Pulled pork sliders made in an Instant Pot using pork shoulder are served on slider buns topped with a homemade cabbage slaw.
Pulled pork sliders are easy to make in Instant Pot using a seasoned and seared pork shoulder or butt roast. An hour in the pressure cooker makes the meat so moist and juicy. Put the pork on slider buns and top with an optional purple cabbage slaw plus a little more sauce.
Pulled Pork Sliders are great for parties. You can cook the pork and the slaw ahead of time. Reheat as needed and serve with a side of Baked Beans and Wedge Salad on a Stick.
Instant Pot Pulled Pork Sliders and Cabbage Slaw
Instant Pot Pulled Pork Sliders Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Pork shoulder roast or pork shoulder butt
- Garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper
- Red onion
- Shallot – these are smaller than onions and have a garlic flavor to them
- Chicken broth
- Apple cider vinegar
- Your favorite BBQ sauce or make your homemade barbecue sauce
- Slider buns or Hawaiian rolls – we found slider buns in the bakery section of the grocery store but dinner rolls would work, too
Red Cabbage Coleslaw Ingredients:
- Red cabbage – you can sometimes find this pre-shredded in bags at the grocery store
- Mayonnaise
- Apple cider vinegar
- Cumin
- Garlic powder
- Sea salt and black pepper
Instant Pot Pulled Pork Sliders with Cabbage Slaw Directions
Cook the Pulled Pork in the Instant Pot
You can use either a pork shoulder roast or a pork butt roast. Often, the butt roast is on sale and cheaper than a shoulder roast. Both cuts of pork are part of the shoulder. The butt roast just has a bone and some more fat on it. Chop the pork shoulder roast into large pieces. You can trim some fat off but don’t trim it all as it provides a ton of flavor.
Press the “Sauté” button on the Instant Pot. When the pot is hot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil until hot.
Season 1/2 the chopped pork shoulder with 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, plus salt and black pepper, to taste. Add the pork to the Instant Pot. Sear until pork is browned on all sides, approximately 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large, rimmed plate. Set aside.
Repeat with another tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining pork and garlic powder. You may need to allow the pan to get hot again for a good sear. 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, stirring frequently, until soft, approximately 3-4 minutes.
Deglaze the Instant Pot by adding the chicken broth and gently scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Pour in the apple cider vinegar and 3/4 cups of the barbecue sauce. Return the seared pork and its juices to the Instant Pot. Cover and lock 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.
Make the Cabbage Slaw
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 larger bowl. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and toss to combine. Set aside. You can make the slaw a day ahead of time and refrigerate it.
Assemble the Pulled Pork Sliders and Cabbage Slaw
When cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Then do a quick release for any remaining pressure by carefully flipping the pressure valve to either side. Be careful of steam.
Carefully remove the lid and shred the pork with two forks. Allow the shredded pork to sit in the warm liquid for 5 minutes. This will allow the meat to soak up more flavor.
Transfer the shredded pork with tongs to a large bowl and toss with the remaining BBQ sauce.
To serve, divide the shredded pork between the toasted slider buns and top with some of the cabbage slaw. You can find slider buns in the grocery store bakery. If you can’t find specific buns, dinner rolls or Hawaiian rolls work great.
Instant Pot Pulled Pork Sliders with Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
Pulled Pork Sliders:
- 3 lbs pork should roast or pork shoulder butt
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 medium red onion chopped
- 1 medium shallot chopped
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- Slider Buns
Cabbage Slaw:
- 3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Make the Pulled Pork:
- Press the “Sauté” button on the Instant Pot. Once the pot is hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat.
- Add half the pork shoulder and season with 1/2 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 with another tablespoon of 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, stirring frequently, until soft, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Deglaze Instant Pot by adding the chicken broth and gently scraping the bottom of the container with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.
- Pour in the apple cider vinegar and 3/4 cups of barbecue 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.
Make the Slaw:
- 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 larger bowl.
- Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and toss to combine. Set aside.
Make the Pulled Pork Sliders:
- 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.
- Transfer the shredded pork with tongs to a large bowl and toss with the remaining barbecue sauce.
- To serve, divide the shredded pork between the toasted slider buns and top with some of the cabbage slaw. Enjoy!