Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Lettuce Cups with Tangy Cabbage Slaw
Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Lettuce Cups are a satisfying, yet low carb weeknight meal with smoky BBQ flavors (without a grill). Tender and juicy pulled pork is nutritious and delicious, layered with flavor! Made with minimal hands-on time, these lettuce cups are paired with a tangy slaw for a bright bite and easy-to-balance meal.
Gluten Free, Soy Free, Egg Free, Nut Free
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the National Pork Board. Thank you for supporting the brands that make the Chelsey Amer Nutrition blog possible.
One of my favorite ways to make balanced eating easy is to share delicious, simple, and flavorful recipes. Because yes, your food should taste good! There’s no need for bland steamed chicken and broccoli with rice when there are SO many better ways to balance your plate.
Food is fuel for your body, but that’s not all it is. One of the reasons I love my job is because I get to share recipes, which are really a way to create memories. Self-care is an important part of overall wellness. It spans physical well-being, mental health and how we fuel our bodies. Cooking with pork can help you create fresh-focused recipes that fit into a nutritious diet and active lifestyle.
And yes, even on a busy weeknight you can create a memorable meal to share with your family. Family meals, without other distractions, are a great way to be purposeful and mindful when eating.
Tips for More Mindful Eating
One of the downfalls of our current world is that we thrive on multitasking. I can’t tell you how often I’m feeding my son lunch and shoving my face with some fuel. At the same time I’m while preparing dinner and answering emails. I’m guilty too! It’s exactly what I encourage my clients to avoid, but that seems to be the reality a lot of times.
Mindful family meals:
- Shut off distractions
- Allow time for connecting
- Slow down your eating speed
- Allow you to connect with your body more
Feeding your body nutritious food is a great place to start as healthy eating can in turn, increase happiness levels and life satisfaction.
We could all slow down a little bit more, and that’s exactly what this recipe around the table will help you do.
These BBQ Pulled Pork Lettuce Cups made in the Instant Pot are a great option for mindful family meals.
Healthy BBQ Pulled Pork Lettuce Cups are…
- Easy to make in just over 1 hour
- Delicious to devour with a mix of juicy pulled pork and crunchy slaw
- Full of smoky BBQ flavor without lighting the grill
- Nutritious – yes, pork can be a nutritious addition to your plate
- Packed with protein
We didn’t eat pork growing up, but now it’s a regular part of our rotation because it’s full of flavor AND nutrients. Pork can be a lean protein that easily fits into a balanced plate.
What Type of Pork Should You Buy For This Recipe?
Pulled pork recipes typically use pork shoulder or pork butt (both are actually parts of the shoulder). These cuts are super flavorful because they do contain more fat.
For a leaner cut you can use pork tenderloin in this recipe. If you do, I suggest cutting down the cooking time, so check the recipe notes.
This recipe works beautifully no matter what cut you use. It’s really up to you and what fits with your goals, tastes, and availability.
No matter which cut you decide to use, I highly recommend buying boneless pork. This makes it much easier to handle at home. However, if your only option is bone-in pork, that’s OK! You can cut the meat off the bone while preparing it (we cut the pork before cooking anyways). Also, when using bone-in pork, be sure to buy a pound more than what’s listed in the recipe (so 4 pounds) because the bone contributes to the weight.
Pork Nutrition
As a dietitian, I couldn’t share a pork recipe without highlighting the nutrients in pork. I truly believe that nutrition shouldn’t be an afterthought. There are always opportunities to be purposeful about what we choose to eat.
Did you know that today’s pork contains up to 16% less fat than years ago? Although pork shoulder or pork butt used in this recipe is not the leanest cut, you could swap in pork tenderloin that’s just as lean as a chicken breast.
Pork is also an excellent source of vitamin B6, thiamin, and selenium, and a good source of potassium and zinc.
How to Balance Your Pulled Pork Plate
Balancing your plate is at the heart of my nutrition philosophy simply because it works. But that doesn’t mean that every meal has to be balanced exactly the same.
Because pulled pork is such a hearty meal, I wanted to keep it light in lettuce cups, topped with a tangy slaw. Serving alongside tons of veggies and adding minimal fat helps balance your plate. The low carb lettuce cups feel balanced and satisfying to me, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only way to serve pulled pork. See below for more serving suggestions.
Ingredients to Make BBQ Pulled Pork Lettuce Cups
If you make many of my recipes, this ingredient list may look longer than most. However, I promise you likely have most of the ingredients at home if you have a well-stocked spice cabinet.
After the spice rub (which we’ll get to in a second), there are only 4 ingredients for the pork. Plus, the tangy slaw to serve alongside it only has a handful of ingredients.
So let’s talk about this spice rub…
BBQ Pulled Pork Spice Rub
Spices are such an underrated way to add flavor to food. This BBQ pulled pork recipe is generously flavored with a spice rub AND barbecue sauce. By letting the pork marinate in the spice rub you can actually use less sauce in the end without skimping on flavor.
To make the spice rub you’ll combine:
- Brown sugar or coconut sugar
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Garlic powder
- Dried oregano
- Dried thyme
- Cayenne pepper
- Salt
- Black pepper
You can double, triple, or quadruple this spice rub recipe and store it with other spices in an airtight container for months.
What BBQ Sauce Should You Use?
People often stay away from BBQ sauce because it’s a condiment that’s high in sugar, but a little bit goes a long way and adds not just flavor, but the sauciness that pulled pork requires.
Plus, there are many low sugar sauces now available on supermarket shelves, if that’s what you prefer.
How to Make BBQ Pulled Pork Lettuce Cups with Tangy Slaw
I cannot believe this is the FIRST Instant Pot recipe I’m sharing on my blog. I honestly wasn’t going to get into Instant Pot recipes because there are SO many great Instant Pot blogs out there, but it’s just too easy to make pulled pork in the Instant Pot compared to the oven or grill (where it takes HOURS).
If you’ve thought of getting an Instant Pot or haven’t used yours yet, let’s dust it off! I was really intimidated by my Instant Pot for years, so I literally did not take it out of the box for at least 2 years. Then I read several recipes and guides online, which were super helpful! Now, it’s a fun kitchen appliance to use when I don’t want to turn on the oven or save time.
Here’s how to make BBQ Pulled Pork Lettuce Cups in just a few easy steps:
- Season your pork – the spice rub is deeeelicious! You can cook the pork immediately, but I think it’s best to let it marinate in the spice rub for at least an hour or overnight.
- Brown the meat – don’t skip this step! And yes, you can do it right in your Instant Pot so you’re not dirtying more dishes.
- Cook your meat – turn the pot to Manual High for one hour. It should fall apart when it’s done.
- Prep your slaw – serving with a tangy slaw adds a bright crunch, and you can prep it while your meat cooks
- Shred your pork – you can’t get pulled pork without “pulling it.” Let your meat rest for several minutes before you shred it.
- Add the sauce – you honestly can skip the sauce the rub packs so much flavor, but I like to add just enough without the protein swimming in sauce.
- Assemble your lettuce cups and serve – this could be a fun way to get your kids involved in the meal too, if they’re old enough.
How do you know if your pork is done cooking?
Great question, I’m so glad you asked!
Pork is considered fully cooked and safe to eat with the internal temperature reaches 145°F with a three-minute rest. For this recipe using pork shoulder, the meat should be tender and fall apart when it’s done cooking, which will be around 170° F.
Using a digital meat thermometer (like this one) is the most reliable way to check your pork. It’s inexpensive and so useful.
For more information on pork cooking temperatures, check this out.
What Should You Do with Leftover Pulled Pork?
This recipe makes A LOT of pulled pork, so you’ll likely have leftovers.
Here are some ideas of what to do with leftovers… You can make pulled pork:
- Sandwiches
- Stuffed baked potatoes
- Tacos
- Burritos and burrito bowls
- And so much more
So let’s get cooking…
PrintInstant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Lettuce Cups with Tangy Cabbage Slaw
Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Lettuce Cups are a satisfying, yet low carb weeknight meal with smoky BBQ flavors (without a grill). Tender and juicy pulled pork is nutritious and delicious, layered with flavor! Made with minimal hands-on time, these lettuce cups are paired with a tangy slaw for a bright bite and easy-to-balance meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3–4-pound boneless pork shoulder, butt, or tenderloin roast, excess fat trimmed
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3/4 cup barbecue sauce, divided
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
For the Tangy Cabbage Slaw:
- 6 cups red cabbage, shredded
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Optional: 1 ½ teaspoons honey
Instructions
For the BBQ Pulled Pork:
- Create pork spice rub by combining sugar, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
- After trimming the excess fat off of the pork, cut pork butt/shoulder/tenderloin into 3 pieces. Rub half of the spice rub all over the pork. Cover the pork and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.
- Add oil to Instant Pot and turn on sauté. Once oil is hot, brown all sides of the pork, about 1-2 minutes on each side. You may have to work in batches if all pork doesn’t fit on the bottom of your Instant Pot. Once browned, remove pork and set on a clean plate. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Add ½ cup water to the Instant Pot and scrape off the brown bits on the bottom of your Instant Pot insert using a rubber spatula. Then mix in ¼ cup barbecue sauce and apple cider vinegar. Place the pork back inside the Instant Pot.
- Close the lid on your Instant Pot and seal the steam release valve. Cook on high pressure for 1 hour. While the pork cooks, make the Tangy Cabbage Slaw (recipe below).
- When done cooking, let sit for 15-20 minutes to let the steam release naturally. Then release the steam by carefully turning the valve to the venting position. I like to use a spoon or potholder to do this to avoid any accidents. The pork should be very easy to shred when it’s done cooking. If the pork does not shred easily, cook more an additional 15 minutes.
- Using large tongs, transfer the pork to a large bowl and shred using 2 forks. Add remaining barbecue sauce and mix together.
- To serve, assemble lettuce cups by layering pulled pork and cabbage slaw. Enjoy!
For the Tangy Cabbage Slaw:
- In a small bowl, combine Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, black pepper, and honey (if desired). Mix until uniform consistency forms. Set aside.
- Add cabbage to a large bowl and toss with dressing. Refrigerate until pork is done cooking.
Don’t Forget to PIN IT…
XO