Smoked Pork Shoulder is a go-to recipe that you are sure to love! The flavor and tenderness is so amazing! The perfect main dish for any cookout or get-together and the leftovers are amazing!
Best Smoked Pork Shoulder Recipe
If you are looking for a tried-and-true smoked pork shoulder recipe then you are in the right spot! We have been making this recipe for nearly 10 years and it is consistently loved by all. We made our on our Traeger but use whatever smoker you have. This easy-to-follow recipe will become your new favorite! Serve with some Purple Cabbage Coleslaw, and Smoked Baked Beans and Watermelon Feta Salad at your next cookout!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
- Pork Dry Rub: here is the recipe we will be using
- Pork Shoulder: get the best quality possible, it really does make a difference.
- Yellow mustard: this is part of the pre-rub and adds amazing flavor
- Liquid Smoke (totally optional!) – of course the point of smoking your pork shoulder is to get it smokey – but if you want to add that little extra smokiness, I highly recommend. The flavor is amazing.
- Worcestershire sauce: Also part of the pre-rub!
- Plastic wrap: we wrap the pork shoulder in this and let it sit overnight to really let all those flavors melt into the meat. This is not a requirement – it will still turn out if you skip this step, but for best results I would recommend if you have the time.
- Apple cider vinegar, apple juice, water: these are combined and sprayed onto the pork shoulder every hour or so.
- Smoking chips: you can really use whatever kind you prefer!
What to Serve it With to Make it a Meal
Our Favorite Smokers
- Pellet Smoker: Traeger Pro 575 (the 780 is great too, it is just a little bit bigger)
- Electric Smoker: If you are looking for a starter electric smoker that is high quality, but also not the most expensive smoker ever made, I would recommend this one. We used it for 5 years with no issues and the quality of smoking is fantastic. We have recently upgraded to a Traeger and love that a well.
How to Smoke a Pork Shoulder
First prep your dry rub.
Next, prep your pork shoulder:
Rub the pork shoulder with worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke and yellow mustard. For the yellow mustard – really any brand should do and you won’t really tell the difference. For the worcestershire sauce – it matters. You gotta use the good stuff. Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce is the way to go.
Then take your delicious pork rub and rub it all over – getting in every nook and cranny. It will form kind of a paste … that’s perfect.
Get your smoker going
When it is time to go, turn smoker on to 225 degrees F. At the same time, take pork shoulder out of the fridge and let it come to room temp.
When the pork shoulder reaches room temp and the smoker has reached 225 degrees F, place pork shoulder in the smoker (fatty side up!). (For an electric smoker you will put it on the middle rack).
When your smoker reaches temp you are good to go
For a 4 pound pork shoulder you will want to smoke it for 4-6 hours or until it reaches 190 degrees (internal temp) or you can go as high as 200. You want to make sure you reach 165 to kill off any bacteria, but if you go up to 190 you will only be able to shred it that much easier.
Erin’s Pro Tips
- First, you need to apply a mop to the pork shoulder every 45-60 minutes. The “mop” is made up of 1 part apple cider vinegar, 1 part apple juice and 1 part water. Mix that up – my husband puts that in a spray bottle and just sprays the pork shoulder all over.
- Additionally, if the smoke coming out of the smoker dies down, you know you need to put additional chips or pellets into the smoking basket.
- Don’t open the smoker if you don’t have to!
Let Smoked Pork Shoulder Cook Until 190 Degrees Internal Temp
Once your desired internal temp has been reached (at least 165) remove from smoker and let rest an hour. I would HIGHLY recommend getting some Original Bear Paws Shredder Claws – they make shredding this SO much easier!!
How to Serve Smoked Pork Shoulder
I love serving with our Purple Cabbage Slaw (promise me you will try it!) either in a bowl together or in our Pulled Pork Sandwich!
Other Pork Recipes You Might Like
Made this recipe and loved it?!
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Smoked Pork Shoulder Recipe (+ dry rub)
- Prep Time: 13 hours
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 19 hours
- Yield: Serves 8–10 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Smoker
- Cuisine: American
Description
Smoked Pork Shoulder – A tried and true recipe for smoked pork shoulder that never disappoints. Get ready for flavorful, fall apart pulled pork!
Ingredients
Pork Dry Rub
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika (regular paprika will work!)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon smoked garlic powder (regular garlic powder will work!)
- 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
Pork Shoulder:
- 4 lb pork shoulder (bone-in recommended)
- yellow mustard (approximately 1/2 cup)
- liquid smoke (approximately 2-3 tablespoons)
- worcestershire sauce (approximately 2-3 tablespoons)
- smoking chips (I use hickory or mesquite)
Mop/Spritz:
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1/2 cup water
Tools:
- plastic wrap
- spray bottle
- foil
- two fork or bear claws for shredding meat
Instructions
- Prep Pork Shoulder: Ensure pork shoulder has come to room temperature. Place pork shoulder on a large baking sheet and pat dry with clean paper towel.
- Make Pork Dry Rub: Combine salt, smoked paprika, lemon pepper, cayenne pepper, smoked garlic powder and black pepper in bowl. Set aside.
- Liquids: Take worcestershire sauce (if using) and pour all over pork shoulder ensuring it is thoroughly covered. Repeat with the liquid smoke and then with the yellow mustard.
- Dry Rub: Take Pork Dry Rub mixture and start sprinkling/rubbing in generous amounts all over pork shoulder ensuring that a thick layer is created – every nook and cranny.
- Wrap: Completely and tightly wrap pork shoulder in plastic wrap. Then double bag it in plastic bags and put in fridge for a minimum of 12 hours. (note: we have run low on time and had skipped this step .. still turns out great!)
- Room Temp: After a minimum of 12 hours has passed, remove pork shoulder from fridge, unwrap and let come to room temp.
- Prep Smoker: Start smoker and bring up to 225 degrees F. and ensure grates are clean.
- Spritz/Mop: Combine apple cider vinegar, apple juice and water and put in spray bottle and set by your smoker.
- Smoke Pork: Once smoker reaches 225 degrees F. and pork shoulder is at room temp place pork shoulder on your smoker, fat side up, directly on the rack (use middle rack if using an electric smoker).
- Spray/spritz every 45-60 minutes with spray bottle.
- Add additional smoking chips, as needed.
- Cook Time/Internal Temp: Smoke until pork shoulder reaches a minimum of 190 degrees F. internal temp (approximately 60-90 minutes per pound) – use an internal meat thermometer or probe to track.
- Rest: Remove from smoker and place on cookie/baking sheet or large plate. Wrap in aluminum foil and then again in a couple kitchen towels (this helps lock in the moisture). Let rest for one hour.
- Serve: Shred with two forks and serve however you want – sandwiches, sliders, etc. (we LOVE serving it with some purple cabbage slaw + homemade barbecue sauce).
Notes
- How long does it take to smoke a pork shoulder: it generally takes 60-90 minutes per pound to smoke a pork shoulder, but this timeframe can be impacted by a variety of factors such as the weather, how consistent your smoker holds heat, etc.
- Should I wrap my pork shoulder in foil on the smoker: No, do not wrap your pork shoulder in foil on the smoker. It won’t achieve that “smokey” flavor you are looking for that way!
- How do I know when my pork shoulder is done: Technically your pork shoulder is safely cooked when it reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees, but if you want to be able to shred your pork shoulder easily you will want it to reach an internal temp of 190-205 degrees.
- Why is my pork shoulder tough or not shredding: You probably didn’t let it cook long enough. It needs to reach an internal temperature of 190-205 to become tender and easy to shred. Make sure you are using an internal thermometer or probe to track the internal temperature of your pork shoulder.
- How long do I let my pork shoulder rest: You should let your pork shoulder rest for an hour. We suggest wrapping it in foil and then again in some kitchen towels as it rests to retain heat.
- My pork shoulder is taking longer than 90 minutes per pound: Make sure you didn’t run out of pellets (we have done that before!). It could also be a result of the weather (windy, cold, humidity, etc) – the best way to be able to track the cooking time is to use an internal meat thermometer and go off that. 60-90 minutes per pound is just an estimate – there are too many factors to take into consideration for us to give you a solid timeframe!
- Wood Chips/Pellets: I love using the hickory and mesquite, but maple, oak or cherry work great too.
- Got Leftovers: try our Carnitas a Pulled Pork Sandwich or Pulled Pork Enchiladas.
Claire says
Best pork shoulder we have ever eaten!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Claire! And thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review + feedback – I really appreciate it!
Jess says
This recipe is so good! I’ve made it for crowds and just for my family and it disappears. I’ve used the rub on ribs and pork chops as well. But this is the best smoked pork ever!!!
Erin says
Hi Jess! I am so happy you love this recipe!! It is one of our favorites as well – so perfect for a crowd! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave feedback, I greatly appreciate it!
SK Zai says
Hi Erin, this was great! Absolutely amazing. Keep up the good work 😀
Erin says
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it!
Tod Wiseley says
Absolutely amazing!! This was a huge hit at our gathering, and some people asked me for the “recipe”. I didn’t want to give away too many of “my” secrets, but I did share the how-to’s. My smoker was the perfect device to pull this one off, too…… coincidentally, it’s the same exact model that’s why n the article. Thanks again for your work and sharing with those of us looking to get better at smoking foods. It is the most satisfying pastime I’ve found by far.
Erin says
Thank you so much, Tod!! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe :). Thank you so much for the lovely feedback!!!
connie fuller says
This was great! The 2nd thing I’ve tried in my old Big Chief smoker. Started too late in the day so after about 6 hours in the smoker (8 lb shoulder) I finished in the oven at 250. Tender and delicious! Thanks for the recipe. The spice mix is really quite good!
Erin says
So glad you liked it!!! 😊
Dustan says
Looks and smells so good. Thanks for the recipe.
Erin says
Glad you liked it!!!
Steven Tyminski says
Making this for the fourth of July.
Looks like a good combination of spices.
Will post a follow-up commentary.
Thank you for what you do…!
Mark says
Great recipe, but it’s taking MUCH longer than 4 hours to come up to the minimum temperature. I recommend starting early.
Erin says
Hi, Mark! Glad you liked the recipe! That is honestly really weird that it is taking significantly longer for the pork shoulder to come up to temp! For what it’s worth, the only times we have had issues with that is if we didn’t let the pork shoulder come all the way up to room temp or we didn’t let the smoker get all the way up to 250. Opening the door too often can also be an issue. And remember that if you are using a pork shoulder that weighs more than 4lbs you need to add approximately 1 hour per pound beyond that. But we have made this countless times and the timing is always right around an hour a pound! If you figure out the issue you had, let me know!
Joe Tarantolo says
Hi . Going to try it this weekend. Quick question. If I go with a larger pork shoulder, add 1 hr / extra pound?
Erin says
Hey!! Yes, add roughly 1 extra hour per pound! Hope you enjoy!
Justin says
Made this last week and it was tremendous! Thank you!!
Erin says
So glad to hear it!!! It is one of our favorites!
Greg says
Should I put water or juice in the pan?
Erin says
We use a full pan of water the entire time, but I have heard of people using juice too!!
Christopher says
Dear Erin,
This is an amazing recipe!! It is one of the few pork recipes I have used that doesn’t have any brown sugar in the rub and it’s still great. The mustard and Worcestershire Sauce give it an amazing flavour, as do the smoked spices. I made the roast last week and this weekend I am trying the recipe with pork loin back ribs. When I found the recipe I only had a few hours for the meat to sit before roasting it on the BBQ with a smoker box, and it still turned out delicious! The apple spray must function as sort of a baste to make the meat super moist.
Highly Recommended!!
Thanks!!
Chris
Erin says
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!!! Thanks for letting me know how it went!! We are actually making it next weekend and I am so looking forward to it already!!
Christopher Jude says
TRYING TODAY!
Erin says
Yay!! You will love it!!
Drew says
Made this today for Memorial Day, and it turned out great! Everyone loved it and a few asked for the webpage for the recipe. It was simple and easy for a beginner like me. (3rd time using the smoker) Thank you for the recipe!
Erin says
That is so awesome to hear!! This is honestly one of my favorite recipes ever, so I am so glad everyone liked it!!
Stephanie says
Do I close the vent on top or no???
Erin says
Leave it open – it makes it that much more smokey!!
Ted says
This looks great on your pictures 🙂
Erin says
Thank you so much, Ted!!!