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Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin – BBQ Style

This Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin will become a meal plan staple! It makes a ton, is easily adapted for whatever seasoning you love, and it’ll be a huge hit with kids and adults. Check out this tasty Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin – BBQ style.

This easy and delicious Instant Pot BBQ Pork Tenderloin makes enough to feed a large family with leftovers and tastes amazing. See how easy it is to get this meal on the table and tasting like you cooked it for hours! It will become a new family favorite for sure!

An instant pot in \"on-mode\" on a granite countertop.

If you’re on the fence about an Instant Pot, just do it!! I’m so glad I finally tried it. And I’ll admit, it’s a little daunting at first. It’s not like my slow cooker that you just take out of the box and use. There’s a tiny learning curve, but you’ll be so glad you tried. 

Pulled pork is delicious. But. We don’t have a smoker. And I don’t have hours and hours to smoke meat.  So I was very skeptical about this one. I intended to buy a pork butt or pork roast, but on my shopping day, they were all sold out.

But they did have huge pork tenderloins on sale. I got a 3.3 pound tenderloin for $9.81. I was wary about using a tenderloin for pulled pork, but it worked perfectly.

Since this is my first go-around with an Instant Pot and this recipe, I’ve got nothing to compare it to. I also took the easy way out and used store-bought dry rub and store-bought sauce. Maybe one day I’ll make my own, but this is what I had for now.

A bottle of BBQ sauce, a bottle of BBQ seasoning, and a package of pork tenderloin on a cutting board on a granite countertop.

So let’s get to it! I like pulled pork spicy with a vinegar type sauce. I used a Private Selection brand dry rub that is called “Memphis Inspired Seasoning Rub” and Johnny Harris BBQ Sauce.

Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin Ingredients

  • 3 pounds or more of pork tenderloin
  • 1 cup of chicken broth
  • dry rub
  • 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
  • BBQ sauce
  • Olive oil for searing

How to Make Pork Tenderloin in the Instant Pot in One Hour!!

  • Cut your pork tenderloin into 3 or 4 large pieces and coat each in dry rub. I had no clue how much to use so I just sprinkled it liberally all over and then added all the pieces to a zip lock bag and mashed it around some to get it all over the pork
  • Let sit in the fridge for about 45 minutes
  • Plug in your pot
  • Press Saute’
  • Wait for the display to say “hot”
  • Add two tablespoons of olive oil and let it heat up a few minutes – mine splattered some so I used a splatter screen over the top
  • Use tongs to place the meat in the pot and sear on each side for 2 minutes including the edges. I had to do this a few pieces at a time to give my pork room. Each time I covered it again with the splatter screen  – this isn’t part of the Instant Pot – I already had one.
  • When you’re done searing, remove all meat to a clean plate and you’re left with this:
    Crispy bits and drippings left at the bottom of an Instant Pot after searing pork tenderloin.
  • Don’t freak out. You can fix that right up in no time. Press “cancel” to turn off the pot. Add 1/2-1 cup of chicken stock to the pot and use a wooden flat ended utensil to scrape all those bits off. It took me a few minutes, but they all came off. Leave all of this in the pot. It adds tons of flavor. 
  • Now add around 3/4 cup of chicken stock, 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce, and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Stir together.
  • Add the meat back to the pot in a single layer if possible. Close and lock the lid. Turn the knob on top to “sealing”.
Cooked pork tenderloin pieces in their juices in an Instant Pot.
  • Press “Pressure Cook” and use the + sign to increase the minutes to one hour. And walk away and finish the rest of your meal prepping or whatever else because you’re pretty much done with this!
  • When the timer goes off, leave the pot alone. It will release the pressure on its own. When it’s done, you’ll see the pressure valve go back down. It’s the little silver cylinder on the lid. Once the valve goes down, you can open your pot. Don’t open it before.  You can manually release the pressure, but be careful because the steam will be super hot – use a dishtowel.
  • I intentionally don’t manually release the pressure – I use that extra 20 minutes or so to fix sides, drinks, etc. But, if you truly want a one hour meal, manually release the pressure.
  • Remove the pork and shred with two forks. My pork tenderloin just fell apart. I barely got it out of the pot without it tearing apart.
Hunks of cooked pork tenderloin in a white casserole baking dish on a granite countertop.
  • I’ll be honest – you don’t even need sauce with this one.  But add it if you like. I did try some of the leftover cooking liquid, but it was too greasy for my taste. I poured a bit of store bought BBQ sauce over it and it was amazing. 
Over-head shot of shredded pork tenderloin in a white baking dish on a kitchen countertop.

Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin Cost 

I spent $9.81 on pork, $3 on buns, and $4 on BBQ sauce – the rest was in my pantry. But, this meal can feed an army. Eat it plain or serve on buns with a side salad. I’m using mine in my meal prep this week for lunches!

I got these handy meal prep containers from Amazon! Ignore my messy counters, but meal prep day isn’t generally full of Instagram worthy pics!

Shredded pork with tomatoes and sliced cucumbers in black meal prep containers on a kitchen counter.

Shop Instant Pots Here

Instant Pot Pulled Pork Tenderloin in a serving dish on a kitchen countertop.

I think my favorite part about this whole Instant Pot craze is clean up.  All the removable parts are dishwasher safe. My pot looks brand new after washing. It’s seriously that easy. I was very nervous since I wasn’t using the traditional cut of pork that’s generally used in pulled pork.

However, this one is a winner. It even got a huge seal of approval from my BBQ loving husband!  It’s easy and quick and this $20 meal will make at least 12 meals if not more.

I know it’s only my first attempt, but so far this Instant Pot is a winner in my book. You’ll be seeing lots more in the coming weeks! Be sure to get on the list so you can learn right along with me!

Do you want more Instant Pot Recipes?

Don’t miss these 11 easy chicken recipes for the instant pot. You’ll find ideas like instant pot chicken and dumplings, instant pot chicken fettuccine alfredo, and more!

Or one of my favorite go-to sites for Instant Pot recipes particularly for beginners is Whole Lotta Yum – there are endless choices there!

Don’t forget to Pin It for Later!
Pinterest graphic with text that reads \"Instant Pot Pulled Pork Tenderloin\" and a white dish filled with shredded pork.

For more dinner ideas:

Low Carb Dinner Ideas

The Best Vegetable Beef Stew

Keto Crockpot Recipes

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Donna

Sunday 18th of June 2023

Can't wait to try that

Colleen

Sunday 5th of March 2023

Can I use water or pineapple juice instead of chicken stock

create and find

Tuesday 7th of March 2023

I've never tried it but I don't see why not?

Cindy

Thursday 26th of January 2023

After pulling the pork, I add extra BBQ sauce or some degreased juices from the pot and roast the meat on high heat (400 degrees or so) or carefully broil it to simulate the crispy caramelization you get when you actually smoke the meat.

create and find

Monday 30th of January 2023

That sounds amazing - I'll definitely try it next time I make this - thanks for the tip!

Kim

Saturday 9th of April 2022

I've made this twice now and both times it came out really tough do you put your instant pot on low medium or high that might be the problem

Becki Paulson

Tuesday 30th of November 2021

I made this recipe tonight. My family ate it, but my husband said I needed to cook mine 10 minutes less. I used to smaller pork loins. Did the bottom of your pot get burnt?

create and find

Friday 3rd of December 2021

Hey there!

I’m thinking maybe cutting the time would be perfect if you have smaller cuts. I usually have to stuff mine in and use enough liquid. If you don’t then your pot can burn. Hope this helps!