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Boston Butt Pork Roast (Oven Pulled Pork)

Boston butt pork roast turns into tender, smoky pulled pork with a bark-like dark crust from slow oven roasting. This pork butt recipe is seasoned with a bold dry rub, then roasted low and slow until it reaches 195–205°F and shreds easily.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Rest 30 minutes
Total Time 12 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Boston butt
  • 6 lb bone-in pork butt (Boston butt) Choose a large roast with bone for best flavor and shredding.
Dry Rub
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
Roasting Liquid & Serving
  • 1 half cup apple cider vinegar For pouring around the bottom of the pan to help keep the roast moist.
  • 1 BBQ sauce for serving Warm to serve alongside the shredded pork.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season the pork
  1. Mix brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and black pepper into a dry rub, then coat the bone-in pork butt thoroughly on all sides. Cover and refrigerate overnight if possible to deepen the flavor.
Slow roast
  1. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Place the pork fat-side up in a roasting pan and pour the apple cider vinegar around the bottom.
Cook to shredding
  1. Cover tightly with foil and roast at 275°F for 7–8 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 195–205°F and the meat shreds easily. Keep the roast covered for most of the cooking time to prevent drying.
Rest and shred
  1. Rest the roast uncovered for 30 minutes. Shred with two forks, discarding excess fat.
Finish and serve
  1. Toss the shredded pork with pan juices. Serve with BBQ sauce on brioche buns.

Notes

Pro tip: Aim for 195–205°F—at that range the meat breaks into juicy shreds instead of staying sliceable. Refrigerate pulled pork in an airtight container up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months. For a lower-sodium option, use a reduced-sodium dry rub and reduced-sodium BBQ sauce while keeping the roast roasting time the same.