Easy Keto Pulled Pork Recipe (Instant Pot & Slow Cooker)
This flavorful, easy Keto Pulled Pork Recipe can be made in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. The pork is moist, tender, and scrumptiously delicious, while the keto BBQ sauce is perfectly tangy and sweet! You will want to make this a regular on your keto meal plan.
Easy Keto Pulled Pork Recipe (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)
Whether it’s a family gathering, picnic, holiday, or just time around the table, most families, including mine, enjoy pulled pork. So often, the rubs are made with sugar, and the BBQ sauces are not keto-friendly. Like many recipes, we used to enjoy before following a keto diet a few modifications can be made to make pulled pork keto-friendly. In this case, a sugar-free rub and keto bbq sauce are all I needed to make this recipe a fabulous keto dinner option.
Let’s take a look at making a sugar-free rub and keto-friendly BBQ sauce to go with our mouthwatering keto pulled pork. Along with with electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot) instructions, I have included a keto pulled pork slow cooker (Crock-Pot) recipe in the recipe card, plus answers to the following questions.
- How do you make pulled pork keto-friendly?
- What kind of meat do you use for pulled pork?
- How do you shred pork?
- What can I add to pulled pork for flavor?
- Can you overcook pulled pork?
- How do you keep pulled pork moist?
- Is there a keto-friendly BBQ sauce?
- and more
How Do You Make Pulled Pork Keto-Friendly?
It is easy to make pulled pork keto-friendly. Simply swap out the sugar for keto-friendly sugar in both the rub and BBQ sauce. I used Lakanto Monkfruit Golden, a brown sugar substitute. Monkfruit Golden is a mix of monk fruit extract and erythritol. Made without fiber, maltodextrin, artificial flavoring or sweeteners, it contains zero net carbs, zero calories, and is zero-glycemic.
What Kind of Meat Do You Use for Keto Pulled Pork?
You’ll need a fatty pork roast for the most flavor when making Keto Pulled Pork. In the grocery store, you’ll typically see two cuts of pork that are great options; the Boston Butt and the Picnic Roast. Both are high in fat and are cut from the pork shoulder.
What Can I Add to Pulled Pork for Flavor?
A great keto pulled pork recipe starts with a good rub with flavor that will wake up your taste buds. My rub recipe is keto-friendly. I have included the list of rub spices below:
- Lakanto Monkfruit Golden
- Chili Powder
- Paprika
- Mustard Powder
- Cumin
- Cayenne Pepper
- Bay Leaf
- Salt and Pepper
To make sure the pork cooks evenly in the Instant Pot, cut it into even-sized pieces and coat with the rub. Once the Instant Pot is hot, add the oil and saute each piece on all sides.
After your meat is properly seared, remove it to deglaze the Instant Pot.
How to Deglaze the Instant Pot?
To deglaze the Instant Pot, simply add a bit of liquid with the saute function on and scrape the bits stuck to the bottom with a wooden spoon. You will want to leave the loose bits in the Instant Pot as they are full of amazing flavor.
Why Do I Deglaze the Instant Pot?
Deglazing not only adds wonderful flavor to your dish, but it also cleans the inner pot. The Instant Pot has to have a certain amount of liquid in the pot to come to pressure. Otherwise, it won’t be able to generate enough steam. If food is burned to the bottom of the pot, it won’t be able to come to pressure properly, and you will get a burn code.
You will now pile the meat and liquids back in the pot. After turning your dial to high pressure, it will take about 10-15 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure before starting to pressure cook. I like to do a natural release when the meat has finished cooking.
How Do You Shred Pulled Pork?
- Shred with two forks – using two forks face down you can easily and quickly shred the pulled pork
- Use a mixer – some people love this method as it shreds the meat very quickly. I find that it shreds the meat too fine for my preference.
- Bear Claws – My hubby recently got a pair of these. They work much like the two forks method but are sharper, so they get the job done quicker.
How Do You Keep Pulled Pork Moist?
Meat tends to dry out pretty quickly after being pulled. To keep the pulled pork moist, you can either cover it with the liquid from the Instant Pot when it is finished cooking or use keto BBQ sauce. I’ll always vote for BBQ sauce!
Tip: I serve additional sugar-free BBQ sauce on the side in a small bowl so everyone can use the amount they like.
Is There a Keto-Friendly BBQ Sauce?
Yes! I tweaked my family’s recipe for homemade BBQ sauce to make it keto-friendly. You can find my recipe link here.
I have so many fond memories of my daddy. I remember him always making homemade BBQ sauce. He would stand over the pot of sauce and taste test it until it was just right. Tonight at dinner, my four-year old daughter called it Papa’s sauce, which I love. I can help my two younger daughters know my daddy by telling them stories like this about Papa’s sauce.
How Many Servings in a Boston Butt or Pork Shoulder Roast?
Taking into account bones, fat, and juices, you can generally expect about half the cooked weight of the raw Boston Butt or Pork Shoulder. So, a five-pound Boston Butt would yield approximately two and a half pounds of pulled pork. The average serving size per person is approximately five ounces. I estimate a five-pound roast to serve eight people.
How to Store Keto Pulled Pork
You can store pulled pork in an airtight container or baggie for three to four days in the fridge. It will freeze well in an airtight container for up to six months.
This Easy Keto Pulled Pork Recipe turned out so yummy and was easy to make. Best of all, the kids loved it, which, in my book, is a real win!
How to Make a Low Carb Pulled Pork Sandwich?
- SOLA Hamburger Buns (these are technically low carb because they contain wheat)
- Chaffles Make Great Keto Buns
- 90-Second Keto Bread
What to serve with Keto Pulled Pork?
- Southern Green Beans
- Keto Cauliflower Mac N Cheese
- Roasted Asparagus
- Cheesy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
How to Make Keto Pulled Pork in the Instant Pot (or Slow Cooker):
Best Keto Pulled Pork in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 5 lb Boston Butt or Pork Shoulder Roast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup Lakanto monkfruit golden
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp cumin
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp Bragg's Aminos
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1-2 cups homemade keto bbq sauce (or store bought)
Instructions
For the Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker:
- Cut the Boston butt or pork shoulder into equally sized chunks so that it will cook evenly in the Instant Pot.
- Turn Instant or electric pressure cooker to saute and add 2 tbsp olive oil when it is hot.
- In a small bowl, combine the spices along with the Lakanto Monkfruit Golden and coat the pork.
- Sear each piece of the pork roast on each side in the Instant Pot (approx 3-4 minutes), then remove from Instant Pot and set aside.)
- After each piece of the roast has been seared and removed from the pan deglaze the inner pot by adding the chicken broth then scraping the bottom of the pan, with a wooden spoon. All of the bits of pork that were stuck to the pan should come up easily. They have incredible flavor, so leave them in the Instant Pot.
- Add the apple cider vinegar, Bragg's Aminos, and liquid smoke to the pan, then place the pieces of seared pork roast back in the liquid mixture.
- Turn the Instant Pot from the saute function to high pressure for 70 minutes. It will take 10-15 minutes to come to pressure before it begins to pressure cook the pork roast.
- Once the pressure cooking has completed, let the pressure naturally release for 20 minutes. If the pin has not dropped, do a QR to release the steam before carefully removing the lid.
- Scoop the pork into a bow,l leaving the liquid in the Instant Pot.
- Using two forks shred the meat.
- Add approx one to two cups homemade keto bbq sauce (or store bought keto version).
- Stir to combine the sauce and the pulled pork before serving.
How to Make Keto Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker
- In a small bowl, combine the spices along with the Lakanto Monkfruit. Coat pork roast with spices then sear in a skillet on each side in 2 tbs olive oil.
- Place the seared pork roast in the slow cooker and cover with chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, Bragg's aminos, and liquid smoke.
- Slow cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for 5-6.
- Remove the pork roast from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Dump out the juices left behind in the slow cooker.
- Return the pork roast to the slow cooker and pour 1-2 cups keto bbq sauce on top. Stir to combine then enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Can Swerve be substituted for Lakanto monkfruit golden?
Sure
The instant pot recipe, unless I’m missing something, never says anything about what to do with the spices. I’m guessing, based on the slow cooker recipe that you add them to the pork before searing, but was hoping you can confirm. Thanks.
Yes. Instructions are included in the body of the post above the recipe card.
Good recipe but fails to instruct (Instapot version) to coat meat with seasonings prior to searing.
Thanks for the heads up, that has been corrected.
Oh…MY gosh…this was the best pulled pork recipe we’ve ever tried! It’s mostly just my 18 year old son and I at home and we like to cook. I told my son we’d try this new recipe and it was THE BOMB!! The meat was so tender and shred so easily. It was full of flavor and super moist. Thank you for an awesome recipe!! This is DEFINITELY a keeper!!
This is the best pulled pork I’ve ever had & my family loved it! Especially like the bbq sauce & made extra for other use. Will definitely make on a regular basis. Thank you, Kasey!!
Fantastic! I’m so glad you loved it!
If I only have 2.5lbs of pork butt how should I adjust the recipe?
I’m not sure I haven’t made one that size to test.
My husband and I love this. The flavor is superb and it is reasonably easy to make. I say reasonsbly because I do not find cutting up the meat easy because of the bone. I tried the recipe with a 7# roast, out of which we garnered several quick and easy meals. With him being on a highly restricted carb diet, fixing food can be a challenge for me. (I would rather be quilting!) I am about to make another one (9#) and look forward to more tasty, easy meals. 🙂
Fantastic! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and hope you enjoy the other meals you make.
If I have an 8 lb roast does the cook time change? Thanks!
I would think it would take more time, especially in the Instant Pot but I’m not sure how much since I’ve only made it as is.
Wow this is good! Tender, moist, flavorful, I will make this again. Good recipe!
Fantastic! So glad you loved it. Thanks for rating the recipe. I appreciate it.
My family loved this recipe, one of the best pulled pork recipes we’ve ever had! 10/10!
So glad y’all loved it! This is on our menu next week.
KASEY
you are fantsatic
I have lived low carb for many years now,, ‘
lost 245 pounds.. slowly but surely and all on low carb diet
wow. have things changed over the years
thank you for helping me change the menu…
have a super BLESSED DAY