Smoked pork butt is the king of backyard BBQ. This recipe walks you through how to create tender, juicy pulled pork with deep smoky flavor, a perfect bark, and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Whether you’re using a pellet grill, offset smoker, or charcoal setup, this guide covers everything from prep to shredding. Smoked low and slow, pork shoulder is the way to go if you’re looking for something that’s easy to make and hits your tastebuds perfectly no matter how it’s served. 

How to Choose The Best Pork Shoulder for Smoking

What’s the most commonly ordered meal when you hit a barbeque restaurant? You bet, the pulled pork. What makes it so good? 

 Quality Cut Matters.

Aside from a proper smoke time and temperature, it’s the fat. 

Consider purchasing your pork shoulder from your local butcher. The fresher the better. 

When purchasing your pork shoulder, look for one that is pink in color and has some marbling (that marbling is the fat that gives the pork so much flavor). Another purchasing tip: consider using a bone-in shoulder. It’ll give you the perfect “fall off the bone” roast you’re looking for.

Is There a Difference Between a Pork Shoulder and a Pork Butt?

No, there isn’t, both come from the shoulder of the pig—if your cut is labeled a pork butt, it’s higher up on the foreleg.  

How to Make Smoked Pork Shoulder

The secret to making the best smoked pork shoulder is to keep it moist. Dry pork ends up being tossed in barbeque sauces and doesn’t get the attention it truly deserves. 

In order to create a moist smoked shoulder, we recommend a pork injection using a meat injector. This is done the night prior to smoking. It’s easy to do, in fact, you can pick up a cheap injector at your local grocery store. Just toss the injection ingredients together, inject it into the pork shoulder, and let it take in all the juices for the evening. 

Pork Shoulder Temperature

After you’ve let your pork shoulder sit overnight, you’ll want to preheat your smoker. Preheat your smoker to 225°F. Smoking at the correct temperature gives the pork the best texture and the best flavor. 

A Pork Butt Recipe Secret: The Rub Down

While you wait for your smoker to preheat, rub down your pork butt with spices to really enhance the flavor. 

Spice rubs are all the rage for meats that are smoked, grilled, roasted, etc. But there’s a secret to the perfect rub: mustard. 

The acidity in the mustard will tenderize the meat. 

After you’ve coated your pork shoulder in the mustard, you can add your favorite rub to all sides of the pork. My favorite ingredients to add to a pork rub include: 

• Sweet Paprika
• Ground Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Cayenne Pepper, and
• Garlic Powder

Smoked Pork Butt: Timing is Key

Smoked pork shoulder requires patience. Not because it’s difficult to do, but because the smoking process can take anywhere between 15-20 hours.

For every pound of meat, you’ll want to leave in it the smoker for 120 minutes. The time may vary based on the consistency of your smoker and the size of the pork shoulder. 

Once your pork shoulder has reached an internal temperature of 190-201°F, it’s ready to be taken out of the smoker. 

But don’t start shredding yet. 

To lock in all the flavors, wrap the pork butt in foil and let it rest for at least an hour. 

When should you shred your Pulled Pork?

Finally, you can begin shredding your pork butt has rested for at least 1 hour and is cool enough to handle.

I usually prefer to use my hands, but you can also use two forks to shred the meat apart.

Make sure you remove any bones and excess fat from the pan and add juices or additional seasoning for that extra added flavor.

What do you serve with Pulled Pork Sandwiches?

You can always serve a traditional coleslaw, potato salad, or french fries, but the sky is the limit when it comes to the variety of BBQ side dishes that could pair nicely with pulled pork sandwiches.

Interested in brining or injecting your pork shoulder? Check out my recipes: Pork Shoulder Brine and Pork Shoulder Injection.

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Smoked Pork Butt Recipe

Smoked pork shoulder (pork butt) is one of those recipes that is a masterpiece of its own. Smoked low and slow, pork shoulder is the way to go if you’re looking for something that’s easy to make and hits your tastebuds perfectly no matter how it’s served. 

Course Smoked Recipes

Cuisine Smoked Meats

Keyword Smoked Pork Butt

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 hours hours

Additional Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 15 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 1 person per ½ pound

Calories 4035kcal

Author Mark Rogers

Ingredients

• 8-10 pound bone-in pork shoulder pork butt
• Yellow Mustard enough to coat exterior

Spice Rub

• ¼ Cup Sweet Paprika
• 2 Tablespoons Ground Black Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Dry Mustard
• ½ Teaspoon Chili Powder
• ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• ½ Teaspoon Cayenne Powder

Pork Injection

• 1 cup Apple Juice
• 2 tablespoons Kosher Salt
• ½ cup Water
• ½ cup Brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon of paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
• ¼ cup Apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup Amesphos phosphates

Instructions

• Prepare and season your pork shoulder a day before you are planning to smoke your pork shoulder. 
• Remove your roast from the packaging and wipe it down on all sides with paper towels, allow to rest for an hour.
• Coat the entire exterior of the pork shoulder with the yellow mustard.
• Season your pork shoulder on all sides, top, and bottom, with the spice rub. 
• Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F for indirect smoking.
• Place your seasoned pork butt on the smoker fat side up.
• Close the lid and smoke the pork until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 195 degrees F. You can cook to 201 degrees F if you like softer pork. This process can take anywhere between 15-20 hours, depending on the consistency of heat in your smoker and the size of your pork shoulder.
• Remove the pork shoulder from the smoker and wrap tightly in foil. Allow the roast to rest for at least an hour before shredding.
• Pull apart the shoulder, discarding any chunks of fat or gristle. Sprinkle the roast with an additional tablespoon or so of the spice rub.

Notes

If you wish to speed the cook process up, you can pull the pork butt at 165 and wrap it in foil and put it back on the smoker in order for it to cook faster and get through the stall.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 4035kcal | Carbohydrates: 168g | Protein: 446g | Fat: 168g | Saturated Fat: 56g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g | Monounsaturated Fat: 75g | Cholesterol: 1483mg | Sodium: 17736mg | Potassium: 9028mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 136g | Vitamin A: 14633IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 605mg | Iron: 38mg

All you pitmasters need to check out my other recipes:

• Smoked Brisket Recipe Techniques (Temperature and Time) 
• How to Smoke Sausage on Smoker – Smoked Sausage Recipe 
• Smoked Turkey Recipe

The post Smoked Pork Butt (Pulled Pork) — Tender, Juicy, and Easy appeared first on Pit Nation BBQ.

Looking for a new cut of meat to smoke? Traeger Burnt Ends is your answer. With the unique layers of fat and meat, it is one of the only proteins that is cut small and smoked, but doesn’t dry out at all.

Pork Belly comes from the same cut of meat as bacon, so you know it’s going to be delicious. If you find Pork Belly Burnt Ends on a menu at a restaurant, chances are there is only a small amount available and the demand is high. You probably won’t find it on display at your local grocery, but you may be able to ask the butcher if they have any in the back. Basically, everyone knows it’s incredible, so it’s difficult to come by, but definitely worth it.

Do you love your smoked like we do? Don’t miss these favorites, Traeger Smoked Chicken Wings, Barbacoa Recipe, Traeger Smoked 321 Ribs.

Ingredients for Traeger Burnt Ends

This is just a quick run-down, so be sure to check the full recipe for details.

• Pork Belly – If you can’t seem to locate it at the grocery, ask the butcher if they have any in the back. The final product will be cubed pork belly, but when you purchase it, it won’t be cubed. It’ll look like uncut bacon.

Seasoning Rub

Sauce

• Dark Brown Sugar – Used in the sauce, it provides part of the sugar base that will create the crust for the meat and stickiness for the sauce.
• Honey – The other part of the sugar base, honey will keep the sauce thick and sweet. It also helps even out the flavors.
• Texas BBQ Sauce – This is a less sweet version of BBQ sauce. 
• Unsalted Butter – The crisping agent, the butter will help the Pork Belly Burnt Ends have that bark that is so delicious on smoked meat.

How to Make Traeger Burnt Ends

Start by throwing together the spices for the rub. Use a fork or a whisk and get it all mixed together well. 

Take the pork belly out of the fridge and cut it into cubes. Toss the cubes with the seasoning rub and lay them out on a cookie sheet.

Preheat the smoker and add wood chips to start the smoke when it reaches 225 degrees. Place a drip pan with some water in it under the grates to catch any drippings. 

Put the pork belly on the grates (fat side up) for up to a couple of hours then transfer the cubes to a pan and top them with your brown sugar, honey, and BBQ sauce. Slice the butter and add it to the top, covering with foil and placing it back in the smoker. Stir the cubes every 30 minutes for a few hours then serve immediately once the internal temperature is at a minimum of 190.

How Long Should I Smoke Pork Belly Burnt Ends?

Once you have the pork belly prepared and the smoker temperature up to 225 F, you’ll place the pork belly directly onto the grates and smoke them until the internal temperature reaches 165 F, which should take 1-2 hours.

After you’ve added the sauce and covered the pork belly, you’ll put them back in the smoker for about two more hours until the internal temperature is between 190 F and 205 F. 

The total smoking time will likely be anywhere between 3-4 hours. It all depends on that internal temperature.

While the Pork Belly Burnt Ends are cooking, add one these side dishes to the grill.

• Grilled Corn on the Cob
• Grilled Asparagus
• For Dessert – Grilled Peaches

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Traeger Pork Belly Burnt Ends

For all you bacon-lovers out there, you have got to try this Pork Belly Burnt Ends Recipe. It’s everything you love about bacon in a delicious sauce and smoked until it melts in your mouth.

Course BBQ, Smoked Recipes

Cuisine BBQ

Keyword bbq burnt ends, pork belly burnt ends, Traeger Burnt Ends

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 1951kcal

Author Mark Rogers

Equipment

• Wood Reccomendations Apple, Pecan

Ingredients

• 4 pounds pork belly

Seasoning Rub

• ¼ cup smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon cayenne powder

Sauce

• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 ½ cups Texas BBQ sauce
• ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients of the dry rub together in a small bowl using a fork or a whisk.
  
• Slice refrigerated pork belly into 1 ½ inch cubes.
• Toss the pork belly cubes together with the seasoning rub and transfer to cooking sheet
  
• Bring the temperature of the smoker up to 225 F. Add the wood chips to start the smoke and place an aluminum drip pan with a few inches of water under the grates to catch drippings.
• Place the pork belly fat side up on the grates and smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, which will take 1-2 hours.
  
• Transfer Pork Belly cubes to an aluminum pan and top with brown sugar, honey and BBQ sauce
• Slice butter and add to top
  
• Cover with aluminum foil and place back on the smoker at 225 F.
  
• Stir Pork Belly cubes every 30 minutes for 2 hours until the Burnt Ends internal temperature reaches at least 190F up to 205F.
• Serve immediately. Store leftovers in refrigerator

Nutrition

Serving: 225g | Calories: 1951kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 178g | Saturated Fat: 68g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Monounsaturated Fat: 79g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 258mg | Sodium: 867mg | Potassium: 937mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 3356IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 4mg

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