This Traeger Pulled Pork recipe gives you juicy, smoky pulled pork with a flavorful bark and fall-apart texture every time. I’ll show you exactly when to wrap, what internal temperature to cook to and the simple tricks that make pork shoulder practically foolproof on a pellet grill.

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Recipe at a Glance

Traeger Pulled Pork

This Traeger pulled pork is a low and slow labor of love that turns a big pork butt into tender, juicy, smoky perfection, ready for buns, coleslaw and baked beans. The two things that make or break it: cook to temperature and not time (pull it at 203 to 205 degrees), and let it rest a full hour before you shred!

Total time: 11 hours

Difficulty: Easy steps, but plan for an all day cook

Best for: Backyard BBQ parties, feeding a crowd or freezing for easy leftovers

Tips for the Best Traeger Pulled Pork

Using your Traeger Pellet Smoker is super easy – and makes a delicious pulled pork! Here are some tips to make sure your pulled pork will be an epic meal!

Use One Good Rub
- I don’t see the need to use 17 rubs. Pick a good one and use it. I have 2-3 flavors but I typically go with Historic BBQ or Sweet Preacher. They’re local and I have had success every time. Red for pork/chicken/fish and Black for beef (it has more pepper).
Cook by Temperature and not Time
- On short cooks, an instant read thermometer is fine, but on a long cook – something like the Meater Plus is really wonderful. You can see how the cook is going on your phone and you’re not opening and closing the smoker every 30 minutes watching it cook. (A watched pot never boils!)
Keep the Smoker Closed
- See above – a watched pot never boils. Let the smoker do it’s thing.
Fill your hopper & check your hopper!
- When you do go out to check the pork, check the hopper. Mine needed filled at the beginning, when I covered it and about 30 minutes before it was done. (0 hour, 4 hr 30, 8 hr 45)
Let pork rest
- Sneak a few bites when you take it off if you want – but let it rest for an hour before you serve. This gives the juices time to absorb back into the meat. With a big cut like this – you need to let it rest for an hour. With something smaller like a steak, 10 minutes is fine.
Remove fat after smoking
- For the pork butt, I removed the excess fat AFTER cooking – it adds to the FLAVOR!

Ingredients for Perfect Pulled Pork on your Pellet Grill

It’s much simpler than you might think – just three ingredients needed for pulled perfection!

Pork butt or pork shoulder
- See below for more info on the differences
Seasoning
- I like Historic BBQ Red or Sweet Preacher – they’re delicious on any cut of pork or poultry. Make sure your seasoning has garlic powder, brown sugar, paprika, & onion powder. There’s any number of seasonings on the market for pork – use what you like!
Liquid
- After your pork hits 160º, you’ll need to wrap it and add liquid. I chose apple juice but you can use beer, water, apple cider vinegar, chicken broth – anything along those lines.
Barbecue Sauce
- If you’re using this for sandwiches, you’ll likely want sauce. Pick your favorite bbq sauce and I recommend serving sauce on the side. Williamson Brothers is my absolute favorite!

Choosing the Right Pork Butt

For pulled pork, you’ll want to use either the pork butt or the pork shoulder. Both are actually from around the shoulder area of the pork. The butt is actually not from the butt! It’s on top and behind the ears. The pork shoulder is under that and closer to the front leg.

Here’s a few more bits of info on the two cuts:

Pork Butt

The pork butt can also be known as the Boston butt.
Well marbled with lots of intramuscular fat throughout.
Has a fat cap
Sold bone-in or boneless
Higher fat content – but more tender

Pork Shoulder

The pork shoulder is also known as the picnic shoulder or picnic roast.
Has a thicker fat cap with skin on but not much within the meat
Usually sold boneless
Higher meat content – but more tough

How to prep your Traeger pork butt

Prepping your pork isn’t that daunting at all. It’s really only a few steps:

OPEN the package, rinse the pork butt and pat dry with paper towels until there’s not excess moisture
LET the pork come to room temperature (about 20 min)
LAY the pork butt in a disposable aluminum pan
COAT the pork butt heavily on all sides with your favorite seasoning – I used probably 1/3 cup of seasoning! Let the meat rest with seasoning for about 20 minutes. Do not refrigerate.

That’s all there is to it! You’re ready to smoke that butt! (haha – just fun to say!)

Step-by-Step Instructions for Traeger Pulled Pork

Preheat the Traeger. Fill the hopper with pellets and preheat your Traeger to 225°F.
Season the pork butt. Pat the pork butt dry and generously coat all sides with your favorite pork seasoning. Let it sit for about 20 minutes while the smoker finishes preheating.
Add the pork to the smoker. Place the pork butt fat side down in a disposable aluminum pan or directly on the grill grates. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the pork, making sure it isn’t touching the bone.
Smoke until 160°F. Close the lid and smoke at 225°F until the internal temperature reaches about 160°F. This will usually take 3-5 hours depending on the size of your pork butt. Keep the lid closed as much as possible and check your pellet hopper during the cook.
Wrap the pork. Once the pork reaches 160°F, place it in a foil pan if it isn’t already in one. Pour 8 ounces of apple juice into the pan and tightly cover with a double layer of aluminum foil.
Continue smoking. Return the covered pork to the Traeger and continue cooking at 225°F until it reaches 203-205°F, about another 3-5 hours. Don’t worry if the temperature seems stuck for a while. That’s the “stall” and it’s completely normal.
Check for tenderness. Temperature is your guide, but tenderness is the real test. A thermometer or probe should slide into the pork with very little resistance when it’s ready.
Rest the pork. Remove the pork from the Traeger and let it rest, covered, for 1 hour. This gives the juices time to redistribute through the meat.
Shred and serve. Remove and discard any large pockets of fat, then shred the pork with meat claws or two forks. Serve as-is or add your favorite barbecue sauce at the table.

Meater Plus Review

For long cooks like pulled pork, I love using a wireless thermometer because I can monitor the internal temperature without opening the smoker. The Meater+ stayed accurate throughout the cook and made it easy to know exactly when it was time to wrap and when the pork reached 203°. While you certainly don’t need one to make great pulled pork, any reliable wireless probe makes long cooks much easier.

Storage, Reheating Leftovers & Serving Ideas

One of the best things about Traeger Pulled Pork is that it tastes just as good the next day! It’s perfect for meal prep because it stores and reheats beautifully.

How to Store

Let the pulled pork cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Can You Freeze Pulled Pork?

Absolutely! Pulled pork freezes incredibly well. Divide it into meal-sized portions, place in freezer-safe bags or airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months. (I love my Food Saver Vacuum Sealer)For the best flavor, include a little of the cooking juices in each container to help keep the pork moist.

How to Reheat Pulled Pork

For the juiciest leftovers, reheat the pork in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of the reserved juices, chicken broth or apple juice. You can also microwave it in 30-second intervals, stirring between each until heated through.

Ways to Use Leftover Traeger Pulled Pork

One pork butt goes a long way, which means you’ll have plenty of delicious leftovers! Here are some of my favorite ways to give that smoked pulled pork a whole new life:

Piled high on brioche buns with coleslaw
Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sliders for parties, game day or an easy family dinner
In tacos with pickled onions and avocado
Pulled Pork Casserole with hash browns, peppers and cheese
Pulled Pork Totchos loaded with crispy tater tots, melted cheese and your favorite toppings
Pulled Pork Empanadas for a fun handheld meal or appetizer
On a flatbread pizza with red onion and mozzarella
Cheesy BBQ Pulled Pork Dip that’s always the first thing to disappear at parties
Folded into a fluffy Pulled Pork Omelette for an easy protein-packed breakfast
Tossed into a summery Pulled Pork Pasta Salad for cookouts, potlucks or meal prep lunches

What to Serve with Pulled Pork

Complete your barbecue feast with some of my favorite side dishes – you can even add these to the Traeger and smoke them with the pork!

More Traeger Recipes

I Love my Traeger and use it all the time! It’s great for grilling or smoking – here are some of my favorite smoked recipes:

20 Must-Have Traeger Accessories

I absolutely love my Traeger Pellet Grill and you can pretty much use it right out of the box! But over the years I’ve definitely found that there are some Traeger smoker accessories that make everything a lot easier!

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