Cooking pork butt low and slow on a gas grill produces tender, smoky pulled pork without a dedicated smoker. Indirect heat holds the grill near 250°F, while wood chips add smoke and help develop a rich bark.
Clear but not dumbed down, this guide covers grill setup, smoke, timing, the stall, final temperature, and resting—everything you need to manage the long cook and pull the pork while it is at its best.
Quick Answer: How Long to Cook Pork Butt on a Gas Grill
Cook over indirect heat at 250°F.
- Plan on 1½–2 hours per pound.
- Cook to an internal temperature of 200°–205°F.
- A 4-pound pork butt usually takes 6–8 hours.
Always cook to temperature, not time.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🤔 TL;DR — Recipe Summary
- 🐖 Ingredients
- 👨🍳 Quick Overview: How to Cook Pork Butt on a Gas Grill
- ♨️ Gas Grill Setup, Tools, and Wood Smoke
- ⏲️ How Long to Cook Pork Butt on a Gas Grill
- 🌡️ When Is Pork Butt Done?
- 🤔 What Is the Stall?
- 🍽️ How to Serve Pulled Pork
- 🔥 How to Reheat Pulled Pork and Keep It Warm
- ❄️ How to Store and Freeze Pulled Pork
- ❓ FAQs
- 🐖 Pulled Pork Recipes
- 📖The Recipe Card
- Pulled Pork from Pork Butt on a Gas Grill
Featured Comment by EllenJ:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Great recipe! Really. There are tons of recipes out there for gas grilled smoked pulled pork, many good ones. But yours hits ALL the marks, including illustrations and customizing suggestions. Thanks!"
🤔 TL;DR — Recipe Summary
What: Tender, smoky pulled pork from a pork butt cooked low and slow over indirect heat on a gas grill.
Why: The fat renders and connective tissue softens, while the gas grill maintains steady heat without all-day charcoal management.
How: Apply dry rub, cook at 250°F, add smoke early, and continue to 200°–205°F. Rest, then pull while hot.
🐖 Ingredients
- Pork butt: Also called Boston butt, this thick, well-marbled cut comes from the upper pork shoulder. The whole shoulder also includes the lower picnic shoulder and is much larger. Stores sometimes loosely label pork butt as “pork shoulder,” so check that you are buying the butt. Bone-in or boneless will work.
- BBQ dry rub: Use your favorite store-bought rub or a homemade blend. The recipe card includes my basic dry rub.
- Wood chips: Hickory produces a traditional barbecue smoke, while apple, cherry, or pecan are milder options. Choose one or combine them to suit your taste.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: How to Cook Pork Butt on a Gas Grill
1. Coat the pork butt generously with dry rub.
2. Set up the gas grill for indirect cooking at 250°F with a drip pan under the meat. Once the temperature is steady, place the pork on the indirect side.
3. Add wood chips in a smoker box or foil pouch and smoke for 1–2 hours. Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 200°–205°F.
4. Wrap tightly in two layers of foil, then in towels, and rest for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
5. Pull the pork apart with two forks while it is still hot. Serve as is or with your favorite BBQ sauce.
📌 For complete step-by-step instructions, see the printable recipe card below or keep reading for tips.
♨️ Gas Grill Setup, Tools, and Wood Smoke
Set up the gas grill for indirect cooking at 250°F, with the pork over the unlit side and a drip pan underneath. Let the temperature stabilize before adding the meat. Start with a full propane tank and keep a backup available for the long cook.
Thermometers, drip pan, and foil
A remote thermometer is strongly recommended. Ideally, use one probe near the pork at grate level to monitor the grill temperature and another in the meat.
An instant-read thermometer is useful for confirming the final temperature in several places.
Use a drip pan beneath the pork to catch rendered fat and heavy-duty foil for wrapping during the rest.
✅ Pro Tip: Never place the drip pan directly on the burner tubes. Put it over the unlit side on the lava rocks or flavor bars, or on the cooking grate beneath the pork if necessary.
Adding wood smoke
Place dry wood chips in a built-in or cast-iron smoker box over an active burner. If you do not have one, seal the chips in a heavy-duty foil pouch, poke several holes in the top, and place it over the burner.
Do not soak the chips. One to two hours of smoke is usually enough.
📌 For detailed setup and troubleshooting, see How to Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low-and-Slow Cooking
✅ Pro Tip: Most smoke flavor happens early in the cook, so make sure your chips are going while the meat is still cold.
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⏲️ How Long to Cook Pork Butt on a Gas Grill
At 250°F over indirect heat, plan on approximately 1½–2 hours per pound. Bone-in pork butt may take somewhat longer. Use these times only for scheduling; the pork is done when it reaches 200°–205°F and is tender when probed.
Approximate cooking times:
- 4 pounds: 6–8 hours
- 5 pounds: 7½–10 hours
- 6 pounds: 9–12 hours
- 7 pounds: 10½–14 hours
- 8 pounds: 12–16 hours
Thickness, bone-in versus boneless, grill-temperature fluctuations, weather, and the length of the stall can all affect cooking time.
When serving at a fixed time, finish early. Wrap the pork in foil and towels and hold it in an insulated cooler for up to four hours, keeping the internal temperature above 140°F.
🌡️ When Is Pork Butt Done?
Begin checking for doneness about three-quarters of the way through the estimated cooking time. Most pork butt is ready to pull at 200°–205°F. Check several areas while avoiding the bone and large pockets of fat.
Some folks swear by 208° or even 210°F, while others stop around 195°F. In my experience, anything under 200°F risks being too firm to shred easily, while cooking much beyond 205°F can cost moisture.
🤔 What Is the Stall?
At around 160°F, the pork’s internal temperature may stop rising for an hour or more. This is the stall. Moisture evaporating from the surface cools the meat nearly as fast as the grill heats it. The stall is usually more noticeable and prolonged with larger pork butts or whole briskets.
Wrapping tightly in foil or butcher paper—the “Texas Crutch”—can shorten the stall but may soften the bark. For an average pork butt, leave it unwrapped, keep the grill near 250°F, and be patient. The temperature will begin rising again.
🍽️ How to Serve Pulled Pork
Plan on about ⅓–½ pound of uncooked pork butt per serving. Use the higher amount for large appetites or when serving fewer side dishes.
Serve the pulled pork on hamburger buns with Memphis BBQ Sauce or your favorite barbecue sauce, or serve it without sauce on a plate. Classic sides include:
- Cornbread
- Potato salad
- Cold Macaroni Salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Corn on the Cob
🔥 How to Reheat Pulled Pork and Keep It Warm
Oven method
- Spread the pulled pork in a rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking dish. A deeper casserole or cake pan will take longer.
- Sprinkle lightly with water or apple juice—just enough to moisten.
- Cover tightly with foil.
- Reheat in a 250°–300°F oven until the pork reaches 165°F, usually 30–45 minutes. Larger amounts and deeper pans will take longer.
- Serve immediately or keep covered at 140°F or higher.
Using a crock pot for serving
Do not reheat cold pulled pork in a crock pot. Reheat it to 165°F in the oven, microwave, or on the stovetop first.
Transfer the hot pork to a preheated crock pot no more than 75% full. Add a small amount of water or apple juice if needed, then use low or keep warm to maintain 140°F or higher. Stir occasionally for even heating.
✅ Pro Tip: For the best texture, store and reheat pulled pork without barbecue sauce mixed in. Add the sauce when serving.
❄️ How to Store and Freeze Pulled Pork
Shred the pork while it is still hot, then refrigerate it within two hours in shallow, airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator for 3–4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.
For freezing, divide the pork into meal-size portions and seal it flat in freezer bags. Flat packages freeze and thaw faster and take up less space. Do not leave the pork at room temperature to cool completely.
❓ FAQs
Injection is optional. Pork butt already contains plenty of fat and connective tissue to remain moist during low-and-slow cooking. I prefer using a dry rub and letting the pork and wood smoke provide the flavor.
Transfer the pork to a 250°F oven and continue cooking until it reaches 200°–205°F. It has already absorbed most of its smoke flavor early in the cook, so finishing in the oven will not hurt it.
Trimming is optional, although removing an unusually thick fat cap reduces drippings and allows more surface contact with the dry rub. Fat side up or down makes little difference; tenderness comes from the internal fat and connective tissue, not the surface fat.
🐖 Pulled Pork Recipes
- Oven Pulled Pork Butt
- Crock Pot Pulled Pork
- Pulled Pork Recipes Without a Smoker — Includes pork loin and pork tenderloin pulled pork recipes.
📖The Recipe Card
Pulled Pork from Pork Butt on a Gas Grill
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 4–6 pounds pork butt (Boston butt), boneless or bone-in - boneless or bone-in
- ¾ cup BBQ dry rub, or the homemade rub below
- wood chips, as needed for 1–2 hours of smoke - type of your choice
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Mix the dry rub, if needed, and coat the pork butt generously. If time allows, wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Set up the gas grill for indirect cooking at 250°F with a drip pan beneath the pork. Let the grill temperature stabilize
- Place the pork butt on the indirect side. Add dry wood chips to a smoker box or foil pouch over an active burner and start the smoke.
- Smoke for 1–2 hours. Continue cooking over indirect heat at approximately 250°F, keeping the lid closed as much as possible. Cook for about 1½–2 hours per pound until the internal temperature reaches 200°–205°F. Check several areas, avoiding the bone and large pockets of fat.
- Remove the pork from the grill and wrap tightly in two layers of heavy-duty foil, then in towels. Rest for 30 minutes to 2 hours. To hold longer, place the wrapped pork in an insulated cooler for up to 4 hours, keeping it above 140°F.
- Pull the pork apart with two forks while it is still hot. Serve as is or with barbecue sauce.
Recipe Notes
Pro Notes:
- Monitor both the grill temperature at grate level and the internal temperature of the pork. A remote two-probe thermometer is ideal.
- Cooking time is approximately 1½–2 hours per pound. Bone-in pork butt may take somewhat longer.
- Start with a full propane tank and keep a backup available. If you run out, transfer the pork to a 250°F oven and finish cooking.
- Do not soak the wood chips. Most smoke flavor is added early, and 1–2 hours of smoke is usually enough.
- Keep the grill lid closed. Every unnecessary peek drops the temperature and extends the cooking time.
- Bone-in or boneless will work. Fat side up or down makes little difference.
- Yellow mustard may be used as a binder before applying the rub, but it is optional.
- Pull the pork before it cools. Refrigerate leftovers for 3–4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.
- Reheating and serving instructions are included in the full post.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Posted July 15, 2012. Photos have been re-edited, information added, and editing has been done to help navigation.
Tom R says
Love your grilling recipes for all kinds of food. I have a 2.5 pound, 2” thick Boston butt roast, (looks like a beef chuck roast). How would I slow cook this butt on my gas grill. Thanks!
EllenJ says
Great recipe! Really. There are tons of recipes out there for gas grill smoked pulled pork, many good ones. But yours hits ALL the marks, including illustrations and customizing suggestions. Thanks!
Here's a little take on the soak/don't soak chips conflict: Wood begins to char at around 450°F and really needs to go a lot higher before it bursts into flame. So if you're grilling streaks you want to soak those chips (burnt hickory soot doesn't taste good) but you can smoke them all day at 250° and they'll be just fine. Again, thanks for the super recipe/method; I've been cooking for half a century and it's always fun to learn new tricks.
Dan says
BLUF: absolutely brilliant recipe and instructions
First time smoker. Looked at a bunch of different sites for clear, easy to follow instructions and chose this recipe.
The instructions were clear, laid out expectations and how to accomplish them. The rub was excellent and the Memphis BBQ sauce recipe (heavier end on cayenne) was perfect with mesquite wood.
One issue I had as a newbie was figuring out how much smoke and "density" was ideal. Found a video that depicted the "thin blue smoke" that is preferred. If mention of that was made, it would help out the first timers.
Also, wrapping the butt mid-cook? I did with about 3 hours left. Turned out excellent.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Dan,
Welcome to the blog and great name.
About the smoke. You are correct, I would prefer a thinner longer smoke (a slight blue ting usually) than a brief heavy smoke (less blue) but how to get one vs the other varies by your grill and method of smoking. Generally heating the chips over a lower heat area of the grill (250ish) and avoid the hottest part of the grill.
Wrapping is for "The Stall" which is discussed in the post. To me, you are trading a minimal change in moisture and slightly quicker cooking for a really good crust. Especially in smaller and thinner butts. I do cover it in detail on the grill brisket post.https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/cook-brisket-gas-grill/#the-stall
Glad you enjoyed the post and the pulled pork. Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Cathy says
I searched high and low but no butts; came home with a boneless, 4.5 shoulder. What should I do differently?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Cathy,
Welcome to the blog.
Boneless is fine. Shoulder is generally part of the butt so you are fine. (discussed in the post) It will cook slightly faster but you cook to a final internal temperature anyway.
Dan
Jessica says
Hi Dan—can you skip the water all together?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Jessica,
Welcome to the blog.
Most people do the water. It is a very dry environment so "it doesn't hurt. If you have more moisture, the "stall" should be less... maybe. If your setup has the drop pan over the heat then it will decrease the burning of the drippings. But really, I suspect most people will notice nothing different.
Hope that helps some.
Dan
Matt says
These directions and recipe is great thank you so much. I made and 8 lb one this past July and followed that up with two 4 lbs ones. Well here it is December and I just made a 7lb one that took 14 hours. Sure the cold and rain didn’t help. My question, what’s the best way to reheat as I am serving for New Years? I was thinking crockpot, but there is no liquid...does it need?
Thanks and happy new year!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Matt,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad it works so well for you.
To reheat:
I like to reheat on a sheet pan, I sprinkle with a little water on my hand (don’t overdo it). Cover tightly with foil and into the oven at 250-300 until hot. The time varies by how you shredded it and the amount on the tray. You can then turn the oven down (keep it covered) or transfer to a crock pot on low to keep warm. (usually 45 minutes or so in the oven for me). I know that is not very exact but you get the idea.
Never reheat with sauce applied, the acid will destroy the texture.
I don't reheat in the crock pot since you have this thick mass of meat, so to get it all warm, you would tend to cook it more.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Jim says
How many times do you refill your wood chips? I can't imagine they will smoke for 11 hours. I've read you only want smoke for about half the cooking time so about 5-6 hours. Is the ideal time to get the smoke into the meat at the beginning of the cooking time? I grill and smoke Salmon in a similar way but my chips rarely smoke for more than 45 minutes and the salmon is done well before the chips are smoked out. What do you think?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Jim,
Welcome to the blog.
I generally do about 1-2 hours of smoke near the beginning. That seems to be enough for me and only requires opening the grill hood once.
If you want more, I would suggest making up a few foil packs of chips and then hourly slightly open the grill and toss it on the direct heat side. You want to be careful about opening the grill hood often since it is hard to balance the heat again.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Roger Crowder says
I'm thinking the cooler should have some ice in it?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Roger,
Welcome to the blog.
The cooler, in this use, is to insulate and slow the cooling. That allows the melted connective tissue and other fluids to absorb back into the meat fibers. It will also keep the meat safely hot for serving for a longer period of time so you can adjust serving time some.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Holly says
I am cooking on a gas grill with no smoke box. Where do I place the foil packet of chips?? Thanks!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Holly,
Welcome to the blog.
Every grill is different. But most have a flow path of air front to back. You will see the smoke usually exit that way. So the placement of the chips is always over the direct heat and generally near the front and towards the meat if possible. But generally almost anywhere will do.
Dan