquid
Transfer any of the remaining cooking liquid to a measuring cup. You can choose to remove the fat, if you choose.
Tips for the Best Pulled Pork
- Choose the right cut: Bone-in pork shoulder or Boston butt is ideal for shredding.
- Don’t rush the process: Slow cooking at a low temperature breaks down connective tissue for the most tender meat.
- Rest is key: Letting the pork roast rest ensures the juices redistribute, making shredding easier and the meat more flavorful.
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Ingredients
Required Ingredients
- 1 6-10 pound pork shoulder or pork butt roast bone-in recommended, size of roast may impact cooking time
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard amount is approximate
- 1/4 cup dry rub amount is approximate, my recipe is recommended but store bought will work
Optional Pork Butt Brine
- 4 cups apple cider Trader Joe's unfiltered Honey Crisp Apple Cider recommended, but any kind of apple juice will work
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
Instructions
If using the brine:
- Rinse pork roast under cold running water. In a large oven bag or airtight container, combine 4 cups apple cider, 2 cups water, 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, and 1/4 cup kosher salt. Mix until sugar and salt have dissolved. Add the 1 6-10 pound pork shoulder or pork butt roast, cover or seal, and refrigerate (overnight is best).
Cooking directions:
- Heat smoker grill: When you're ready to cook your pork, preheat smoker grill to 225°F. If you have a meat injector, take some of the brine and inject it into the roast (this step is optional).
- Slather with mustard: Remove the roast from the brine mixture (if using) and blot dry with paper towels. Discard the remaining brine. Cover all sides of roast with 1/4 cup yellow mustard (use gloves or a brush).
- Coat in dry rub: Generously cover all sides of the mustard-covered pork roast with 1/4 cup dry rub.
- Slow Smoke Method: Put the roast on the grill with the fat side up and smoke for 10-20 hours or until the temperature of the roast reaches 195°F (continue cooking up to an internal temperature of 200°F for a softer and easier-to-pull-apart pork). Quick Smoke Method: Put the roast on the grill with the fat side up and smoke for 3 hours. Use an aluminum foil pan or make a boat out of heavy-duty aluminum foil and place the roast on top and place them back to the center of the smoker grill. Increase the temperature to 250°F and roast until the internal temperature reaches at least 195°F (continue cooking up to an internal temperature of 200°F for a softer and easier-to-pull-apart pork). The total cooking time for a roast this size can vary anywhere from 4-6 hours.
- Rest: Wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes (minimum) up to a full hour (recommended). This will ensure the meat will easily shred.
- Shred: After the rest period, transfer the roast to a cutting board and pour any of the residual cooking juices that accumulated in the foil to a measuring cup. When the meat is cool enough to handle, separate the tender meat from the bone and fat (discard the bone and fat).
- Moisten meat: If any fat rose to the top of the cooking liquid, spoon it off and discard the fat. Alternatively, use a fat separator. Moisten the shredded meat with the remaining cooking liquid.
- Serve: Keep the shredded meat warm in a slow cooker on the warm setting or in a covered saucepan over low heat. Serve with soft brioche buns and your favorite BBQ sauce along with your favorite sides for a complete meal!
Notes
- A bone-in roast with some fat on the outside is recommended as it will give you the most tender moist shredded pork. You will need pork shoulder or pork butt in order to make pulled pork. A tenderloin or loin roast will not work.
- Using a large oven bag like the kind you would use to roast a turkey is great for the brine. If you are able to squeeze out all of the air, the entire roast will be covered in the brine.
- Unfiltered apple cider is fantastic in this recipe and adds a ton of flavor.
- I did not use apple cider vinegar in this recipe, however you could add a small amount to the brine and it will tenderize the meat even more!
- Although 145 degrees Fahrenheit is the standard for most pork roasts, when roasting a pork shoulder or pork butt to make pulled pork, it’s recommended to roast/smoke until it reaches a minimum internal temperature of approximately 195° Fahrenheit, which can be more optimal for pulling.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I LOVE THE WAY YOU COOK, OR TEACH ABOUT! I need to try his apple gravy
Krissy, I read your recipe and love how you told us to do everything in clear explanations. However, my question is: Do we wrap the Pork during step #4 in top part or in the “Quick Smoke Method:” in the alumium boat, and seal alumimium and close it — like a sealed container? Or, do we leave it open? [Can you, please, clarify that in two sections above, which are noted as given.]
Thank you for sharing your recipes, and I do my best to read every one of them. You’ve got one of the best Home-Cooks sites that I’ve visited. And, know that it’s gonna grow in more popularity, because a large percentage of people are starting to cook at home more now and (probably) will be forever.
It’s TOO EXPENSIVE to really eat out anymore. It’s $20 bucks for just a hamburger, coke, and fries. No way. We can’t do that, because I’m a school-teacher. Thus, we have to stretch the dollars. Thus, know that people appreciate what you are doing, and we don’t mind trying to give back to you and your great Company.
How would I make this in an oven? I am unable to grill where I am. Could I use the same recipe with the same times. This recipe looks great. Thank you.
Sorry for the late reply – summer has been super busy. You can definitely cook pulled pork in the oven. The trick is to braise it low and slow. I would use a large cast iron Dutch oven with a lid and cook covered at 250 for like 12 hours. If the meat doesn’t fall apart, it needs more time to cook.
Yes, Krissy’s suggestion about the Dutch Oven is spot on. I don’t remember in her recipe if she says to pre-sear it, but that adds so much flavor. But, since she’s probably smoking it only, then it’s really not that important. But, you’re not gonna be smoking, Rick, so you should sear it to really add some great flavor to it, since it’s just going to braise (as Krissy says).
Rick … Trust me — a crock pot (or oven) would work just fine. We do it all the time. It’s less work and effort than smoking. Here’s my additions. Do a good sear on the pork in a skillet, especially on every side. Then, put it in crock pot in whatever juices she says. And, I think wife does it on low for 8 hours (maybe … often, more time — depending on size of pork butt), then use Krissy’s analysis when to finish it. And, it’s about as good or about same as smoking it. Because, see, you are really braising it — if you cook it in juices for some of the process, and it breaks down the meat to make it soft. Study another recipe like “Sunday Braised Beef” (I think it’s called). And, that’s a show-stopper that we eat once (at least) every month. You can do pork same way.