This delicious pulled pork is filled with Asian flavours and sticky and yummy! Perfect for meal prepping, just set and forget in the slow cooker, or cook at speed in the instant pot or pressure cooker, the whole family is going to love this Asian Pulled Pork! You can even make this is in a dutch oven. Makes at least 8 serves, so you can freeze extras to reheat for dinner at another time.
Why you're going to love this recipe
What's not to love about this sticky and deliciously sweet pulled pork? It's super versatile too- use it as a filling for pork buns, instead of peking duck in pancakes, in rice paper rolls, pulled pork sandwiches and burgers or even as a wonton filling!
Here's why you're going to love this recipe:
- quick and easy to make
- kid friendly flavours
- hands off cooking
- serve it with yummy, easy fried rice or plain rice and steamed veggies
- great for meal prep, because you make a big batch and can freeze in portions
- sticky, sweet and yummy
- pork shoulder is a relatively cheap cut of meat, so this is a more budget meal
- shredded pork is easy to eat, soft and delicious
What goes into the recipe
don't forget to scroll to the recipe card for full amounts and method
- pork shoulder- this is a 2kg piece of pork shoulder. When I opened it up, inside it was cut in segments through the meat, but not all the way through. If yours isn't cut like that, then it's worthwhile doing it with a knife, to ensure you coat everything with the spice powder.
- chinese 5 spice- this amazing spice blend is so good in asian dishes. The flavour it imparts to the pork is ESSENTIAL. If you don't have any (I have found it in just regular supermarkets), then you could try this recipe.
- mirin- mirin is a favourite around here, it's similar to sake but has a much lower alcohol content. You can also get mirin flavour from the supermarket and it works just fine!
- ginger- I use fresh ginger in this recipe, because I try to have it in the fridge all the time. If you don't have any, jarred ginger will work too!
- sesame seeds- we are going to be toasting these in the recipe, so you can also cheat and buy the toasted.
- the sauces- hoisin, soy and sweet chilli all work together here to create the amazing flavour. The sweet chilli has no heat to it, we use it in a lot of recipes the kids love, like these Sticky Chicken Wings.
How to make this recipe
- Chop the spring onions (Image 1)
- Grate the ginger (Image 2)
- Mix together the mirin, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sweet chilli sauce and honey (Image 3)
- Press the garlic into the sauce and mix well. (Image 4)
- Coat the pork shoulder in the 5 spice powder. See how it is kind of hasselbacked? Get right into those crevices with the rub and coat all of it.(Image 5)
- Fry the pork until golden (wither in your dutch oven fry pan or instant pot) (Image 6)
- Add the sauce and cup of water and cook using your preferred method (see the recipe card) (Image7)
- Check the internal temp if you have a thermometer (95º celsius or 203F) and remove the prok from the heat. (Image 8)
- Place in a large dish and check that it shreds. (Image 9)
- Shred completely. (Image 10)
- Place back into the cooking liquid then bring to the boil (move your dutch oven to the stove, do this in your instant pot, or transfer to a large pot). (Image 11)
- Combine the cornflour and water and mix well to get rid of lumps. (Image 12)
- Add the cornflour to the pot and boil for 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. (Image 13)
- Put the sesame seeds in a large pan and dry toast until golden (Image 14)
- Put the pork into a large dish and sprinkle with half the sesame seeds and spring onions and stir through. Serve over rice and steamed veggies and top with the remaining sessame seeds and spring onions.
Instant Pot, Slow cooker or Dutch Oven
It really doesn't matter whether you cook this shredded pork in your slow cooker, instant pot, pressure cooker or dutch oven- whatever you choose, the flavours will concentrate and it will be amazing!
- instant pot
it only takes 1 hour and 10 minutes to cook this in the instant pot! The added benefit is you can do the whole process in there. Start the recipe by toasting the sesame seeds and you'll only use one pot. - slow cooker
unless you have a slow cooker with a sear function, you will also need a large pot for cooking the sauce off at the end and for frying the pork at the beginning. Cook for 8 hours on low. - dutch oven
Dry fry the sesame seeds first. Use your dutch oven for the frying at the beginning and the boiling at the end. It's important when using a dutch oven that you check the pork is shreddable, either with a thermometer or with forks.
Expert Tips and FAQs
Yes! They add flavour and texture to the dish!
Flavour, flavour, flavour! It also helps to freshen the dish up at the end with fresh ingredients, like the spring onions. I can teach you how to use your slow cooker for so many awesome family meals!
Yes! In fact, it is perfect for meal prepping and you can freeze it in portions. Great for nights when you are super busy as you can just cook some rice, steam some greens and you're good to reheat the pork and eat!
It's awesome as a steamed bun filling, in rice paper rolls, in pancakes as a replacement for peking duck, in sushi bowls, as a sushi filling or even as a dumpling filling!
More pulled meat recipes
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Asian Pulled Pork
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 kgs boneless pork shoulder mine came in a net, when I removed the net, it was roughly cut into sections (but not all the way through), you could do the same if you want to ensure maximum adhesion of the spice rub
- 2 tablespoons chinese 5 spice
Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons ginger freshly grated
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoons mirin
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
- 1 cup water
Finishing
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 3 spring onions sliced on an angle
Instructions
- Slice the spring onions.
- Grate the ginger.
- Combine the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce, honey, mirin and ginger in a jug. Crush in the garlic. Mix well.
- Coat the pork in the chinese five spice powder. Get into all the crevices, if your pork isn't sectioned (not right through) you can also section it, to ensure more spice rub coverage.
- Heat your frypan or dutch oven or instant pot to high heat and fry the pork on all sides until golden brown.
Instant Pot
- Add the sauce and 1 cup of water. Cook for 1 hour and 10 minutes on high. Manual pressure release.
Slow Cooker
- Add the sauce and 1 cup of water. Cook for 8 hours on low.
Oven
- Add the sauce and 1 cup of water. Cook for 8 hours at 120 degrees celsius.
Finishing instructions
- Remove the pork from the pan and shred. It needs to have reached 95º celsius or 203F internally (use a thermometer) the other option is to give it a go- if it shred easily then it's done!
- Put the pork and sauce together (fry pan, dutch oven on the stove or instant pot) and bring to the boil.
- Combine the cornslour and water and mix together, then pour into the pan, stir and allow the sauce to boil for 5 minutes.
- Remove to a large dish.
- Add the sesame seeds to a large dry fry pan and toast them.
- Top the pork with half of the sesame seeds and half of the spring onions. Stir through.
- Serve with rice and stead veg, topping with remaining sesame seeds and spring onions at the table.
Jean says
This recipe is perfect with a cup of rice.
Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/ says
You just gave me a great idea for dinner tonight! Thank you:))
Sarah T D says
Really delicious and 3 out of my 4 kids loved it too (which is amazing!). Will definitely be making it again. I made it in the slow cooker which is perfect when you have 4 kids under 6! I hate the dinner time rush so love my slow cooker. Do you think it would be nice with mushrooms?