Grilled Pork Butt makes wonderful BBQ smoked pulled pork cooked low and slow on a gas grill. Moist, tender, and with great smoky bark without a smoker.
Jump To:
- 🐖Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Cook Pork Butt on a Gas Grill for BBQ Smoked Pulled Pork
- ⏲️How long to cook pork butt on a gas grill
- 🌡️What final internal temperature for pulled pork?
- ✔️TIPS
- Grilling Tools
- ❓FAQs
- What is "the stall," and what should I do?
- 🍴How to serve pulled pork
- ♨️How to reheat leftover pulled pork?
- 🐖What is Pork Butt?
- Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
- 📖 Recipe
- Grilled Pork Butt on a Gas Grill for BBQ Smoked Pulled Pork
Not everybody has smokers but we all deserve great smoked barbecued pulled pork. You can smoke a pork butt on a gas grill with these easy step-by-step photo instructions.
The best pulled pork comes from pork butt, which is high in fat and connective tissue. Roast low and slow to melt the connective tissue for fall-apart tender meat that is heaven on earth.
Smoked pork butt is one of the "holy grails" of BBQ, along with BBQ Smoked Brisket and Grilled Baby Back Ribs.
For other pork butt cooking methods, see Oven Pulled Pork and Crock Pot Pulled Pork. And check out the Pulled Pork Recipes without a Smoker roundup.
If you want something else on the grill, check this other easy classic recipes, like Grilled Burgers, Grilled Chicken Breasts, Grilled Pork Chops, and Grilled Pork Tenderloin.
📚Reference posts for more information
- How To Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking
- A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill
- BBQ Dry Rub
- Memphis Dry Rub
- Memphis BBQ Sauce
🐖Ingredients
- Pork butt—known as Boston butt and sometimes called (incorrectly) pork shoulder. Usually 4-5 pounds but the size of your choice. Boneless or bone-in does not matter.
- Dry Rub—brown sugar, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper OR dry rub of your choice
- Wood chips—the type of your choice
👨🍳How to Cook Pork Butt on a Gas Grill for BBQ Smoked Pulled Pork
- Mix a dry rub if you don't have one.
- Apply the BBQ rub and wrap it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight if possible.
- Set up the grill for low and slow cooking with smoke with a surface temperature of 250° on the indirect side.
- Cook the pork butt on the indirect heat side with a drip pan.
- Add some type of wood smoke—duration and type of your choice. Usual an hour with hickory for me.
- Cook at approximately 250° until a minimum internal temp of 195° to 200° but 200° to 205° is preferred—about 2 hours per pound but variable.
- Remove from grill and wrap in foil and a couple of towels for 15 minutes to 2 hours but up to 4 hours if well wrapped and in an insulated cooler to keep hot.
- Hand shred with a couple of forks. The bone should come out clean. Best served freshly pulled.
⏲️How long to cook pork butt on a gas grill
Generally, 1 ½ to 2 hours per pound at 250°, so a 4-pound pork butt will take about 6-8 hours. Smaller and bone-in pork butts tend to be a bit longer per pound since the cooking time is more related to thickness than weight. If you maintain your temperature steady, it may take less time.
If you have a time-critical cook, do it the day before and reheat. Or do it early. The wrapping before shredding can be as little as 15 minutes or up to 4 hours wrapped well in an insulated cooler, giving you a big time buffer before shredding.
Always remember, you are cooking to a final internal temperature, not by time.
🌡️What final internal temperature for pulled pork?
I am going into this dangerous territory since there are many strong opinions. I go for 195°-200° minimum, but I prefer 200°-205°. And I see 208° or 210° argued as the absolute best. Lower will be a bit moister but a bit less tender, and higher is less moist but a bit more tender. I can't tell much difference. I'll take the middle ground.
Always check the internal temperature in multiple locations with an instant-read thermometer.
✔️TIPS
- Assume about ⅓ pound per serving before cooking, making about ¼ pound of pulled pork. You want leftovers, and many people wish to have several sandwiches.
- Boneless or bone-in pork butt will both work but bone-in will take a bit longer to cook since the bone will absorb some of the heat.
- A gas grill can use a lot of gas. If you are on a tank, start with a full one. It is always good to have a backup propane tank. If you run out with no backup. Pop it in the oven at 250° until your recheck the final temperature.
- You can use a pellet or charcoal grill. But with the charcoal grill, it will be harder to maintain an even cooking temperature.
- You need some method of adding wood smoke flavor, usually a grill box or aluminum foil packets. I generally use hickory, but cherry, pecan, mesquite, and apple are commonly used.
- For best results, you need a way to watch the temperature of the grill surface and the meat remotely so you don't keep opening the grill hood and dropping the grill temperature.
Grilling Tools
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Smoke™ by Thermoworks™
Thermapen™ One from Thermoworks™
Cast Iron Smoker Box
ThermaQ2™ Kit with Probes by Thermoworks™
❓FAQs
Use the rub of your choice. Look around, and you will find thousands of variations that will work. There are many commercial rubs, also.
I suggest a simple rub, like my 8:3:1:1 BBQ Dry Rub, included in the recipe card below.
I don't, but you can add flavors and moisture with an injection. But pork butt is very moist, and I want it to taste like pork butt.
Trimming the fat pad does not matter other than decreasing the drainage. The tenderness and moisture of the final results come from melted connective tissue and internal fat, not the fat pad.
Likewise, fat pad up or down does not matter.
Tradition says yes, but most experts say not it is not needed. Some will say it prevents the wood from catching fire and that they smoke longer.
I have become convinced it doesn't matter, so I have removed that from the process.
What is "the stall," and what should I do?
Pork butts and beef brisket will hit a temperature "stall" when it starts to break down the connective tissue, and water comes out of cells and then evaporates from the surface, usually in the 160° range. It may last only minutes or hours. But the temperature will not move.
Think of it as the cooking energy melting the connective tissue (a good thing) and evaporating the water (not so good). You can prevent most of the evaporation by wrapping tightly. See the grill brisket recipe for more details about the stall and a "how-to" if interested.
What do I do about it? NOTHING, in my opinion, for the home grillers and smaller pork butts wrapping is not needed. It is a bigger problem with larger pork butts and full briskets.
🍴How to serve pulled pork
I tend not to do a lot of side dishes with pulled pork; it leaves more room for pork. Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite barbecue sauce, or just piles on a plate.
Typical side dishes are potato salad, chips, Macaroni Salad, Broccoli Salad, Corn on the Cob, Cornbread, or Oven French Fries.
Sauce suggestions
I suggest my homemade Memphis Barbecue Sauce. This sauce always disappears, and others are left untouched at parties. But use any sauce you love.
One quick reminder, do not reheat with BBQ sauce. The acid in it will destroy the texture of the meat.
♨️How to reheat leftover pulled pork?
Reheat on a sheet pan sprinkled with a sprinkle of water (don’t overdo it). Cover tightly with foil and into the oven at 250°-300° until hot—usually 30-45 minutes. I know that is not very exact, but you get the idea.
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 it to a crock pot on "keep warm" setting.
Never reheat with sauce applied—the acid will destroy the texture of pulled pork butt.
🐖What is Pork 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 primal is divided into two smaller cuts, the pork butt (Boston butt) and the picnic shoulder. The term pork shoulder is incorrectly frequently used interchangeably with pork butt.
The pork butt is above the picnic shoulder in the pork shoulder primal cut. While the whole primal cut is well-marbled and tougher meat, the butt area has more connective tissue to melt and is the cut of choice for pulled pork and carnitas.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Start with about a cup of the rub of your choice. I used a variation from an 8:3:1:1 dry rub—recipe in the recipe card below and apply about one cup of dry rub.
If you have time, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
Set up your gas grill for indirect cooking. This means the meat is not over direct heat. You will see a disposable pan under the pork to catch any juices. This is on the indirect heat side. The other side has a water pan over the direct heat. Adjust the burners to get a steady 250°. Add the meat to the indirect side.
Start your smoke. You can also apply smoke with a separate smoker box or an aluminum foil pouch with slots. I use smoke for about one hour. Cook at approximately 250° until 195°-200° minimum, but I prefer 200°-205°.—generally 6-8 hours.
Remove from the grill and wrap tightly in double sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Wrap in towels for 30 minutes to 2 hours. You can extend this time by wrapping more and using a small insulated cooler—up to 3-4 hours.
Hand shred with a couple of forks. The bone should come out clean.
Best served freshly pulled.
📖 Recipe
Grilled Pork Butt on a Gas Grill for BBQ Smoked Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 4-6 pounds Pork butt - boneless or bone-in
- 1 cup rub of your choice or 8:3:1:1
- 3-4 cups wood chips - type of your choice
8:3:1:1 Rub - this makes just under one cup which is fine.
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Start with about a cup of the rub of your choice. I used a variation from an 8:3:1:1 dry rub—recipe in the recipe card below and apply about one cup of dry rub.
- If you have time, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
- Set up your gas grill for indirect cooking. This means the meat is not over direct heat. You will see a disposable pan under the pork to catch any juices. This is on the indirect heat side. The other side has a water pan over the direct heat. Adjust the burners to get a steady 250°. Add the meat to the indirect side.
- Start your smoke. You can also apply smoke with a separate smoker box or an aluminum foil pouch with slots. I use smoke for about one hour. Cook at approximately 250° until 195°-200° minimum, but I prefer 200°-205°.—generally 6-8 hours.
- Remove from the grill and wrap tightly in double sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Wrap in towels for 30 minutes to 2 hours. You can extend this time by wrapping more and using a small insulated cooler—up to 3-4 hours.
- Hand shred with a couple of forks. The bone should come out clean. Best served freshly pulled.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Notes:
- There are lots of tips in the full recipe post. If you are new to this, please read the post. And check the grill setup in How To Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking.
- The estimated cooking time is 1 ½ to 2 hours per pound. But smaller pork butts tend to be longer than that. Bone-in also takes a bit longer.
- You must be able to monitor the grill surface temperature. Please do not try without it. You want 250° grill surface temperature. You also must be able to check the internal temperature of the meat.
- You can keep reapplying smoke, but 1 hour is good. I prefer hickory chips.
- Bone-in or boneless does not matter. And fat pad up or down does not matter.
- Use a rub of your choice. I provided a suggested rub. You may decrease the salt if you want.
- Done is 200°-205° internal temperature. Don't settle for under 190°.
- Do not shred immediately. Wrap with foil and let the fluid absorb for at least 15 minutes, but 1-2 hours is better.
- You can delay shedding to 3-4 hours by wrapping the foil-sealed butt in multiple towels and a small insulated cooler.
- Always shred before it cools.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days, but I prefer two days since the texture seems to suffer. It will freeze well for 3-4 months.
- Reheating and serving are discussed in the post.
- Never reheat with sauce applied. The acid will destroy the texture.
- The most common error is poor grill setup. Please see How To Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking.
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 Posted July 15, 2012. This recipe has been one of the more popular recipes on the site and was way overdue for a facelift. Photos have been re-edited with a few from other recipes to clarify things. Please enjoy learning how to cook pulled pork on your gas grill.
Tom R
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
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
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
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
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
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
Hi Dan—can you skip the water all together?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
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
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
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
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
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
I'm thinking the cooler should have some ice in it?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
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
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
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
Bobby
Started cooking at 5:30 pm with an 8.5 lb butt. Had my teenage daughter help to apply the rub about midnight last night (family time) and let it marinate 17 hours. Hope this is done between 8:00 and 9:00 am. Looking for about 10 family members to arrive about 1:00 pm tomorrow. Can't wait, but gives us time to prepare all the other stuff.
Heidi Barnard
Hi Dan, I mixed up more if your rub than I needed for my 6.3 lb butt that I will cook tomorrow. Can you save the unused rub? So excited to try this in the gas grill tomorrow.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Heidi,
Welcome to the blog.
I'm sure you will enjoy your pork. Slow cooked pork butt is always great.
The extra rub is good for 3-4 months if sealed tightly with not much air. So I use a ziplock bag and force the air out. So I use it on things like pork tenderloin or country style ribs.
Dan
Pat
How many propane tanks will I
Have to use ? It is a full tank and I have a 4 lb pork butt.
DrDan
Hi Pat,
Welcome to the blog.
I have used a direct natural gas line for 20 years but before that had many propane grills. One tank should do it on most grills. Grills can consume gas at variable rates but your burners on low. But I always had a spare tank just in case.
This time of year, I usually do my oven version of this recipe.
Good luck with it.
Dan
Larry
Tried this method last night. Result was over cooked and dried out. I think 250 is too hot. I had a 6.1 lb butt cooked to 194 after 11 hrs using the probes to monitor temps. The exterior meat was inedible and inside very dry. Will try again but keep temp between 200 and 225 and pull off at 190. Rub however was good.
Adrian Stasiuk
Dr.
I was able to get the shoulder from Costco with no bone. Great fat and marbling though. Anything I should be aware of minus the bone.
DrDan
Hi Adrian and welcome to the site.
The boneless and the bone-in cook approximately the same. I love the smoking on the grill but I also have an excellent oven recipe (super easy) and a very good crockpot recipe (the shame of cooking it in a crock pot).
Good luck with it.
Dan
Kristin M
I didn't see your reply until after I started the process haha but I basically followed your recipe but with a few tweaks. Made the rub minus chili powder but added a bit more onion, garlic, s&p, cumin, and paprika and let it marinade overnight along with soaking hickory chips. Put it on the grill at 250°F for about 5.5 hours and let it rest for 15 mins. Shredded it dry and it's so good! I highly recommend trying a large loin this way.
Kristin M
Forgot to say that we served it with a Kansas city style BBQ sauce and garlic aioli on the side. Served with roasted sweet potato cubes and skillet corn off the cob. Trust me on this one!
Kristin M
I have a 5.5lb boneless loin roast, would the cooking time need adjusted bc its doesnt have a bone? Thanks!
DrDan
Hi Kristin,
Don't do it. They are so totally different in cooking methods.
You can do shredded pork by brasing it or cut it into some very nice pork chops. See https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/category/pork-loin/ for some ideas.
Let me know if you have questions.
Dan
George Johnson
Cooking mine now.. :) Just curious about something - The boiling point of water is 212 deg F.. So i'm assuming a continual steam bath.. Question is, did you have to keep adding water to the water tray due to evaporation? if so, did you boil before adding as to maintain the 250 deg F?
Thanks in advance!
- G
DrDan
Hi George,
The water seems to last most or all the cooking time and helps with cleanup. No steam bath and I never replace it if it evaporates. The last cooking I was testing multiple thermometers so I know the surface temp was correct and it lasted the whole time, heat rises I guess. Also skipping it should have no effect.
Jay
Well, here it is 1:30am Maryland time. Just finished giving my 4.5lb Pork Shoulder a good rub down, using Doc's recipe. Up at 7 and let the smoking begin. Hickory chips are bathing and the grill is marked for 250 . Have my electronic thermo. As long as the natural gas don't get shut off, I'm good to go! Premade some Eastern Carolina vinegar sauce to go with it. Will post follow up.
Frank
Thanks for sharing. This was really great! My girlfriend and I ended up mixing the brown sugar sauce, same quantity : )
Rob
I spent the day working around the yard, but not before following your process/recipe. I put a small 3.5 pounder on the grill at 11am, and it just hit 190 degrees at 6pm. I'm hungry! But it's going to get wrapped in foil and into the cooler til 8pm. I guess its steak tonight, and pulled pork tomorrow. Fingers crossed!
DrDan
Cut the waiting time to 30 minutes and eat tonight...2 hours is traditional but I have been known to cheat...
Dan
Jason
The pulled pork just looks so tasty! I can't wait to try that one myself, though the preparation is really loong! I kinda just want to skip on it and just go directly to eating. lol!
Chris
That's how I started out smoking on my natural gas grill around 2002, but I never did a pork butt that way, just ribs.
Mary
This looks amazing! That photo with the sauce is truly mouthwatering.
LocalDailySpecials.com
Great tip on wrapping in the foil and putting in the cooler. Had pulled pork on the 4th of July made in a crock pot. Love that you used the grill
Melissa
The preparation time is agonizing. I can't wait to eat it LOL.