Bourbon Brown Sugar Pulled Pork
On February 27, 2020 (Updated May 11, 2024)
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Bourbon Brown Sugar Pulled Pork is one of those recipes for the ages. Classic BBQ low and slow cooking combines with punchy, tongue-tingling flavors to make for a pulled pork experience unlike any other.
Brown Sugar Pulled Pork
This pulled pork is unlike any pulled pork you’ve had before. Not only is it seasoned with my amazing Signature Sweet Rub (you can buy this delivered to your door from Patio Provisions, or you can make it yourself from my Best Sweet Rub Recipe post, but it’s mopped hourly with a sweet bourbon brown sugar mop sauce.
The layers of sweet and spice in this recipe are made for the subtle/savory natural flavors in pork. It’s perfect meat harmony. I love when that happens!
Recipes like this pulled pork are the ones I come back to over and over again. They’re meant for a low and slow BBQ lifestyle, which allows me opportunities to spend time with my family. While we wait for the pork to finish smoking, I can hang out on the back deck and kick up my feet while the kids play in the yard. It’s a wonderful way to spend lazy weekends with your family or friends.
Bourbon Brown Sugar Pulled Pork
I have been so excited to share this recipe with you guys. My husband told me this was the best pulled pork I’ve ever done! It truly is so good. You can eat it as-is, drizzle some extra mop sauce on top, or make it into a tasty BBQ sandwich. If you’re wondering if it’s worth the long smoke time. Trust me. It’s worth it every time.
I kept the process for smoking my pork shoulder (AKA Boston butt) fairly simple with a heavy emphasis on the bourbon and brown sugar flavor profile. The shoulder got a healthy dose of my Best Sweet Rub before hitting the grill for a low and slow smoke bath. I used even more seasoning to enhance the bourbon and apple cider vinegar in the mop sauce (which then turned into the foiling liquid during the second phase.)
From beginning to end, I built up layers of those complementary flavors so that when it was all done and ready to pull there was that mouth-watering sensation of mmm in every single bite!
Tips for Making Brown Sugar Pulled Pork
Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind before diving into this recipe. You can also scroll down to the video in the recipe card to follow the step-by-step visual instructions for making this amazing pork.
- Invest in a good meat thermometer. When choosing an instant read thermometer, I strongly recommend the Thermapen MK4 from Thermoworks. The ideal temperature for transferring the pork to the foil pan is 165 degrees F and for ending up tender pulled pork when it is finished is between 201 and 203 degrees F. Keep an eye on your temperature and you’ll have perfect results every time!
- Save the mop sauce! Don’t dump the remaining mop sauce sitting in your disposable aluminum pan down the drain! Drizzle it over the meat for added moisture and flavor!
- Don’t forget to rest the meat. Even though you’ve been waiting quite a while to enjoy your pulled pork, make sure to allow it to rest for 30 minutes before shredding and digging in.
More Pulled Pork Recipes
Pulled pork is a must-try on the smoker. If you’ve mastered this brown sugar pulled pork, try your hand at my other awesome recipes available here on Hey Grill Hey:
Cider Brined Pulled Pork
Carolina Pulled Pork
Simple Smoked Pulled Pork
Brown Sugar Pulled Pork Recipe
Bourbon Brown Sugar Smoked Pulled Pork
Video
Ingredients
- 1 7-9 lb bone-in pork shoulder roast
- ¼ cup Hey Grill Hey Signature Sweet Rub (or your favorite BBQ seasoning)
Bourbon & Brown Sugar Mop Sauce
- 1 ½ cups bourbon
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon Hey Grill Hey Signature Sweet Rub
Instructions
- Fire up the smoker. Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees F, using hickory, apple, or maple for your wood smoke.
- Prep the pork and get it in the smoke. Liberally season the pork shoulder on all sides with the Sweet Rub. Place the pork on the grill grates and close the lid.
- Make the mop sauce. While the pork begins to cook, make the bourbon brown sugar mop sauce. Pour all of the ingredients for the mop sauce in a medium saucepan. Bring the mop sauce to a boil while whisking and remove from the heat. Set aside.
- Smoke the pork. Place the pork on the grill grates and close the lid. Mop the pork shoulder with the mop sauce every hour until the internal temperature of the pork reads 165 degrees F. This should take around 6-7 hours.
- Braise. Transfer the pork shoulder to a disposable aluminum pan and pour the remaining mop sauce over the top. Cover tightly with foil and return to the smoker.
- Finish cooking. Continue cooking until the internal temperature of the pork reads between 201-203 degrees F or until the thermometer probe slides into the pork like it's softened butter. This step can take anywhere from 4-6 hours, that's the fun part about BBQ, it's done when it's done.
- Rest, shred, and serve. Remove from the smoker and allow the pork to rest for at least 30 minutes before shredding, removing the bone, and separating the fat and gristly from the meat. Drizzle some additional braising liquid on the pork as desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**This post was originally published May 2017. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
So the rub doesn’t have to be applied with any glue and only needs to be added right before putting in the smoker? I was going to start pretty early in the morning so is it possible to put the rub on the night before? I cannot wait to try this!
Hey Lisa- no binder is required. You can absolutely apply the rub the night before if you like!
I’ve had this saved for a while and just now getting around to trying it and wondering what your thoughts are on brining in the mop sauce and injecting? Just tried the whiskey peach smoked pulled chicken and it was awesome btw!
Did you end up injecting? I am wondering the same…
So injecting is totally optional and I bet it would be delicious! The only thing I would watch out for is using the rub in the injection. Bigger chunks of spices can easily block off the needles and holes in most injectors.
I used this technique with a cajun butter injection and home made bbq sauce with a cajun spice rub.
Juciest most flavorful pork i have ever had. I am doing a catering event this weekend for 100+ people, and I will be using this technique. It creates the most beautiful crust. And the pork literally falls apart just sliding your fingers in.
Joe, which technique did you use? Injecting it or just following this recipe as instructed?
Hi! I’m new to smoking meats and I have an electric smoker. After transferring the pork shoulder to a disposable pan and covering with foil, should I continue adding wood chips to create smoke? Or no, because the smoke won’t get to the meat since it’s covered in the pan? Thanks!
Hey Stephanie- great question! You don’t need to continue adding wood chips once the roast is foiled, the smoke won’t do anything for it at that point.
Made the rub recipe, cleaned the Traeger Fire pot out… set the alarm for 5am ready to make…. excited to try…
1. Do you put fat side down?
2. When taste testing with Todd… is their a recipe for that slaw you had as a topping?
I place the fat side in whatever direction the heat will be coming from. I think it helps to protect the meat, but honestly I’ve tested and tested fat side up vs down and I can’t ever tell a difference. I have a couple slaw recipes here: https://heygrillhey.com/?s=slaw
What temp and how long is the mop sauce cooked for?
Hey TJ- the mop sauce is just brought to a boil to combine all of the ingredients. Thanks, I think a step of the recipe got deleted somehow!!
You mentioned using foil to cover your shoulder in the second phase, have you ever used the pink butcher paper as you do with your Texas style brisket for extra juice and flavor?
Hey James- I do like using butcher paper on pork occasionally, but it depends on the recipe. For this one, I really wanted to foil the pork with the reduced bourbon mopping liquid to add in the flavor while it finished cooking. If I am just mopping and don’t plan to wrap with additional liquid, I’ll use the paper.
In your answer you say “reduced bourbon”..are you boiling the mop sauce further to reduce before adding to final stage or just the initial boil?
Also, ever try this with Jack Daniels?
This is just the initial boil for mopping. Yes, this was made with Jack Daniels.
What kind of meat thermometer do you recommend? I want a good one. Also, what kind/brand of bourbon do you use? I spent an hour at the store and what I ended up with tasted awful!
Hey Brad- I have several kinds of thermometers, but my most recommended as far as accuracy and durability is Thermoworks. I have both the Smoke and MK4, one is an instant read and one is a remote probe, you can check them both out here: http://www.thermoworks.com/?tw=HEYGRILLHEY (that’s my affiliate link)
As far as bourbon, I like to use Jim Beam, I feel like it’s just sweet enough to complement the pork.
Did 4 of these for our 4th of July BBQ. Absolutely amazing!!! Used apple and oak for the fire. Thanks for the great recipe!
That’s fantastic Ryan! Thanks so much for coming back and leaving a review!
Don’t have a smoker can I use the oven at 250 or a slow cooker?
Hey Teresa! The temperature and time settings should be the same in your oven. It won’t taste quite the same as if it’s smoked, but it should still work!
I find out to turn crockpot into a smoker. Found it on the web gonna try that don’t have a smoker. Gotta improvise.
Just put 2 butts on the smoker! Can’t wait!!
Looks delicious. What is the sauce you topped it with at the end when making the sandwich?
Hey Wenda! It’s just BBQ sauce, you can use your favorite kind.