How To Make Pulled Pork On Charcoal Grill

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Love Pulled Pork? Well, I have got the easiest Spicy Pulled Pork Recipe for you today. It is tender and full of flavour and just perfect for sandwiches, tacos, salad bowls and easting straight up. Come on over and find out How to Make Pulled Pork on the BBQ or grill.

Suitable for Gluten-Free, Keto, Paleo and Whole 30 diets.

top down view of the finished how to cook pulled pork on the bbq recipe

I remember the first time we got a proper bbq. Yeap, a barbecue with a lid, a thermometer, and a smoker. I was so excited to be able to make low and slow barbecue recipes. Like how to make pulled pork on the bbq.

We started with two hours of putting it together (tip – don’t help, don’t offer to help, and certainly don’t point out that he has missed out on three stages and is going to have to undo what he has done already).

Eventually, we get it ready and it has been, spring = bbq, winter = bbq……… You get the point, the bbq comes out rain or shine, whatever the season. Barbecues hibernation is not a thing in my house.

Making pulled pork on the grill is super easy and the meat turns out fall apart tender and perfect for potlucks, tailgates, barbeques, easy lunches, and meal prep. Bonus that this is totally freezer friendly too. 

It is simply, pork shoulder rubbed with delicious flavors and slowly cooked over indirect heat for 3 ½ hours. And is it worth the wait? Certainly. You betcha!

P.S. If you love this, you’ll also love my Dutch Oven Pulled Pork and really easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork. And For something similar yet different, try these Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas or this Instant Pot Pulled Chicken.

the completed pulled pork on bbq served in a bowl

Why Make This Recipe

  • It is affordable – and made with everyday pantry staples you already own.
  • Leftovers – these are great for meal prep and also great for freezing. Cook once and eat again and again.

Ingredient Notes

So let’s talk about what you need to make the best pulled pork ever.

  • Pork – This recipe calls for pork shoulder, but you can also use pork butt or Boston butt, rolled up and tied with some string.
  • Seasonings – This gets its flavor from a combination of sweet smoked paprika (for extra smoky flavor), ground coriander, ground cumin, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, and salt.
the ingredients needed to make pulled pork on charcoal grill

Ready to learn just how easy it is to cook up pulled pork with your bbq? Then gather up those ingredients and I will show you…..

How To Make Pulled Pork Charcoal Grill Easily

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

  1. Pat meat dry using paper towels so the dry rub sticks to the meat.
  2. Mix together all the ingredients for the spice rub and rub all over the meat.
  3. Clean the cooking grill grates and light the charcoal in the grill.
  4. Place the seasoned pork, fat side down, on the grates and put a foil pan underneath to catch the drips.
  5. Move the coals away from underneath the meat so that the meat is cooked by indirect heat.
  6. Close the grill hood, bring the temperature to approx 194 degrees F / 90 degrees C and cook pulled pork for about 3.5 hours – 4 hours, or until done. Check the meat at about 3.5 hours. If it is falling apart, then it is done.
  7. Wrap the meat in aluminum foil and leave it to rest for 30 minutes. Then add to a cutting board before shredding the pork and serving.
image collage showing the steps for how to make pulled pork on charcoal grill

Recipe Tips

  • You can always inject a marinade directly into the pork.
  • If there is excess fat, then trim some of the visible fat off. Make sure to keep some for flavor.
  • Feel free to add some wood chips to the grill for a smoky flavor.
  • Feel free to double up the seasoning and rub on more to your taste.
  • Do pat the pork dry with a paper towel or two so the dry rub sticks on.
  • You can also make this on the gas grill if you prefer.
top down view of the finished how to cook pulled pork on the bbq recipe

Delicious Variations

  • Top it off – you can add some barbecue sauce to the meat. Use your favorite store-bought or homemade bbq sauce. I love adding a drop of Worcestershire Sauce.
  • Make it extra smoky – for even more of that great smoky flavor, add some liquid smoke.
  • Vary the heat – use adobo chili, cayenne pepper, yellow mustard, chili powder, etc.
  • Add sweetness – by sprinkling on some brown sugar.
  • Turn into nachos – pile the pulled pork on tortilla chips with some shredded cheese and your favorite toppings.
close up view of pulled pork nachos

FAQs

How To Shred Pork?

Use forks – Simply transfer the cooked meat to a plate or bowl and use two forks to pull it apart and shred it.

Use a mixer – Add cooked pork into a bowl and use a hand mixer or use your stand mixer to shred it. This is especially useful if you are doing big quantities.

How Long To Cook Pulled Pork?

This depends on the weight of your meat. You need approximately 1 hour per pound of meat. Plus, the extra time for prep and shredding.

How To Make This Tender?

You can always use an injection marinade directly into the pork. You can make this using the rub and mixing an equal part of apple cider vinegar and water (or apple juice) and into the meat injector and then inject this into the meat.

Also, shred when warm (as easier to do then) and add a little bit of liquid to the meat.

how to cook pulled pork on the bbq served in a bowl

How To Use This Meat

  • Cooked pulled pork can be served in soooo many ways. Add shredded pork into a pulled pork sandwich, burrito bowls, tacos, carnitas, fajitas, add it into mac and cheese and salads.
close up view of the bbq pulled pork made into a sandwich

More Recipes You Might Like

For more pork recipes and other recipes you would like, check out the posts below.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 3 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

close up view of the completed bbq pulled pork

Thank you for reading my Pulled Pork Recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

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top down view of the finished how to cook pulled pork on the bbq recipe
Print Recipe
4.91 from 11 votes

How To Make Pulled Pork On A Charcoal Grill

Learn how to make flavorful pulled pork on a charcoal grill
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Western
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 8
Calories: 200kcal
Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

Meat:

  • 4 pounds (1.75kg) pork shoulder rolled up and tied with string

Seasoning:

  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Fire up the barbeque and wait till the coals are medium hot. If using a gas grill then preheat the grill to medium.
  • In a bowl, combine coriander, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Rub the spice mix all over the surface of the meat.
  • Clean the grill grates and then place the seasoned pork, fat side down, on the grates and put a foil pan underneath to catch the drips.
  • Move the coals away from underneath the meat so that the meat is cooked by indirect heat.
  • Close the lid, bring the temperature to approximately 194 degrees F / 90 degrees C and cook the pork for about 3 ½ – 4 hours, or until done. Check the meat at about 3 ½ hours and if it is falling apart then it is done.
  • Wrap the meat in foil and leave to rest for 30 minutes before shredding and serving.
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Notes

  • You can always inject a marinade directly into the pork.
  • If there is excess fat, then trim some of the visible fat off. Make sure to keep some for flavor.
  • Feel free to add some wood chips to the grill for a smoky flavor.
  • Feel free to double up the seasoning and rub on more to your taste.
  • Do pat the pork dry with a paper towel or two so the dry rub sticks on.
  • You can also make this on the gas grill if you prefer.
  • Storage – keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
  • There are 3 WW Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal | Protein: 26g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 468mg | Vitamin A: 220IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1.8mg

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