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 transforms a 4-pound boneless pork butt into a tender, flavorful barbecue favorite. Seasoned with kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground mustard, the pork is smoked to perfection. A rich honey butter glaze is basted over the pork during smoking, 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
For the Pork
4-pound boneless pork butt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons ground mustard
For the Honey Butter Finish
1 cup honey
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Optional
Barbecue sauce, for serving
Instructions
Prepare the Pork
Preheat pellet grill to 225°F (107°C) with hickory, apple, or cherry wood pellets. Trim excess fat from the pork, leaving a thin layer. Rub pork with olive oil to help seasoning adhere. In a small bowl, mix kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground mustard. Rub seasoning mixture generously over the pork, coating all sides.
Smoke the Pork
Place pork fat side up on the grill grates. Smoke for 4–5 hours, until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Remove pork, drizzle with half of the honey and melted butter, then wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Return to the grill and continue cooking at 225°F until internal temperature reaches 200–205°F (93–96°C), about 3–4 more hours.
Rest and Finish
Let pork rest, still wrapped, for at least 30 minutes. Unwrap, shred, and drizzle with the remaining honey and melted butter. Toss to coat.
Serve
Serve as-is, or pair with your favorite barbecue sauce. Great for sandwiches, tacos, or classic BBQ platters.
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.
