Quick Look at this Oven Roasted Pork Shoulder
- Ready In: about 8 hours
- Serves: 8
- Main Ingredients: bone-in pork shoulder, liquid smoke, worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, and the BEST homemade dry rub!
- Dietary Info: dairy-free, gluten-free, Whole30/Paleo, meal prep
- Best For: Sunday supper, special occasion, serving a crowd & making the most juicy pulled pork
- Why You’ll Love It: Looking for a foolproof oven method for making the most tender pulled pork you have ever tasted? This melt-in-your-mouth shredded pork is seared at a high heat on the stovetop and then slow-roasted in the oven. Let us show you all the best ways to serve this bone-in pork shoulder roast and all the leftovers!
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Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Pork Shoulder: highly recommend using a bone-in pork shoulder, it takes a little longer to cook but has more flavor and is better for pulling apart instead of slicing.
- Liquid Smoke + Worcestershire + Mustard: a combination of flavorful wet ingredients that I have been coating my pork in for years – our secret ingredients!
- Pork Dry Rub: it only takes 5 minutes to mix together my pork dry rub recipe and it will bring all the best flavors. I also have a pork roast marinade, if you prefer.
How To Roast A Pork Shoulder In the Oven
Step 1 – Pat the pork shoulder dry.
Step 2 – Rub the roast down with liquid smoke, worcestershire, and yellow mustard.
Step 3 – Mix up the dry rub and coat the outside of the pork shoulder.
Step 4 – Melt the butter in a skillet and sear all sides of the roast.
Pro Tips
Wrap Overnight: After rubbing the pork shoulder with the dry rub, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge overnight. This can only be done if you have the time, but it really takes it to the next level!
Sear at High Heat: for best results, sear all sides of the seasoned pork shoulder on high heat to seal in all the juices. Then cook low and slow for several hours to let all the collagen and fat breakdown.
Step 5 – Place on a lined baking sheet with a wire rack and bake until the center reaches 190-200 degrees F.
Step 6 – Let rest for 10 minutes, shred, and serve.
Pork Shoulder Temperature Chart
| 145 degrees F | Safe to eat, but will need to be sliced |
| 190-200 degrees F | Fully cooked and able to be shredded |
| 205 degrees F | Fall-apart pork – the best! |
Side Dishes To Serve A Pork Shoulder Roast
There are a variety of delicious pairings that would go well with this oven roasted pork shoulder, like:
- Slaw: spicy purple cabbage coleslaw or a 10-ingredient creamy coleslaw
- Cornbread: love these honey cornbread muffins!
- Potatoes: an easy oven baked potato can cook right along side the pork roast!
Pork Shoulder Roast FAQs
This will depend on the size. A 3.5 – 4 pound roast at 250 degrees F was ready to shred after about 7-8 hours. The internal temperature should reach 190-200 degrees F (the closer you get to 200 degrees F, the more “fall-apart” it will be – you can go up to about 205 degrees).
It is technically safely cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, but to be able to shred easily, you will want it to reach an internal temp of 190-200 degrees (use a digital probe thermometer).
A bone-in pork roast is preferred and used in this recipe because it holds more flavor and the bone creates a natural basting. A boneless pork roast or pork butt roast can be used and might cook slightly faster, but be sure to pick one with a nice fat cap on it. As it cooks, those fat juices help to keep your slow roasted pork shoulderย nice and tender!
Place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 6 months. When freezing pulled pork be sure to keep as much moisture in the container as possible (to prevent it from drying out). Also, try to remove as much air as you can, to prevent freezer burn.
What To Do With Pork Shoulder Leftovers
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Ingredients
- 3.5 – 4 pound pork shoulder roast
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1-2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce, omit if Whole30
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 ยฝ tablespoons lemon pepper
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 ยฝ tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 ยฝ tablespoons onion powder
- ยฝ tablespoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar, (optional – omit if whole30)
- 2 tablespoons butter, ghee or extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 250โ. Pat 3.5 – 4 pound pork shoulder roast dry with a clean paper towel.
- Wet Rub: Pour 1 tablespoon liquid smoke all over and rub into every nook and cranny. Repeat this process with 1-2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons yellow mustard until it is fully coated with each.
- Dry Rub: Put 2 ยฝ tablespoons lemon pepper, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 2 tablespoons paprika, 1 ยฝ tablespoons garlic powder, 1 ยฝ tablespoons onion powder, ยฝ tablespoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar (if using) in a small bowl; stir to combine.ย Rub this dry rub all over the pork shoulder, ensuring you get into every nook and cranny.ย
- Marinate: Let sit 15-30 minutes OR you can wrap in plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator overnight.ย
- Prep Roasting Pan: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and then set a wire rack on top; set aside.
- Sear Roast: Bring a large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter (or ghee or olive oil) and swirl to coat the pan. Sear the pork shoulder on all sides. Place the pork shoulder on the wire rack, which is on the prepared sheet pan.ย
- Bake: Place in the oven, middle rack, and let cook 7-8 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 190-200โ (the closer you get to 200โ the more "fall-apart" it will be – you can go up to about 205โ).
- Rest + Serve: Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Shred and serve.
Notes
- Pork Shoulder: I used a bone-in pork shoulder, but feel free to use a boneless pork shoulder roast – the boneless will just cook a little faster.ย
- Pork Rub: feel free to omit the cayenne or increase it if you want. You can also add a tablespoon of coconut sugar or brown sugar if want a touch of sweetness.
- Serving: we love using this to make pulled pork sandwiches or pulled pork tacos.
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Leftovers: option to use leftovers to make a pulled pork nachos, pulled pork sliders or a pulled pork salad!ย
Jenn L says
I made this recipe with an 8lb, bone-in shoulder roast. I also reduced the suggested salt amount upon โdoubling the recipeโ, and found the spice mixture was more than enough, so encourage others to use their best judgement in quantities.
It took 16 hours! So double the time if you double the recipe yโall!
I covered my roast around hour ten, and even then I had some very dry sections, I was so sad about those.
Still, the bark was lovely, the moist bits were amazeballs, and it cooked beautifully (even if long).
For dry pork, shred and simmer loosely covered in ham bone broth with onions and a few chopped tomatoes on low for 3 hours, stirring often. If will soften back up and be fine.
Thanks for this recipe ๐
Gina Burns says
Should this be covered at any point during cooking?
Erin Jensen says
Hi Gina! I have never covered when cooking, but you could definitely cover it loosely with foil if you wanted to!
Shannon says
What kind of liquid smoke flavor would you recommend?
Erin says
Hi Shannon – I generally tend to use Wright’s Liquid Smoke simply because that’s what my local grocery store has and I love it!
Jocelyn says
This was delicious! I added the optional coconut sugar as well. Itโs the perfect salty smoky sweet crust all around. My roast was a little over 5 lbs and required about 9.5 hours in the oven to fall apart. Perfect to freeze for another day as well.
Julie says
Just curious about the 2 TBLS of salt. I felt like this was a lot and cut back on the amount and unfortunately our roast still tasted like salt with the heat of the cayenne pepper. I feel all of the other flavors of the dry rub were overpowered by salt and heat.
Phil says
The intruding advertisements on this page block portions of the recipe when printing!
Erin says
Hi Phil – that is super weird as I have a setting that doesn’t allow the ads to actually be printed out – I just tested it on my own computer with no issues? Are you on mobile or desktop and have you actually printed it out or are you looking at the print set up page?
Linda Lum says
Made as written, except I roasted in our cast iron in which I seared it. One less pan to wash, and we had an amazing jus in the bottom of the pan.
Cherie says
Can u crock pot this recipe?
Marc Holtz says
WOW…delish! This was a 7+ pounder and cooked for around 10 hours @ 250,. Pulled it out at 190 degrees on probe – so tender and fall apart moist sweetness. I wanted to put out on the smoker but found this recipe on a cold icy day!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Marc!
Linda says
This is so good! We donโt have a smoker so this is next best!
Erin says
Love hearing that!!!
Bri says
Hi! Should the fat cap be trimed and should it be cooked fat cap up or down?
Erin says
I usually don’t trim the fat, but you definitely can if you want – fat side up!
Lynn M Mellang says
Hi, I have a 15 lb pork shoulder. Should I cook it longer than the 7-8 hours listed in the above recipe. I changed the number to 3x but it didn’t change the time in the oven.
Thanks
Rebecca says
Not sure if Iโm just reading it wrong but there doesnโt seem to be a step where the rub is put onto the pork. Is this done before it rests or is put in the refrigerator?
Erin says
Hi Rebecca! Just updated the instructions – sorry about that! Thanks for pointing it out!