Pulled pork from a pork butt on a gas grill is easier than you think—no smoker required. This guide walks you through the low-and-slow method with wood chips for real BBQ flavor.
You’ll get tender, smoky, pull-apart meat with bark you can be proud of, all on a standard gas grill. No fancy gear, no gimmicks—just reliable step-by-step instructions for beginners and backyard pros alike.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🔥 Why This Method Works
- 🐖Ingredients You Need
- 👨🍳Quick Overview: How to Cook Pork Butt on a Gas Grill
- ⏲️ How Long to Cook Pork Butt on a Gas Grill
- 🌡️ Final Internal Temperature for Pulled Pork
- 📚 Helpful Resources
- 🔥 Adding Smoke on a Gas (Propane) Grill
- What is "the stall," and what should I do?
- 🛒Grilling tools I recommend
- 🍽️ How to Serve Pulled Pork
- ♨️How to reheat leftover pulled pork?
- ❄️ Refrigerating and Freezing Leftovers
- ❓FAQs
- 🐖Pulled Pork Recipes
- 📖The Recipe Card
- Pulled Pork from Pork Butt on a Gas Grill (No Smoker)
Featured Comment by EllenJ:
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"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!"
🔥 Why This Method Works
- No smoker? No problem. You’ll still get smoky flavor and juicy meat using a gas grill and a handful of wood chips.
- Pork butt is perfect. Also called Boston butt, it’s packed with fat and connective tissue that melts during low-and-slow cooking—exactly what you want for tender pulled pork.
- Beginner-friendly, not dumbed down. Clear instructions, target temps, and no guesswork—reliable results every time.
- Your grill, your way. Use your favorite rub, wood chips, or sauce—or keep it simple and classic.
- Bark like a pro. That flavorful, crusty exterior comes easily with the right setup and a little patience.
🐖Ingredients You Need
- 4–6 pounds pork butt (Boston butt) – Boneless or bone-in. Bone-in may take a bit longer to cook since the bone absorbs some heat. Look for good marbling—this cut is ideal for pulled pork because it’s rich in fat and connective tissue that melts down during low-and-slow cooking.
- BBQ dry rub of your choice – Use your favorite store-bought rub or mix up a homemade version. My go-to rub is included in the recipe card if you need one.
- Wood chips – Hickory or apple are great choices. About 1 to 2 hours of smoke is usually enough, but you can go longer if you want a deeper flavor.
✅ Pro Tip: A good rule of thumb is about 1 cup of wood chips per hour. Start with 1–2 hours and adjust to your taste.
🧰 Tools You’ll Need
- Foil and drip pan – Use heavy-duty foil to wrap the pork during the resting phase and a drip pan under the meat to catch drippings and keep the grill cleaner.
- Thermometer (instant-read or remote) – You need to know the internal temperature to get this right. An instant-read works, but a remote probe thermometer is highly recommended—it lets you monitor the meat without opening the lid and losing heat.
- A method for smoking – You’ll need a way to add wood smoke to your gas grill. Use a built-in smoker box if your grill has one, a cast-iron smoker box, or a homemade foil pouch with holes poked in the top.
✅ Pro Tip: Start with a full propane tank. Low-and-slow grilling uses more fuel than you might expect. If you’re on a small tank, keep a backup ready.
👨🍳Quick Overview: How to Cook Pork Butt on a Gas Grill
1. Coat with dry rub
Mix your rub if needed. Apply a generous coating to the pork butt. Wrap in plastic if you're prepping ahead.
2. Setup the grill
Prepare your 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.d
✅Pro Tip: For grill setup help and troubleshooting, see: How To Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking
3. Grill and Smoke
Start the smoke using wood chips in a smoker box or foil pouch. Smoke for 1–2 hours (or longer for deeper flavor), and cook at 250°F until the internal temp reaches 200°–205°F—usually 6 to 8 hours.
✅Don’t skip the thermometer: Use a thermometer. Pulled pork is done by temperature, not time.
4. Wrap and rest
Remove the pork and wrap tightly in two layers of foil, then in towels. Let it rest for 30 minutes to 2 hours to retain moisture and improve texture.
5. Shred and serve
Use two forks to pull the pork apart while it’s still hot. Serve as is or with your favorite BBQ sauce.
✅ Pro Tip: You must shred the pork while it’s still hot. Once it cools, it won’t pull easily. Always shred before refrigerating or freezing.
📌For complete step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card or keep reading for tips, flavor options, and serving ideas.
⏲️ How Long to Cook Pork Butt on a Gas Grill
📌 Plan on 1½–2 hours per pound at 250°F (a bit longer for bone-in), but always cook to a final 200°–205°F internal temperature, not just by time.
Approximate time ranges (indirect heat, steady 250°F):
- 4 lb: 6–8 hours
- 5 lb: 7–9 hours
- 6 lb: 8–10 hours
- 7 lb: 10–14 hours
- 8 lb: 12–16 hours
Thickness drives time more than weight. A 4-pound Boston butt typically lands in the 6–8 hour window; bone-in and thicker roasts can run longer. If you’re cooking for an event, make it ahead—pulled pork reheats well, and a wrapped roast will hold in a cooler for up to 4 hours.
🌡️ Final Internal Temperature for Pulled Pork
There are a lot of strong opinions out there, but here’s what works: aim for 200°–205°F. That’s the sweet spot where the connective tissue has melted and the meat pulls easily.
Some folks swear by 208° or even 210°, while others stop around 195°. In my experience, anything under 200° risks being too firm to shred easily. Anything higher and you start to lose moisture.
✅ Check in multiple spots using a reliable instant-read thermometer. Don’t guess—trust the temp.
📚 Helpful Resources
Looking for more background or recipe variations? These posts can help:
- A Beginner's Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill – Learn how to control heat for consistent results.
- How To Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking – This guide includes grill setup tips and troubleshooting for wood chips and temp control.
- Rub and Sauce Recipes:
- 8:3:1:1 BBQ Dry Rub – The base rub I recommend in the recipe card, with variations.
- Memphis Dry Rub
- Chipotle BBQ Dry Rub
- Memphis BBQ Sauce Recipe
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🔥 Adding Smoke on a Gas (Propane) Grill
To build that classic BBQ flavor, you’ll need a way to add wood smoke to your gas grill. A smoker box works great—cast iron or built-in, either gets the job done. If you don’t have one, just wrap a handful of wood chips in heavy-duty foil, seal the edges, and poke a few holes in the top. Set it over a burner and you’re in business.
No need to soak the chips. That old advice doesn’t add anything but delay—dry chips start smoking faster and work just fine.
I usually go with hickory, but cherry, pecan, mesquite, or apple are all solid choices. Mix and match if you like—there’s no wrong answer here.
📌 Having trouble keeping the smoke going or managing temps? Check the troubleshooting section in How 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.
What is "the stall," and what should I do?
At around 160°F, pork butt hits what’s known as the stall—the internal temperature just stops rising. It can sit there for an hour or more, even with steady heat.
What’s happening? As the pork cooks low and slow, the connective tissue is melting (that’s good), but at the same time, moisture is evaporating from the surface, which cools the meat and causes the stall.
You’ll hear people talk about wrapping in foil or butcher paper (the “Texas Crutch”) to push through it faster by trapping moisture and stopping evaporation. That’s helpful for larger pork butts or whole briskets, where the stall can drag out and significantly extend cook time.
✅ What should you do? For average-sized pork butts on a home gas grill—just let it ride. Keep the lid closed and the temperature steady. The stall will pass on its own.
🛒Grilling tools I recommend
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.
There are many fine products for monitoring temperature when cooking. Here are a few I suggest.
Notice: These links are affiliate links, meaning I make a small profit from your purchases. Your price is not affected by this commission. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.
Maverick XR-50 4 Probe Remote Thermometer
Thermapen™ One from Thermoworks™
Cast Iron Smoker Box
CDN Grill Surface Thermometer
🍽️ How to Serve Pulled Pork
Plan on about ⅓ pound of pork butt per person before cooking, which yields roughly ¼ pound of pulled pork. You’ll want leftovers—most people go back for seconds (or thirds), especially if sandwiches are involved.
Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite barbecue sauce, or just pile it on a plate. I recommend my Memphis BBQ Sauce Recipe—it always disappears first at parties, while the store-bought stuff sits untouched.
As for sides, keep it simple and classic:
- French Fries.
- Potato salad
- Chips
- Cold Macaroni Salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Corn on the Cob
- Cornbread
♨️How to reheat leftover pulled pork?
Spread the pulled pork on a rimmed sheet pan, sprinkle lightly with water (don’t soak it), and cover tightly with foil. Reheat in a 250°–300°F oven for 30 to 45 minutes, or until hot.
The exact time depends on how much pork you’re reheating and how it was shredded. You can keep it warm in a low oven (covered) or transfer it to a slow cooker on the “keep warm” setting.
✅ Pro Tip: Never reheat pulled pork with sauce already applied. The acid in BBQ sauce can break down the texture during reheating—add it on the side at serving.
❄️ Refrigerating and Freezing Leftovers
Store leftover pulled pork in an airtight container—refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.
✅ Important: Always shred the pork before storing. Cold, whole pork butt doesn’t shred well once it firms up.
If freezing, let the shredded pork cool completely first. Then portion it into meal-size amounts and seal flat in zip-top freezer bags—it’ll thaw faster and take up less space.
❓FAQs
I don't, but you can add extra flavor or moisture. Pork butt is already rich and juicy on its own, and I like it to taste like pork butt, not marinade.
Gas grills can use more fuel than you’d expect during long, low-and-slow cooks. Always start with a full tank, and keep a spare ready.
If you run out mid-cook, transfer the pork to a 250°F oven and continue cooking until it reaches the correct internal temperature.
Trimming the fat pad is optional—it mainly reduces the drippings. It doesn’t affect tenderness or moisture.
Fat side up or down? Doesn’t matter. The key to tender pork is melted connective tissue and internal fat, not the surface fat cap.
Despite the name, pork butt (or Boston butt) comes from the upper part of the shoulder, not the rear of the pig. It’s marbled with fat and packed with connective tissue—exactly what you want for tender pulled pork when cooked low and slow.
Pork shoulder (often called picnic shoulder) comes from the lower part of the foreleg. It can work for pulled pork, but it’s tougher and less forgiving.
🐖Pulled Pork Recipes
Oven Pulled Pork Butt
Low and slow in the oven—rub it, bake it at 250°F for 8 to 9 hours, and shred. This is our easiest pulled pork recipe, and it delivers tender meat with great bark and big flavor.
Crock Pot Pulled Pork
This foolproof slow cooker method uses pork butt and a dry rub—no liquid, no searing, just set it and forget it. Add a little liquid smoke if you want that BBQ flavor boost.
👉Pulled Pork Recipes without a Smoker: Looking for more options? Check out all my pulled pork recipes—some use pork butt, others use leaner cuts like pork loin
📖The Recipe Card
Pulled Pork from Pork Butt on a Gas Grill (No Smoker)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 4–6 pounds Pork butt - boneless or bone-in
- 1 cup rub of your choice or my pork butt rub
- 3–4 cups wood chips - type of your choice
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Start with about a cup of the rub of your choice or my suggested rub.
- Apply the rub. If you have time, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least one hour or overnight.
- Set up your gas grill for indirect cooking with a drainage pan. Adjust the burners to get a steady 250°F. 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.
- Smoke for 1-2 hours or more. Cook at approximately 250°F until 195°–200°F minimum, but I prefer 200°–205°F.—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 Notes
Pro Notes:
- The full recipe post has many tips. If you are new to this, please read the post. Then, check the grill setup in How to Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking.
- The estimated cooking time is 1½–2 hours per pound, but smaller pork butts tend to take longer per pound. 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 a 250°F grill surface temperature. You also must be able to check the internal temperature of the meat.
- If you run out of gas, place it on a rimmed baking tray at 250°F until you reach the final temperature.
- You can keep reapplying the smoke, but 1 hour is good. I prefer hickory or apple chips.
- Do not keep opening the grill hood and interrupting the heat. It will take a lot longer to cook. When you must, only quickly open it a little way.
- 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. Many will add yellow mustard as a base on the pork before the rub.
- Done is 200°–205°F internal temperature. Don't settle for under 190°F.
- 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 it 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.
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. 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.
Bobby says
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 says
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 says
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 says
How many propane tanks will I
Have to use ? It is a full tank and I have a 4 lb pork butt.
DrDan says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
I have a 5.5lb boneless loin roast, would the cooking time need adjusted bc its doesnt have a bone? Thanks!
DrDan says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Thanks for sharing. This was really great! My girlfriend and I ended up mixing the brown sugar sauce, same quantity : )
Rob says
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 says
Cut the waiting time to 30 minutes and eat tonight...2 hours is traditional but I have been known to cheat...
Dan
Jason says
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 says
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 says
This looks amazing! That photo with the sauce is truly mouthwatering.
LocalDailySpecials.com says
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 says
The preparation time is agonizing. I can't wait to eat it LOL.