Cooking pork butt in an oven produces perfect tender and flavor-packed pulled pork. Cover with a simple dry rub, then roast low and slow in your oven. This easy recipe takes minimal preparation time and is almost foolproof.
Introduction
Everybody deserves great pulled pork, but most of us don't have smokers. But to get the best, we need to cook like the best.
So let's simulate the cooking environment of the smoker and grillers as much as possible and copy techniques closely. So a little liquid smoke, a pork rub, and bake low and slow until we reach the right temperature. So simple, so good, and the house smells great all day long.
This is the pork butt recipe we use most frequently because I'm lazy but demand great pulled pork. Please enjoy one of our personal favorites.
My Rating
Ok, a solid five only to leave room for grilled pulled pork is the highest 5. But so excellent without the fuss, I have repeated this many times.
🐖What is the Best Cut of Meat for Pulled Pork?
The best choice is pork butt, also known as Boston butt.
Like many cuts of meat, there are several names for the same thing. Pork butt and Boston butt are the same cut. It is behind the neck and is part of a larger (primal) cut called the pork shoulder.
The pork shoulder is divided into two smaller cuts, the pork butt (Boston butt) and the picnic shoulder.
The picnic shoulder is a thinner area below the pork butt. Pork shoulder has a bit less marbling and less fat.
Large restaurants and BBQ experts will low and slow cook the whole pork shoulder primal cut for masses of pulled pork.
The picnic is frequently smoked to make the picnic ham.
If you are wondering, butt means thick, so that is why the term "butt" is used. It was used centuries ago by English butchers.
Bone-in vs. Boneless Pork Butt
Bone-in pork butt will take a bit longer to cook, but not much. Some will argue a taste difference one way or the other. Nope, no difference to me (or most people) in the taste. So use what you have.
But, it feels so good when you shred the pulled pork, and the bone lifts out with no resistance—I always smile. It is "fall off the bone" tender and falls apart while you shred.
👨🍳How to Cook Pork Butt in the Oven
Prepare the oven for cooking.
Set up a rack in the lower half of the oven. The pork butt needs to be about in the middle of the oven.
The best oven temperature to bake pork butt is 250°. The oven temperature can be anywhere from 225° to 275°. No convection is needed. I feel 300° is too high generally.
Smokers and grillers will all agree cooking low and slow is best for pork butts. You do not turn up the temperature since time is needed for the connective tissues and fats to melt into their goodness. 250° is a good target temperature for a grill and is easy in an oven.
Since it is slow and low cooking, you can skip the preheating.
Prepare the pan for cooking.
A pan with edges is a must to contain the fatty drainage. Some people will use a large Dutch oven, but I prefer a sheet pan.
The meat needs to get up out of the drainage. I suggest a rack, but a few crumpled-up aluminum foil balls will support the meat up and out of the drainage if you don't have one.
And don't forget the foil under the meat to help clean up.
Prepare a dry rub.
Any rub you like on the grill or smoker works well. I have included my standard pork rub. It is simple and uses common pantry ingredients. It is a slightly modified version of 8:3:1:1 Dry Rub. A touch of cayenne pepper can be added if you want a bit of heat.
Prepare the meat for cooking.
Pat dry the pork butt. I suggest applying a coat with a good quality liquid smoke. If you are a fan of mustard, a coat of yellow mustard could also be used before the dry rub.
Apply a good amount of the rub.
Preparing for the oven.
Place the pork butt coated with the rub on the prepared pan. Fat pad up or down does not matter.
The big debate for many years has been fat pad up or down. So, I will use the competition smokers for my reference. While a few will still argue strongly one way or another, most think it does not matter. I agree.
⏰How Long to Cook in the Oven?
Twi hours per pound at 250° is a good starting point for timing. This time will vary by the weight and thickness of the meat.
I suggest a 4-pound pork butt that will take 8 to 9 hours. Bone-in will take a bit longer.
Much bigger pork butts will take a lot longer into the 12+ hour range. I often suggest cutting huge pork butts into smaller chunks to speed up cooking and help predict timing better.
A quick warning: Many ovens will shut off at 12 hours for safety if people leave the stove on accidentally. So watch for that problem.
🌡️When is Pork Butt Done?
Pork butt is done at an internal temperature of 195°, but 200° to 205° will produce the most tender results.
The only way to tell if your Boston butt is done is by checking the internal temperature of the thickest part with a meat thermometer.
You can not cook by time or color of the meat.
The connective tissue needs to melt to create the great taste, tenderness, and moisture of pulled pork, starting in the 170° to 175° range. But we need to all to melt for the best results.
❓FAQs
No, but it will add some smoky taste.
There are many "bad" versions of liquid smoke on the market. And the chemical-filled versions will ruin your pork roast.
I stick to Wright brand only. If not available to you, the ingredient list on the bottle should only have smoke and water—nothing else.
No. Please keep it open to the dry oven environment to develop the fantastic bark of pulled pork.
The moistness of pulled pork butt comes from the melting of connective tissue, and the bark firming up blocks most moisture loss. The smokers and grillers don't need foil, and we don't either.
Absolutely. The rest before the shred could be as short as 15 minutes, but longer is better. It will stay warm with my method for about 4 hours.
Shred just before serving, giving you an ample time window to hit to serve freshly shredded pork.
There are special tools made for shredding. You don't need them—just a couple of good forks work well.
Any bone will pull out easily and then attack with the forks. There may be some non-eatable parts that should be discarded.
🍽️Serving Pulled Pork
I prefer a straight-up pulled pork sandwich on a great bun or bread and topped with a Memphis or KC BBQ sauce—I'm happy with simple. But others like to pile on coleslaw or other condiments on their pork sandwich.
You can never go wrong with a nice pile of pulled pork on your plate with sauce and sides.
Other things like pulled pork tacos or chili are great uses for pulled pork.
Suggested side dishes
The usual coleslaw, potato chips, and potato salad are the standards. Cornbread is a great side. Hot sides like potato casseroles, French fries, or baked beans work well.
♨️Storage and Reheating
Storage
Refrigerate Good refrigerated for 3-4 days, but I prefer 2 days since the texture suffers.
Freezer: Pulled pork will freeze well for 3 to 4 months. Many will freeze pulled pork in reheatable sealed bags; then, they will reheat those in boiling water.
Reheating
Reheat on a sheet pan Sprinkle with a bit of water with your 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. Usually, I take about 45 minutes or so in the oven. I know that is not very exact, but you get the idea.
You can then turn the oven down (keep it covered) or transfer it to a crockpot on low to keep warm.
Never reheat or store with sauce applied -the acid will destroy the texture of pulled pork.
🥣Side Dishes
Memphis Barbecue Sauce - A Wonderful Thing
Old Fashion Cheesy Potato Casserole
Crispy Parmesan Baked Potatoes
📖Pulled Pork Recipes
Pulled Pork on a Gas Grill – Not That Hard
Crock Pot Pulled Pork from Butt the Right Way
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Use a rub of your choice and some Liquid Smoke. If using my rub, mix ½ cup dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
Place a 4 pound (give or take a little) bone-in (or boneless) pork butt on a large piece of plastic wrap if wrapping. Rub with about 2 tablespoons of liquid smoke (optional).
Use about one cup of rub and coat the meat on all sides of the pork butt with a heavy coat.
If you have time, wrap the meat with plastic wrap. You may need a second piece. Refrigerate for a few hours, but overnight is fine. If you don't have time, just apply the rub and pop it in the oven—which I usually do.
Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and a rack when ready to cook. Give it a heavy spray of PAM.
Place meat on rack and place in a 250°oven (not convection). Don't bother to preheat. Fat cap up or down does not matter. You can shorten the time by increasing the oven's temperature to 275°, but I suggest 250°.
Bake until internal temp of 195° plus (200°-205° is better). About 8-9 hours. This will vary some with the thickness of the meat, bone-in vs. boneless, and the oven. You have some flex time in the next step to get your timing right.
Remove from the oven directly onto a large sheet of heavy-duty foil. Wrap tight with the foil, then wrap with several towels. Place wrapped meat in a small cooler if available and rest for 1-2 hours until needed. It can stay warm for up to 4 hours if well wrapped in a cooler. This can help you get your timing right for serving.
Shred with forks. It will fall apart.
📖Recipe
Oven Pulled Pork - Low & Slow Pork Butt
Ingredients
- about 4 pounds Pork Butt - aka Boston Butt
- rub of your choice - good quality
- 2 tablespoons Wright's Liquid Smoke - optional but recommended
My Rub
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt - 2 tablespoons if using Morton
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Use a rub of your choice and some Liquid Smoke. If using my rub, mix ½ cup dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
- Place a 4 pound (give or take a little) bone-in (or boneless) pork butt on a large piece of plastic wrap if wrapping. Rub with about 2 tablespoons of liquid smoke (optional).
- Use about one cup of rub and coat the meat on all sides of the pork butt with a heavy coat.
- If you have time, wrap the meat with plastic wrap. You may need a second piece. Refrigerate for a few hours, but overnight is fine. If you don't have time, just apply the rub and pop it in the oven—which I usually do.
- Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and a rack when ready to cook. Give it a heavy spray of PAM.
- Place meat on rack and place in a 250° oven (not convection). Don't bother to preheat. Fat cap up or down does not matter. You can shorten the time by increasing the oven's temperature to 275°, but I suggest 250°.
- Bake until internal temp of 195° plus (200°-205° is better). About 8-9 hours. This will vary some with the thickness of the meat, bone-in vs. boneless, and the oven. You have some flex time in the next step to get your timing right.
- Remove from the oven directly onto a large sheet of heavy-duty foil. Wrap tight with the foil, then wrap with several towels. Place wrapped meat in a small cooler if available and rest for 1-2 hours until needed. It can stay warm for up to 4 hours is well wrapped in a cooler. This can help you get your timing right for serving.
- Shred with forks. It will fall apart.
My Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Cooking time can vary, but you can use the wrap time at the end to adjust the shredding time by a few hours.
- If you don't have a rack, you can elevate the meat on balls of rolled-up foil. Please do not leave it to cook in the muck. (see the crock pot recipe)
- The liquid smoke is nice, but some object, so skip if you wish. If you use it, quality matters a lot. I use only Wright's.
- My rub is provided for you, but use the rub of your choice.
- If you use my rub, the salt is calculated on Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- I find my rub still is good with half the salt if that is a concern for you.
- 195° is the minimum, but I much prefer 200° to 205° and 210° max.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days, but I prefer 2 days since the texture suffers. It will freeze well for 3-4 months.
- Bone-in or boneless does not matter. But bone-in may take a bit longer.
- Fat pad up or down does not matter.
- I frequently just wet with the liquid smoke and apply the rub. And then directly into the oven. It is still great.
- DO NOT cover with anything like foil or a lid in the oven.
- Nutrition is hard to calculate. The fat drains, the rub forms bark, and also drains some. So many things are included in the nutrition numbers that may not be there.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.
Reheating
I like to reheat it on a sheet pan. I sprinkle with a bit of 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. Usually, I take about 45 minutes or so in the oven. I know that is not very exact but you get the idea. You can then turn the oven down (keep it covered) or transfer to a crockpot on low to keep warm. Never reheat or store with sauce applied -the acid will destroy the texture.To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's note: Originally Published November 2, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Jackie Brown
Haven’t tried this yet but definitely will! It sounds delicious! I will let you know of my results! I love your site! I only make your chili!
EKrc
I roasted an 8 lb pork shoulder roast fat side down for 12 hours and it only reached 181. It got “stuck” there for awhile so I took it out. Next time I will let it go longer l after it realized it would start rising again if I left it to cook longer.
But to reach 200-210 at a low cooking temp you need to cook it waaayyy longer than 9-10 hours. More like 20 hours for the size roast I had.
EB
At 180ish I usually pull out, wrap in foil, then put back in oven until 195-200z
Walter
Hi Dan first time to this site. I was wondering would you inject the butt before you cooked it. By the way your instructions is by far the best I've seen on the net
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Walter,
Welcome to the blog.
You can inject if you wish. If you are injecting things with sodium, use a rub with no or little salt.
I don't usually think of injection since I have no desire to change the flavor of the meat.
Enjoy you pulled pork.
Dan
FrankW
DrDan, thank you. I too stumbled across this site and it will now remain book marked into the future. I am a home cook who does a Pork Butt once a year and, usually the Momofuko Bo Ssam style with at best mixed results. This year the plan was to make this a key center piece. While reviewing my notes I decided I had to rectify some of the issues I had in the past, plus as simple as the recipe I had was, it never was quite right so I started my search. I discovered lots of conflicting info but kept coming back to your post and loved that you provided the "why" I always look for. What I employed this year was 1) Fat cap up or down doesnt matter, I used up. 2) double tinfoil on sheet pan with cooling rack and parchment. 3) Low and slow, I used 260F temp and did a 6 lb Butt over 9 hours (exquisite). 4) Wrapped in tinfoil and a towel at the end and let rest for 2 hours (I was working on other prep). 5) Gloves on fat cap slid off, bone tapped out easily and the meat shredded itself ( it was a pound less after I was done because I couldnt stop taste testing). This was perfection. I completed the fat cap in a preheated 500F oven after dry rubbing some brown sugar and salt, it took 7 minutes to get the crackling just right, right when the sugar and salt start to melt and the cap starts to blister and they merge at that point done and removed from the oven before burning. For the record I did a dry rub of white sugar and salt in a big baggie and stuck it in the fridge over a day or so, rotating when ever I went into the fridge.
I'd post pictures/video if I could it was so good and the best experience using your guidance.
DrDan you have a new patient. Thank You.
Jan
I was wondering I always brine my pork butt do I need to cut back on the salt in your rub because of the salt on the brine?
I so much to try your recipe and the barbeque sauce you where talking about.
Thank you for time.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Jan,
If brined, I would eliminate all the salt in the rub. It is always easy to add salt later but impossible to remove it if a dish is too salty.
Dan
Chris
I've been cooking pork butt for many years, but always look for different options that people have tried. I cooked a 7.7 lb Boston butt yesterday, expecting it to take all day & night. Two things I did differently this time. I used my oven at 250°, instead of my BGE, AND I had to bake a pie midway through the cook time, so oven was at 400° for 20 minutes. Result was total cook time of around 7 hours. I expected to have to leave it in til about 9:30pm, but it was at 195° around 5pm! Let it rest an hour, pulled it, and it was ready! Yay! I did fat side down and no rack this time. It was fine, but I will use the rack next time. Lots of great bark all the same!
Charlene
Hey Chris, I have a 5.5lb pork butt that’s in the oven right now at 250f but I started later in the morning and I am afraid it would not be ready by dinner time around 7pm. I’m looking to cut down the time by doing what you did. How many hours after the pork’s been cooking at 250 do you then begin to turn the oven up to 400? Thanks!
Jan
I didn't use any salt like you said sense I brined my pork . The only thing I can say is that is was the best bbq I have ever made. Smelling it all day made me do hungry that when it was finely done and we could eat it , I ate it so fast I ended up with stomach problem, not because of your recipe . I have problems if I eat to fast.
Let's get back to your recipe it was great. I followed it to a tea including the bbq sauce. I'm North Carolina so you know how we are about our Q
Thanks for the great recipes
Love the pictures not your puppies
All dogs are puppies to me
I lost my s year ago to lung cancer, something we where not expecting. We miss him very much. He was a great company