Traeger Smoked Pulled Pork

It may seem daunting to cook this Traeger Smoked Pulled Pork for 5-6 hours but if you’ve got a day at home doing spring cleaning or catching up on chores/yard work, fire up the Traeger and let it do the work for you. I set the prob temperature to alert me at each step and used the WiFire through the app to keep an eye on temperature and pellet levels. I can barely take any credit for how dayummmm good this recipe is because the Traeger did all the work! Take time to invest in yourself and a yummy meal for the week. This Traeger Smoked Pulled Pork gave us about 8 servings/sandwiches, and those are Well-Fed Fraser servings!

The grocery list.

Nothing beats pulled pork with a delicious, homemade BBQ sauce. 

For the Traeger Smoked Pulled Pork.

• ButcherBox Boneless Pork Shoulder – ButcherBox has delicious, high-quality meats that are delivered right to your doorstep!
• Salt – Pork shoulder is such a fatty, flavorful meat, it doesn’t need much added to it to make it delicious. A little salt, pepper and garlic powder will get the job done and won’t mask any of the natural deliciousness of the meat. 
• Pepper – I love the little punch of flavor that pepper adds to any dish. 
• Garlic powder – A savory flavor base. 

For the BBQ sauce.

• Olive oil – To sauté the jalapeño, onion and garlic. 
• Jalapeño – Deseed and dice your jalapeño so it doesn’t overpower your BBQ sauce with spice. 
• Brown onion – The onion and garlic will create a savory base of flavor for your homemade BBQ sauce. 
• Garlic clove – Garlic has a very powerful flavor, so one clove is more than enough for this sauce. 
• Brown sugar – Brown sugar adds a hint of sweetness that blends well with the smokiness of the meat. 
• Smoked paprika – I love smoked paprika. It adds a hint of smokiness that compliments the Traeger Smoked Pulled Pork. 
• Cumin – Cumin adds a warm, earthy flavor to the BBQ sauce. 
• Ketchup – Ketchup adds a slight tartness to the BBQ sauce. 
• Apple cider vinegar – Every sauce needs an acidic ingredient. If you don’t have ACV, you can use lemon juice or white vinegar. 
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce – Worcestershire sauce makes up a lot of the flavor in BBQ sauce. 
• 12 oz beer – Any beer will work, but I recommend an Athletic Brewing Company beer. 

The preparation.

Preheat the Traeger Grill to 250°F. While the grill preheats, prepare the pork shoulder.

Pat pork shoulder dry with paper towels, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Patting your meat down before cooking it will reduce the amount of moisture that it releases while it cooks and will allow your meat to develop a crispier outside.

Smoke the pork shoulder for about 3 hours until internal temp reads 160°F.

At 160°F internal temp, remove the pork shoulder and wrap in aluminum foil or butcher’s paper. At this point in the cooking process, covering the meat will allow it to retain some moisture so your end result isn’t dry.

Return the meat to the smoker for an additional 2-3 hours, until the internal temp reads 204°F.

Once to temperature, remove your Traeger Smoked Pulled Pork from the grill and allow it to rest in a cooler for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil/paper and save the liquid. Place the pork on a baking sheet and shred it with two forks, discard any excess fat. Use the reserved liquid 1 tablespoon at a time to moisten the pork as needed.

To make the BBQ sauce, add the olive oil to a sauce pan over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the jalapeño, olin and garlic. Cook down until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer 20 minutes. Using a handheld immersion blender, blend until smooth. Cook an additional 5 minutes over low heat.

Serve the Traeger Smoked Pulled Pork over white rice with BBQ sauce or inside a toasted bun with crunchy slaw.

Reheating options.

This Traeger Smoked Pulled Pork reheats very well. It can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container until it’s ready to eat again. Heat it in your oven on the convection bake setting in a covered container for 10-15 minutes. Covering the container with aluminum foil will prevent the pork from drying out too much.

Looking for more Traeger Grills recipes? Here are a few to try:

BACON WRAPPED BANANA PEPPERS STUFFED W/ SWEET POTATO

SANTA MARIA TRI-TIP

GARLIC ROASTED CHICKEN WITH CHARRED LEMON CHIMICHURRI & CHARRED ONIONS

Lastly, if you make this Traeger Smoked Pulled Pork recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a comment! Above all, I love to hear from ya’ll and do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of your dayyyummm good recreations is my favorite!

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