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hands holding smoked bbq pulled pork on a bun with white plate and chips.
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4.91 from 10 votes

Smoking Pulled Pork

This AMAZINGLY juicy and tender BBQ Smoked Pulled Pork is made on a GAS grill! Get that unique smoky flavor you love without investing in an actual smoker. It's an easy recipe that is pretty hands-off. The flavor is legit. The meat just falls apart, and you get that crispy blackened edge that only comes from outdoor cooking!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time6 hours
Marinating time6 hours
Total Time12 hours 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 567kcal
Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

For the rub/marinade

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt use 2 and 1/2 teaspoons if using table salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar packed

Pork and equipment

  • 3 tablepoons olive oil for rubbing on meat
  • 5 to 7 pound pork butt or pork shoulder leave the fat cap on
  • 4 cups hickory wood chips
  • heavy duty tin foil OR a smoker box
  • 2 disposable metal pie pans
  • 6 cups water for pie pans
  • 1 9x13 disposable metal pan
  • meat thermometer not optional
  • at least half a tank of propane
  • oven/grill thermometer for gauging temperature of the grill

To serve

  • barbecue sauce homemade or store bought
  • brioche buns if you're making sandwiches
  • butter softened
  • Coleslaw <-- my favorite recipe everrr

Instructions

  • Choose your pork. A pork shoulder is great, but a pork butt (sometimes called Boston Butt) is better. They are similar cuts of meat and have all the fat and connective tissues we need to break down into a tender and juicy pulled pork (Butts have just a little more). Use a bone-in butt or shoulder if you can find it, but boneless if fine too. Choose one that is well marbled with white fat.
  • Marinate with spice rub. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 tablespoon paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder, and 1/3 cup packed brown sugar. Measure out 3 tablespoons of this mixture and set aside in a small ziplock or covered bowl; you will need it later.
  • Use paper towels to dry off your pork as best you can. Massage 3 tablespoons olive oil into the meat, making sure it's well distributed. Use your hands to rub the spices (all but the 3 tablespoons) into the meat, getting every nook and cranny and under every flap. Place in a large ziplock bag and seal (I love these 2 gallon bags).
  • Marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or up to 48 hours.
  • Prepare for grilling. We need to have a home for the wood chips we are smoking. You can use a purchased smoker box, or make a homemade version using heavy duty tin foil. Skip to whichever method you are using:
  • Smoker box instructions: Add 4 cups dry hickory wood chips to your smoker box, or however much will fit. Remove the grates from your grill and place the smoker box directly on the primary burner. (You may need to remove the heat plate entirely from your grill).
  • Heavy duty tin foil instructions: Use large sheets of heavy duty foil to make two foil packets, each filled with about 2 cups dry wood chips. See photos. Your packets should be about 8x5 inches. Make sure the chips do not puncture the foil, and that it is well sealed. Cut a 2-inch slit on either side of the top of the packets. This will allow smoke to escape, and oxygen in to feed our chips.
    Place the foil packet on top of the grill grates over the primary burner.
  • Once you have either your smoker box or foil packets in place, remove the grill grate on the other side. Fill the two metal pie plates with 3 cups of water each, and place them either directly on the burner, or on top of the heat plate. (This water is there to catch any drips, preventing flare ups, and also creates a great moist environment so our pork doesn't dry out.) Replace the grill grates on both sides.
    You should have your smoker box or foil packets on one side of the grill (where there will be direct heat), and 2 pans of water on the other side, where your pork will be placed over indirect heat.
  • Turn on all the burners to high heat if using a smoker box, or turn all the burners to medium if using foil packets. Close the lid, and let it heat up for about 10-15 minutes. Your wood chips should be smoking. Now you are ready to place the meat on the grill.
  • Prepare the meat. Take your marinated pork out of the ziplock bag. Rub the remaining 3 tablespoons of spice mixture into the meat.
  • Place the meat on the grill: Turn off the burners below the pans of water, and turn the primary burners (where the smoke is) to medium heat. Make sure your grill grates are clean from debris. Oil the grill grates that are over the pans of water. (I dip a crumpled paper towel into a small bowl of oil, and rub it on the grill grates.) Place your pork on the oiled grates, with the fat cap on top.
    Make sure the two burners directly below the pork are OFF. The two other burners should be turned down to medium or lower (we want the heat at 300 degrees F).
  • Smoke the pork for about 1 hour, maintaining a grill temperature of about 300 degrees. Come back and adjust it as necessary. This pork needs to cook low and slow. Use an oven thermometer set inside your grill to gauge the temperature if your grill doesn't have a built in thermometer. Check to make sure your wood chips are still smoking (turn heat up a bit momentarily to get them to smoke again if necessary, returning the heat back down to maintain 300 degrees F.)
  • Your wood chips will smoke for about an hour. Once they stop smoking, you can remove them from the grill, let cool completely, and toss in the trash. If you like a very smokey flavor for your pork, make two more foil packets (or fill your smoker box) and repeat the process. (I didn't repeat and thought it turned out great. Meat is able to absorb a lot more smoke in the beginning of the cooking process, so early smoke is most important.)
    At this point, transfer the pork to a disposable 9x13 inch pan so that we can catch the juices. Return the pan to the same spot on the grill over the water and over indirect heat.
  • Continue grilling for another 4 to 7 hours, maintaining a grill temperature of about 300 degrees the whole time (adjust as necessary!)
    Your meat is done when the internal temperature of the meat is between 195 and 200 degrees F. (Lower than 195 and your pork will be tough; much higher than 200 and your pork will get dried out.)
  • Remove the pan from the grill and let rest for about 20 minutes, tented with foil. Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Pour any pan juices into a fat separator. (this is to add back into the shredded pork later, or into your BBQ sauce)
  • Shred the pork using two forks. It should be just completely falling apart. Remove any gristle, but please, do not discard all the fat. Shred it up and toss it in with the meat. Fat=flavor, and that slow bbq'd fat is part of what makes pulled pork so amazing. (You don't throw out the strips of fat on bacon, do you? I think not. Show your pork some respect.) Pour some of the pan juices back into the shredded meat, but not all of it. Don't drown your pork so much that the crispy edges soften. You worked hard for that bark!
  • Eat as is. I swear, it doesn't even need a sauce, especially when it's fresh. But of course homemade BBQ sauce is delicious. (It's even more delicious if you add in some of the smoky pan juices that you saved, if there is any leftover). Toss about 1 to 2 cups homemade or store bought sauce with the pulled pork. Serve warm.
  • Make a sandwich: To make the best pulled pork sandwich of your life, butter both sides of a brioche bun. Heat another tablespoon of butter in a pan over medium heat on the stove. Toast the buns for 2-4 minutes, until lightly golden.
  • Add shredded pork to your bun. Top with BBQ sauce, if desired. Top with an unreasonable amount of lemony herb coleslaw, if you're like me. Smash with the top of your toasty brioche bun and devour messily. If you are not qualifying for a Carl's Jr. commercial by the end of eating this thing, you're not doing it right.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftovers will dry out over time, so BBQ sauce is more important at this stage. It will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge.
  • Pulled pork freezes beautifully. Seal in a ziplock bag (with or without BBQ sauce mixed in). It will freeze for up to 3-4 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight. Heat leftovers in the microwave, or in a tin foil covered pan in an oven set to 300 for about 20-40 minutes, depending on how much there is.

Notes

Remember to start grilling your pork well before your event! It's easier to reheat completed pulled pork than to speed up the cooking process. Don't cut it close!
Try this pulled pork made in the slow cooker or oven! It's the same ingredient list but different cooking methods. Bring on the easy.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 72g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 227mg | Potassium: 1379mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 824IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 6mg