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–+ servings
A plate of Hot Honey Pulled Pork with barbecue sauce, surrounded by sandwich buns, wavy potato chips, coleslaw, red pepper flakes, and a can of hard honey.

Hot Honey Pulled Pork

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
This hot honey pulled pork is made with pork shoulder braised until tender in a sweet, tangy sauce with hot honey, Dijon, and vinegar. The sauce is reduced until thick and mixed back into the shredded pork for a flavorful filling that’s perfect for sandwiches or tacos. You can make it on the stovetop or in your slow cooker.

Ingredients

  • 5 lb pork butt or shoulder
  • 1 tablespoon EACH: garlic powder and onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons EACH: cumin, salt, and pepper
  • ¾ cup hot honey
  • ¾ cup chicken stock
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, see notes
  • 1 tablespoon mustard

Instructions 

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the rack in the middle. Cut the pork into 6 large pieces.
    5 lb pork butt or shoulder
    Raw pork cuts and chunks of fat arranged on a black cutting board, ready to be transformed into tender Hot Honey Pulled Pork on a white surface.
  • In a small bowl, mix the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle this over the pork, coating all sides.
    1 tablespoon EACH: garlic powder and onion powder, 2 teaspoons EACH: cumin, salt, and pepper
    Six pieces of raw pork coated with dry seasoning, perfect for making hot honey pulled pork, are arranged on a black cutting board.
  • In a braiser or a large, heavy-bottomed pot, mix the hot honey, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, chicken stock, and mustard. Add the pork to the pot, turning to coat it in the sauce.
    ¾ cup hot honey, ½ cup ketchup, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¾ cup chicken stock, 1 tablespoon mustard
    Raw, seasoned pieces of meat are arranged in a round, enameled cast iron pot with a light layer of liquid at the bottom, ready to transform into flavorful Hot Honey Pulled Pork.
  • Cover with a lid and braise for 2 ½ hours. Remove the lid, turn each piece of meat over, and return it to the oven, uncovered, for another 30 minutes.
    A black cast iron pot filled with Hot Honey Pulled Pork, featuring several large pieces of braised meat in a thick, dark reddish-brown sauce.
  • Remove the pork from the pot and shred it using 2 forks.
    A bowl of Hot Honey Pulled Pork with two forks resting inside, placed on a white surface.
  • Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Continue to boil until it reduces to the consistency of BBQ sauce, then pour it over the pulled pork. (Or add the pork to the pot - both methods work equally well.)
    A bowl of hot honey pulled pork topped with barbecue sauce, placed on a white surface.
Serving: 1 = ⅛ of the recipe, Calories: 500kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 54g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 171mg, Sodium: 957mg, Potassium: 1060mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 30g, Vitamin A: 79IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 4mg