Smoked Honey Butter Pulled Pork

Smoked honey butter pulled pork with a flavorful blend of spices and basted with a rich honey butter glaze.

This smoked honey butter pulled pork recipe transforms a 4-pound boneless pork butt into a tender, flavorful dish perfect for any barbecue. The pork is seasoned with a blend of kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground mustard, then smoked to perfection. During the smoking process, the pork is basted with a rich honey butter glaze, adding a sweet and savory finish. Serve with optional barbecue sauce for an extra layer of flavor.

Servings

6-8

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

  • First smoking phase (until internal temperature of 160°F): Approximately 4 hours
  • Second cooking phase (until internal temperature of 205°F): Time varies, but generally around 2-3 hours

Total Time

  • Resting time: 1 hour
  • Total estimated cook time: 7-8 hours

Ingredients

  • 1 pork shoulder butt (3-4 pounds)
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons honey rib rub
  • 6 tablespoons honey
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • Additional salt and pepper, to taste (optional)

Instructions

Prep the Pork Butt

  • Trim excess fat, leaving a thin layer. Rub the pork with olive oil to help seasoning stick.

Season the Pork

  • Mix kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground mustard. Rub generously over the pork, covering all sides.

Preheat the Pellet Grill

  • Set the grill to 225°F (107°C) using hickory, apple, or cherry wood pellets.

Smoke the Pork

  • Place pork fat side up on the grill grates. Smoke for 4-5 hours until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).

Wrap the Pork

  • Remove pork and drizzle half the honey and melted butter over it. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and return to the grill.

Finish Smoking

  • Continue smoking at 225°F until pork reaches 200°F-205°F (93°C-96°C), about 3-4 more hours.

Rest the Pork

  • Let the pork rest, still wrapped, for at least 30 minutes.

Pull the Pork

  • Unwrap and shred the pork. Drizzle the remaining honey and melted butter, then mix.

Serve

  • Serve on buns with optional barbecue sauce or enjoy as is.

Trim any excess fat from the pork butt, leaving a thin layer for flavor. Rub the pork butt with olive oil to help the seasoning stick. In a bowl, combine kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground mustard. Generously rub the spice mixture all over the pork butt, making sure to cover all sides.

Place the pork butt directly on the grill grates, fat side up. Smoke for about 4-5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).

Once the pork reaches 165°F, remove it from the grill. In a large piece of aluminum foil, drizzle half of the honey and half of the melted butter over the pork.

Wrap the pork tightly in the foil and return it to the grill. Continue smoking the wrapped pork at 225°F until it reaches an internal temperature of 200°F-205°F (93°C-96°C). This will take an additional 3-4 hours.

Remove the pork from the grill and let it rest, still wrapped in foil, for at least 30 minutes.

After resting, unwrap the pork and use two forks to shred the meat. Drizzle the remaining honey and melted butter over the pulled pork, and mix well.