Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Cranberry BBQ Pulled Pork

This Cranberry BBQ Pulled Pork is a festive twist on classic recipe that everyone loves using either your Slow Cooker or Instant Pot. Great to serve to guests or an easy weeknight dinner!

Are you looking for that perfectly easy dish to serve to company during the holidays? Or maybe you want to step it up a notch on your football season? Or maybe you just love cranberries. My dear friends, this recipe is one to please everyone. Young, old, healthy food connoisseur, comfort food lover, football food junkie, and even your Paleo or gluten-free peeps (just don’t tell the others or they may think it’s not for them).

I’ve tweaked my very popular pulled pork recipe and cranberried it! Because seriously, cranberries are tangy and add just the right amount of flavor to your BBQ sauce. And you can pretend your all super fancy and festive during the Christmas season by serving this at the your holiday party. Add some rolls and a big bowl of greens, and let everyone make their own plates. Such an easy idea that is not only sure to be a hit, but it makes a ton and serves an Army of peeps!

This is also a great idea for an easy weeknight meal that will give you plenty of leftovers. Saucy pulled pork or chicken is such a hit with my people. I love the versatility to put it over anything: salads, bread, tortillas, pizza, eggs, nachos. As you can see I can get carried away! It’s also my go-to dish for Super Bowl Sunday, and I might have to add cranberries each and every time.

A few special notes about this recipe. As mentioned above, you can use your slow cooker or Instant Pot. With the instant pot, you can make the BBQ sauce using the saute function in under 10 minutes. With the slow cooker, you’ll need to make the sauce on the stovetop prior to throwing every thing into the slow cooker. So if you have the option, the Instant Pot is easier. If you don’t own one yet, you may want to consider adding it to your list!! There are different variations to pulled pork, and my personal favorite is a tangier saucy version. I was raised a California girl, so I am allowed to adapt southern recipes to fit my own tastes 🙂 I do add in buffalo wing sauce to my pulled pork. EVERY TIME. It gives me that perfect tang and spice that I crave! It’s written in the recipe, but is totally optional.

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Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Cranberry BBQ Pulled Pork

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 10 -12

Author Amy Rains

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Ingredients

• 3-4 lbs boneless pork roast or shoulder trimmed of fat
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup buffalo hot sauce
• 3 tbsp liquid smoke
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce diced
• 1 tbsp adobo sauce
• 1 tsp salt + more to taste
• 2 tbsp tomato paste

Instructions

1. For the Instant Pot:
2. Cut your pork in half or thirds, against the grain. Set aside.
3. Heat up your instant pot using the saute function. Once hot, add cranberries and water. Let simmer for 4-5 minutes or until cranberries begin to pop.
4. Add in remaining sauce ingredients. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Place pork inside your instant pot. Secure the lid. Select manual function, and high pressure for 40 minutes.
6. Once 40 minutes is complete, use a quick release. Open the lid, ,and pull apart the pork using a fork. You will have plenty of sauce. You can even remove some of the sauce and use for a later recipe. Or serve pork with plenty of sauce over greens, in bread, or rolls.
7. For the Slow Cooker:
8. Heat water and cranberries in a small saucepan to a quick boil. Reduce heat and let simmer 5 minutes, or until cranberries begin to pop.
9. Add in remaining sauce ingredients (adding more salt to taste).
10. Place pork (in 3 pieces), inside your slow cooker. Cover with sauce.
11. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until pork can easily be shredded with a fork. You will have plenty of sauce to serve. Remove some extra sauce before shredding, or use all the sauce to flavor the pork.
12. Serve on top of greens, with bread or rolls.