Smoked Pork Shoulder (Pork Butt)

With just a few simple steps and minimal ingredients, you’ll make irresistibly sweet, smoky melt-in-your mouth tender pulled pork at home that is perfect for entertaining. You will transform an inexpensive pork shoulder into the best pulled pork you’ve ever tasted with this foolproof recipe.

Pork shoulder is the perfect cut if you are a novice smoker – it’s affordable, nearly impossible to mess up, and you’ll be able to impress everyone on your first try. This recipe takes this large, tough cut and turns it into sweet, smoky, fall-apart heaven. Savory, smokey, and supremely satisfying.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This is a tested, trusted and proven formula pork shoulder perfection.
• Flavor-packed – The dry rub helps form an incredible bark on the outside while the smoke penetrates into the meat and gently breaks down the fat and connective tissue fo melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.
• Budget-friendly – Pork shoulder can feed a crowd for just a few dollars per person. It’s one of the most economical yet rewarding cuts of meat available.
• Unlimited Uses – There are endless ways to utilize it. From pulled pork sandwiches to pizza.

How to Smoke a Pork Shoulder (Pork Butt)

Step-by-Step to smoking a pork shoulder or pork butt. Start the day before you plan on cooking it for the best results.

Recipe Variations

• Use a slather (aka binder) – A slather is a liquid added to the meat before the rub to help it stick to the surface of the meat. You can use mustard, neutral oil, mayo or even just water. It’s usually not necessary I don’t personally use a slather for pork shoulder, but some people like to.
• Spritz – Optionally spray a spritz in a spray bottle onto the surface of the pork as it smokes to help attract more smoke and keep it from drying out. You can use apple juice or cider vinegar + water as the spritz liquid.
• Wrap – If you are concerned about the pork shoulder drying out or you want to speed up the cooking time, you can wrap it in butcher paper or aluminum foil when the bark is formed and it reaches an internal temp of 165-170° F.
• Finish it in the oven – If you run out of fuel for your smoker, or need to speed up the process, you can wrap and finish cooking the pork shoulder in a 275 to 300° F oven.
• Sliceable smoked pork – If you prefer to slice the smoked pork instead of shred it, remove it from the smoker when it reaches 165° F, as you would for a roast pork shoulder.
• Sous Vide Pork Shoulder – To make it even more tender and hands-off, you can first sous vide the pork shoulder before finishing it in the smoker.
• Make pulled pork in the slow cooker – The pork shoulder can also be cooked in a slow cooker for the easiest pulled pork, though it won’t be as flavorful.
• Make pulled pork in the oven – If you don’t have access to a smoker, pulled pork can also be made in the oven just as easily and with great results. You can even add some liquid smoke or smoked salt to get some smoke flavor.

Top Tips & Tricks for Success

• Cook to temperature, not by time: Time is just an estimate (and generally inaccurate), whereas the temperature is exact to your situation.
• Use a remote probe thermometer: This will make the cook stress-free. It will allow you to remotely monitor the temperature of both your smoker and the meat so you don’t have to continuously check it. Learn more about the best meat thermometers.
• Plan ahead and start early: Long smokes often take longer than expected. It’s done when it’s done, so start early (you can even start smoking it the night before).
• Keep the smoker lid closed (as much as possible): Every time you lift the lid, heat escapes and a consistent temperature is important for the best results.
• Speed up the cook (when needed): Some situations require you to speed up the cook. Wrap the meat once the bark is formed and it reaches an internal temp around 165° F. Then either increase the smoker temperature to 275° F or place in the same temperature oven until the desired finished temp is reached.
• Be prepared for the stall – The “stall” is totally normal and happens when the pork shoulder’s internal temperature hits 150-170°F, it may pause or even drop as moisture evaporates and cools the meat for up to a few hours. To help push through the stall, wrap the pork shoulder once a nice bark forms at 165°F to speed up cooking.
• Don’t skip the rest! – Rest for at least 1 hour wrapped in foil in a cooler to allow meat to relax and the juices to redistribute before pulling and serving. You can hold it in a cooler for many hours as long as the internal temp of the meat remains above 140° F.

Choosing the Right Pork Shoulder or Pork Butt

Pork shoulder comes from the front shoulder of the pig and is divided into two cuts – the upper Boston butt (or pork butt) and the lower picnic shoulder. The Boston butt, also called a pork butt, comes from the upper part of the shoulder, while the picnic shoulder comes from the lower portion. The pork butt tends to have more fat marbling throughout, which makes it more tender and flavorful. The picnic shoulder is leaner with less fat.

Both cuts will work great for pulled pork with the right technique. Bone-in shoulders hold their shape better during smoking, but boneless cooks a bit faster.

Look for well-marbled pork butt or picnic shoulder without “enhanced” (injected) ingredients. Heritage breed pork like Berkshire or Duroc offers premium quality and flavor.

Buy from a local butcher for the freshest, highest-quality pork. Online retailers like Snake River Farms or Crowd Cow also have high-end heritage pork. Costco is a great budget-friendly option that is often my go-to. Aim for 6-8 lbs cut for making pulled pork.

How to Store the Leftovers

Store leftover smoked pork shoulder in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Freeze for up to 6 months. To freeze, shred the pork before freezing and place the desired portion size in either individual vacuum seal bags or freezer ziplock bags. Remove as much air as possible and seal. Label the bags with the date and contents.

Ideas for Using the Leftovers

The recipe ideas for leftover pulled pork are virtually endless. Serve it on Hawaiian buns with creamy slaw as pulled pork sandwiches. Use it in delicious crispy carnitas tacos with avocado-lime crema and quick pickled onions. Use it to make a comforting ragu, add it to delicate omelets for breakfast, make a BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza, add it to salads, omelets, or crunchy nachos. Just about anything goes and the leftover pulled pork is even better than the first time you eat it.

Recipe FAQs