Low-Carb Instant Pot Pulled Pork

This delicious Low-Carb Instant Pot Pulled Pork is a great idea for an easy family-friendly dinner or game-day food! And family members who don’t care about carbs can eat the pork on a bun and they’ll never guess it’s low in carbs.

PIN the Instant Pot Pulled Pork to try it later!

Pulled Pork is a tasty dish to make for a family dinner of course. But this Low-Carb Instant Pot Pulled Pork is also perfect for a party or for game-day food. And there’s a big game coming up soon, so today I’m reminding you about this recipe for Friday Favorites! Have you started working on your Super Bowl menu?

I use sugar-free ketchup to make the barbecue sauce so my Instant Pot pulled pork and the slow cooker version linked below both are low in carbs. This really appeals to me because I’m definitely not a fan of sweet barbecue sauce. In fact, most barbecue sauce just tastes too sweet for me, but this low-carb version really suits my tastebuds!

My Instant Pot Pulled Pork has lots of savory undertones and just a touch of sweetness, but I promise you that no one in the family will guess this is low in carbs.

I love this just served on a plate with some kind of cabbage salad, but people who aren’t watching carbs can enjoy it piled on a bun! I hope you’ll try my low-carb pulled pork and see what you think.

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• pork sirloin tip roast or pork shoulder roast
• Penzey’s Pork Chop Seasoning (or any seasoning blend that’s good on pork; use that link to see what ingredients are in the pork chop seasoning)
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• canned chicken broth (affiliate link), I used my homemade chicken stock
• sugar-free ketchup (affiliate link)
• tomato sauce
• Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link), or other sweetener of your choice
• apple cider vinegar (affiliate link)
• yellow mustard (not Dijon)
• Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link)
• Worcestershire Sauce or Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce (affiliate link)
• Liquid Smoke (affiliate link), optional but recommended)

How did I make Instant Pot Pulled Pork that’s low in carbs?

I used G. Hughes Sugar-Free Ketchup (affiliate link) as the base of my barbecue sauce for this pulled pork. And I sweetened it with Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link).

Love Your Instant Pot?

I use a 6 Quart Instant Pot (affiliate link) for all my Instant Pot Recipes. Check out my growing collection of Instant Pot Recipes! You can also find lots more Instant Pot/Slow Cooker Recipes on my other site.

Can you make this low-carb pulled pork in the slow cooker?

This recipe is an Instant Pot version of the Low-Carb Slow Cooker Pulled Pork that’s been such a popular recipe on the blog for years, so if you prefer the slow cooker just make that one instead.

How to Make Low-Carb Instant Pot Pulled Pork:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Even though I made my slow cooker pulled pork with a lean pork loin roast, I was going to try the boneless pork shoulder that’s usually recommended for my Instant Pot version. But when I looked for pork shoulder roast, I went to three stores and only found enormous packages. So I decided I’d just test out the recipe using two small Pork Sirloin Roasts, and the pulled pork was absolutely delicious using the leaner pork. Of course, take your choice on what type of pork to use.
2. Whether you use pork sirloin roast or more marbled pork shoulder roast, cut pork against the grain into pieces and brown well in the Instant Pot. (Browning adds flavor; please don’t skip this step.)
3. Then whisk together sugar-free ketchup, tomato paste, Golden Monkfruit Sweetener or sweetener of your choice, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, Green Tabasco Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce (gluten-free if needed), and Liquid Smoke to make the sauce.
4. Once the pork is browned well (in two batches if needed) arrange it in the Instant Pot and pour over 3/4 of the sauce mixture and 3/4 cup chicken stock.
5. Lock the lid and set the Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, 60 minutes.
6. When the pressure cooking time is up, let it NATURAL RELEASE for about 25 minutes, then release the pressure if there is still pressure.
7. Remove the meat to a cutting board and strain the sauce if you think it needs it.
8. Add the other 1/4 of the sauce you reserved to the liquid/sauce in the Instant Pot. Set Instant Pot to SAUTE, HIGH HEAT, and let the sauce reduce until it’s as thick as you prefer. This will probably only take a few minutes, but watch to make sure the sauce doesn’t burn.
9. While sauce reduces, shred the meat apart with two forks.
10. When the sauce has thickened, add meat back to the Instant Pot and stir until it’s coated with sauce. Serve hot.

Make it a low-carb Meal:

The Low-Carb Instant Pot Pulled Pork in this photo was served with Spicy Mexican Slaw, which I thought was a great combination! It would also be a hit served with Red Cabbage Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese, Marinated Cauliflower Antipasto Salad, Caesar Salad with Kale, Romaine, and Shaved Parmesan, Ottolenghi’s Perfect Lettuce Salad, or American Greek Salad.

More Pork in the Instant Pot:

• Green Chile Pork Taco Bowl
• The BEST Instant Pot Dinners with Pork 
• Low-Carb Greek Pork Tacos
• Instant Pot Salsa Pork Chops
• Instant Pot Green Chile Pork Enchiladas

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

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Yield: 10 servings

Low-Carb Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

I'm not a big barbecue sauce fan, but I love this Low-Carb Instant Pot Pulled Pork that features my low-sugar sauce with lots of savory undertones and just a touch of sweetness.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs. pork sirloin tip roast or pork shoulder roast, fat trimmed as much as you prefer (see notes)
• 1 T Penzey's Pork Chop Seasoning (or any seasoning blend that's good on pork)
• 2 T olive oil (more or less, depending on how much fat is in the pork.)
• 3/4 cup chicken broth

Sauce Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar-free ketchup (see notes)
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 C Golden Monkfruit Sweetener, or more to taste (see notes)
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup yellow mustard (not Dijon)
• 4 tsp. Green Tabasco Sauce
• 2 T Worcestershire Sauce (Be sure to use Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce if needed.)
• 3/4 tsp. Liquid Smoke (probably optional, but recommended)

Instructions

1. Trim the pork sirloin roast or pork shoulder roast if there is a lot of visible fat on the outside. The cut the pork roast into thick slices around 2 inches thick.
2. Rub the pork on both sides with the Penzey's Pork Chop Seasoning (affiliate link) or use another seasoning blend that's good on pork.
3. Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE, HIGH HEAT, add one tablespoon of the olive oil, and brown the slices of pork on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. (You will probably need to do this in two batches, adding the other tablespoon of olive oil as needed when you brown the second batch, or just brown all the pork in a large pan on the stove if you prefer.)
4. Whisk together sugar-free ketchup, tomato paste, Golden Monkfruit Sweetener or sweetener of your choice, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, Green Tabasco Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce or Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce (affiliate link), and Liquid Smoke to make the sauce.
5. Put all the browned pork slices into the Instant Pot and pour over 3/4 of the sauce mixture and 3/4 cup chicken stock.
6. Lock lid and set the Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, 60 minutes.
7. When the pressure cooking time is up, let it NATURAL RELEASE for about 25 minutes, then release the pressure if there is still pressure.
8. Remove the meat to a cutting board and let it cool, until it's just cool enough to handle.
9. Strain the sauce if you think it needs it.
10. Add the other 1/4 of the sauce you reserved to the liquid/sauce in the Instant Pot. Set Instant Pot to SAUTE, HIGH HEAT, and let the sauce reduce until it's as thick as you prefer. This will probably only take a few minutes, but watch to make sure the sauce doesn't burn.
11. While sauce reduces, shred the meat apart with two forks.
12. When the sauce has thickened, add meat back to the Instant Pot and stir until it's coated with sauce.
13. Serve hot. This will keep well in the refrigerator for quite a few days and can also be frozen.

Notes

I made this recipe Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link). Start with the amount I recommend, then taste the uncooked sauce to see if you want it a bit sweeter. I use G. Hughes Sugar-Free Ketchup (affiliate link) for this recipe.

I used a 6-Quart Instant Pot (affiliate link) for this recipe.

This recipe created by Kalyn, as an Instant Pot version of her Low-Carb Slow Cooker Pulled Pork.

Nutrition Information

Yield

10

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 373Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 166mgSodium 566mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 61g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Low-Carb Instant Pot Pulled Pork is made with sugar-free ketchup and Golden Monkfruit Sweetener to make it low in carbs! I think this is suitable for any type of low-carb or Keto diet, as well as any phase of the original South Beach Diet. South Beach would recommend using lean pork, low-carb diets won’t care about that.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Instant Pot to find more Instant Pot Recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
Instant Pot Pulled Pork was first posted in 2018. The recipe was updated to be lower in carbs when I discovered a good brand of sugar-free ketchup, and it was last updated with more information in 2023.

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