If you're looking for a pulled pork recipe that brings something a little different to the smoker, this Root Beer Pulled Pork is it. A long root beer marinade gives the pork shoulder a subtle sweetness, while a generous BBQ seasoning crust and low and slow smoking creates that deep, smoky flavor we all love.
But the real star might be the homemade root beer BBQ sauce. Made with root beer, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, molasses, yellow mustard, garlic, and seasoning, this sauce is sweet, tangy, smoky, and packed with flavor.
The pork is smoked at 225°F until it reaches 175°F, wrapped, and then finished at 300°F until it reaches 200°F and is probe tender. After an hour rest, the pork practically falls apart and is ready for sandwiches, tacos, nachos, loaded fries, or your favorite BBQ spread.
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Why I Love This Recipe
- Sweet and smoky flavor: Root beer adds a subtle sweetness that works incredibly well with smoked pork.
- Easy homemade BBQ sauce: The sauce comes together in about 15 minutes.
- Great for a crowd: Pork shoulder makes plenty of servings for parties, tailgates, and backyard BBQs.
Ingredients
- Pork shoulder butt roast
- Root beer
- BBQ seasoning (or Ninjacue All Night BBQ Seasoning)
- Root beer
- Ketchup
- Worcestershire sauce
- Brown sugar
- Molasses
- Yellow mustard
- Garlic paste
- Salt pepper garlic seasoning (or Ninjacue All Day Seasoning)
See recipe card for quantities.
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Instructions
Step 1: Marinate the Pork
Place the pork shoulder in a large container and pour the root beer over the pork.
Refrigerate and allow the pork to marinate for 24 hours.
Step 2: Season the Pork
After marinating, remove the pork from the root beer and pat it completely dry with paper towels.
Generously coat all sides of the pork shoulder with BBQ seasoning.
step 3: Smoke the Pork
Preheat your smoker to 225°F. and place the seasoned pork shoulder on. Cook for approximately 1 hour per pound as a general guideline.
The internal temperature is more important than the clock. Smoke the pork until it reaches approximately 175°F internal temperature.
Step 4: Rest the Pork
Once the pork reaches 175°F, carefully wrap it tightly in foil.
Increase the smoker temperature to 300°F and continue cooking until the pork reaches approximately 200°F internal temperature.
Let the pork rest for 1 hour before shredding.
Step 5: Shred the pork
Once the pork has rested, shred the meat using your hands or two forks.
Step 6: Make the Root Beer BBQ Sauce
Place a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the root beer, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, molasses, yellow mustard, garlic paste, and salt pepper garlic seasoning, then give everything a good mix.
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces and thickens.
Step 7: Assemble
Pile it high on toasted buns and serve with your favorite Toppings and pour on that homemade Root Beer BBQ Sauce.
Pro Tips
Don't Skip the Marinade
The 24 hour root beer marinade is what gives this pulled pork its signature flavor. It also adds another layer of sweetness that pairs nicely with the smoky BBQ seasoning.
Use Temperature as Your Guide
The one hour per pound guideline is helpful when planning your cook, but every pork shoulder is different. Always cook to temperature and, more importantly, probe tenderness.
Don't Rush the Rest
That one hour rest is worth it. Slightly opening the foil allows excess steam to escape while giving the pork time to relax before shredding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to marinate the pork for 24 hours?
For this recipe, 24 hours is the recommended marinade time because it gives the root beer plenty of time to add flavor. If you're short on time, you can reduce the marinade time, but the flavor won't be quite as developed.
Why do you wrap the pork at 175°F?
Wrapping helps push the pork through the final stage of cooking while helping retain moisture. It also helps speed up the cook after the pork has developed its smoky bark.
What can I do with leftover pulled pork?
Leftover pulled pork is incredibly versatile. Use it for sandwiches, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, loaded fries, baked potatoes, BBQ pizza, or even pulled pork grilled cheese.
Final Bite.
This Root Beer Pulled Pork takes a classic smoked pork shoulder and gives it a fun twist with a 24 hour root beer marinade and homemade root beer BBQ sauce. The combination of sweet root beer, smoky BBQ seasoning, tender pork, and that thick homemade sauce makes this one seriously flavorful pulled pork recipe.
Smoke it low and slow, wrap it when it hits 175°F, finish it at 300°F until it's probe tender, and don't skip that one hour rest.
Fire up the smoker, grab a cold root beer, and let's make some pulled pork!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Root Beer Pulled Pork (With Homemade Sauce)
Tender smoked pork shoulder marinated in root beer, coated in BBQ seasoning, and finished with a homemade root beer BBQ sauce.
- Total Time: 10 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 12-15, depending on size
Ingredients
Pulled Pork
- 2-liter root beer
- 1 (8-10 pound) pork shoulder butt roast
- ¼ cup BBQ seasoning
Homemade Root Beer BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup root beer
- 1 cup ketchup
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon salt pepper garlic seasoning
Instructions
- Place the pork shoulder in a container and pour the root beer over it.
- Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for 24 hours, flipping halfway through if it isn't completely submerged.
- Remove the pork from the marinade and pat completely dry.
- Generously season all sides with BBQ seasoning.
- Preheat the smoker to 225°F and place the pork shoulder on and cook for approximately 1 hour per pound.
- When the pork reaches 175°F internal temperature, wrap tightly in foil.
- Increase the smoker temperature to 300°F and continue cooking until the pork reaches approximately 200°F and is probe tender.
- Slightly open the foil and let the pork rest for 1 hour.
- While the pork rests, combine all BBQ sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Stir well and simmer for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
- Shred the rested pork and serve with the homemade root beer BBQ sauce.
- Serve on toasted buns or use the pulled pork for tacos, nachos, loaded fries, or your favorite BBQ dishes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 hours
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Smoke
- Cuisine: American
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