‘Tis the season for all things delicious! Pairing tart cranberries with smoky chipotle peppers and a Sweet Heat BBQ Sauce makes this one of the best pulled pork recipes ever! Plus it is made in the Instant Pot!
I’m teaming up with Swift Meats featuring their amazing Boneless Pork Shoulder Butt. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting partnerships with brands I trust and believe in.
I Got a Big Ol’ Butt
That is, I got a big ol’ Swift Meats Boneless Pork Shoulder Butt and I’m LOVING it! I don’t know about you but I’m over turkey and find that I NEED some amazing pulled pork in my life. And with cranberries in season right now, this is the PERFECT holiday pulled pork.
And honestly, this immediately became my favorite version ever!
Grab Your Ingredients
I buy my Swift Meats Boneless Pork Shoulder Butt at Costco which means it’s HUGE and so cost-effective! I bought a big one and then actually broke it down into 4 separate pieces. 3 got vacuum sealed for the freezer and one was made into this recipe.
- Swift Meats Boneless Pork Shoulder Butt
- Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce (I prefer the Jack Daniels Sweet & Spicy in this recipe if you’re not making homemade)
- Fresh Cranberries
- Chipotle Peppers (and adobo sauce if desired)
- Stock
- BBQ Seasoning – I love Chupacabra Ribnoxious in this recipe!
Season, Sear, Cook
It’s kind of that easy, to be honest. Today I’m making it in the Instant Pot but I’ve also listed slow cooker instructions below. You can also make this on the smoker as well.
Sweet, Tart, & Spicy
The flavor profile of this pork tastes so complex yet it’s really only a few ingredients that are married perfectly together! The tartness of the cranberries paired with that smokiness of the chipotle peppers is just droolworthy!
Then add in that Sweet and spicy BBQ sauce and folks, you are going to absolutely LOVE this recipe! We all did here!
Ways To Serve Cranberry Chipotle BBQ Pulled Pork
Full disclosure, the first time I made this, we stood at the counter eating it with a fork right out of the pot! It’s THAT good!
Once we became less savage, here are some of the ways we used it:
- Sandwich – this paired with my Cranberry Pecan Coleslaw With Creamy Maple Dressing and brie cheese was my absolute FAVORITE!
- Nachos – this on nachos with pieces of brie, green onions, and more fresh cranberries put under the broiler for a few is just next level!
- Pizza – seriously, you know I had to pizzafy this!
- On Fries or Tater Tots – just like you would make nachos, put all of the nachos stuff above on crispy fries or tots and broil.
- Crostini – place a piece of brie, and top with warmed cranberry chipotle pulled pork, a few popped cranberries, fresh thyme, and a drizzle of BBQ sauce.
The Perfect Holiday Dish
I get it, we love turkey, ham, and prime rib but this is the other perfect holiday dish. This is that dish you serve for Sunday football, holiday parties, potlucks, or a work luncheon!
Slow Cooker Instructions
There are a few changes you need to make with this as you do not need the stock. As the pork slowly cooks, it’ll give off its juices.
- Per the instructions, you want to season the pork on all sides and sear in a hot skillet.
- Add the seared pork to the bottom of a slow cooker, add in the chipotle peppers (plus adobo if using), and 1 cup of BBQ sauce.
- Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. Once done, remove the pork and shred it. Transfer half of the liquid to a large pot and reduce by half. Add in the rest of the BBQ sauce, cranberries, and pulled pork. Cook until the cranberries pop.
Ultimate Cranberry Chipotle BBQ Pulled Pork
‘Tis the season for all things delicious! Pairing tart cranberries with smoky chipotle peppers and a Sweet Heat BBQ Sauce makes this one of the best pulled pork recipes ever! Plus it is made in the Instant Pot!
- Prep Time: 20 mintues
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1.5 hours
- Category: bbq pork, instant pot pulled pork, pork butt, pork shoulder, pulled pork, slow cooker pulled pork
- Method: instant pot, slow cooker
- Cuisine: bbq pork, instant pot pulled pork, pork butt, pork shoulder, pulled pork, slow cooker pulled pork
Ingredients
- 3.5 pound Swift Meats Boneless Pork Shoulder Butt
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Chupacabra Ribnoxious BBQ Seasoning
- 1 1/4 cups chicken or pork stock
- 2 chipotle peppers (plus optional 2 Tablespoons of Adobo sauce)
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 2 cups Jack Daniel’s Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce, divided plus additional for serving
Instructions
- Pat the pork dry and season all sides with the BBQ Seasoning.
- Add the oil to your Instant Pot and turn on to Saute. Once hot, sear the pork on all sides to create a crust. ~5-6 minutes. Remove from the pot and set to the side.
- To the pot pour in the stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape off any of the bits on the bottom (that’s flavor!). Pour in 1 cup of the BBQ sauce and add in the chipotle peppers (and adobo sauce), stir to combine.
- Place the pork back into the pot, close the lid, lock it, and set it to 52 minutes on HIGH pressure with a natural release. My Instant Pot automatically unlocks when the pressure is released. If you have an older model, it should take about 25 minutes.
- When done, remove the meat from the pot and set it on a platter or in a large bowl to pull. Discard half of the liquid from the pot and turn it on to Saute. Reduce the liquid by 1/4-1/2 scraping up the bottom. Add in the pulled pork, and stir to coat evenly. Add in the cranberries and remaining 1 cup of BBQ sauce stirring to combine and coat evenly. Saute for just a few minutes or until you see the cranberries start to burst. Once all of most of them have popped, remove them from the pot and plate.
- Serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to a week.
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