Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders with Coleslaw
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These Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders are ideal for kids’ lunches, party food, or main meals. They are easy, fun, and super tasty!
The pulled pork can also be cooked in a slow cooker if necessary. Serve the sliders with regular coleslaw, or try red cabbage slaw for an added pop of color!
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Pulled Pork Sliders
The full ingredients list and instructions are in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading all the way through for tips or substitute suggestions to ensure that you have any specialized ingredients and equipment required and understand the steps and timings involved. Some images are for illustrative purposes.
We LOVE pulled pork, and our Hawaiian Pulled Pork Recipe is one of The Purple Pumpkin Blog’s most popular recipes!
This recipe’s pulled pork is made in an Instant Pot, which is perfect if you are short on time. It can be ready in about 90 minutes, whereas a slow cooker version (which is actually my personal preference!) takes 4-12 hours!
I’ve also included the slow cooker version (which is essentially a dump, set it, and forget it recipe!), should you wish to use your crockpot instead.
However you cook it, both yield tender pork that can be pulled for tasty pulled pork sliders, which we serve with red cabbage slaw on top.
If your family prefers chicken, try this Crockpot BBQ Chicken that is super easy to make (and delicious, too!). Or how about Instant Pot Crack Chicken? It can be served as a filling in sandwiches, as a dip, or as a low-carb option—much like our Instant Pot Chicken Lazone with Baby Portobello Mushrooms and Instant Pot Chicken Marsala recipes.
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients (and equipment) needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.
It does not include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, and pepper, as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen already. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Protein – Pork Shoulder/Pork Butt – this is the perfect cut of meat for making pulled pork.
- Fresh Produce – Red Onion, Shallot, Red Cabbage
- Garlic Powder
- Chicken Broth/Stock
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- BBQ Sauce – use your preferred/favorite brand, or homemade sauce.
- Mayonnaise
- Ground Cumin
- Slider Buns
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).
More Recipes Using Pork
One of the hero ingredients in this dish is pork, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Flavorful One-Pan Mediterranean Pork Chops for Busy Weeknights
- Tuscan Pork Chops with White Beans and Crispy Sage
- Greek-Cypriot Pork Tavas
More Instant Pot Recipes
Looking for more dishes to make in your Instant Pot? Check these recipes out next:
- Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs with Dark Cherry BBQ Sauce
- Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans and Rice (Vegetarian & Vegan Recipe)
- Instant Pot Baked Brie and Apple Appetizer
Recipe Tips
- To make this pulled pork in a slow cooker, simply add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker pot and cook on high for 8 hours
How Do I Make Pulled Pork Sliders?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders
Ingredients
For the Pulled Pork
- 3 Tbsp olive oil divided
- 3 lbs/1.5kg pork shoulder roast trimmed and cut into 4-6 chunks
- 1 tsp garlic powder divided
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ medium red onion chopped
- 1 medium shallot chopped
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup prepared BBQ sauce divided
- Slider buns toasted
For the Cabbage Slaw
- 3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1½ Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
SUGGESTED PRODUCTS
Instructions
- Press the “Sauté” button on the Instant Pot®. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and half the pork shoulder and season with one-half teaspoon garlic powder, plus salt and black pepper, to taste. Sear until pork is browned on all sides, approximately 1-2 minutes per side, before transferring to a large, rimmed plate. Set aside.
- Repeat Step #1 with another tablespoon olive oil and the remaining pork and garlic powder. Season with additional salt and black pepper, as desired. Once seared, transfer to the rimmed plate with the rest of the pork and set aside.
- Add remaining olive oil, plus the red onion and shallot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft.
- Deglaze Instant Pot® by adding the chicken broth and gently scraping the bottom of the container with a plastic spatula to loosen any browned bits. Pour in the apple cider vinegar and three-quarter cups BBQ sauce. Return the seared pork and its juices to the unit and cover, locking the lid into place.
- Set the pressure valve to “sealing” and select the “Manual” option on the highest setting. Adjust cook time to 50 minutes.
- While the pork is cooking, prepare the cabbage slaw by adding the cabbage to a large bowl. Mix the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, ground cumin, and garlic powder in a smaller bowl before adding to the cabbage. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and toss to combine. Set aside.
- When cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, and then do a quick release for any remaining pressure.
- Carefully remove the lid and shred the pork with two forks. Allow the shredded pork to sit in the warm liquid for 5 minutes to soak up more flavor before serving if desired.
- Transfer the shredded pork with tongs to a large bowl and toss with remaining BBQ sauce. To serve, divide the shredded pork between the toasted slider buns and top with some of the cabbage slaw. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Full Meal
You’ve made the main dish, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a dinner party or special occasion:
- Appetizer: 7 Layer Dip Cups – An Easy Tex-Mex Appetizer for Parties!
- Soup: Southwestern Chicken Soup with Black Beans
- Salad: Mexican Chopped Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
- Side Dish: Super Easy Crisp & Crunchy Broccoli Slaw Recipe
- Beverage: Texas Margaritas with Raspberry Liqueur & Jalapeños!
- Dessert: Rich & Chocolatey Decadent Chocolate Layer Cake For Any Occasion
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.