How to Reheat Pulled Pork in the Instant Pot
Learn how to reheat pulled pork the easy way, by heating the leftovers in your Instant Pot!
Did you know you can reheat pulled pork in the Instant Pot? The result is tender and moist meat, and it’s a cinch to do it! Keep reading to get the tips and tricks for using this method.
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It doesn’t take long to realize just how useful the Instant Pot is! It is one of the most versatile appliances.
Many people have discovered that you can cook pulled pork in the Instant Pot, but did you know it’s possible to reheat leftovers in the Instant Pot as well?
And, you can keep food warm in the Instant Pot, which is great if you’re cooking now but won’t be eating it until a little later.
I’ve found that reheating pulled pork in the microwave can leave it dry and tough, which is such a shame when you spend so long cooking it to perfection.
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- How to Reheat Soup in the Instant Pot
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- How to Reheat Rice in the Instant Pot
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The Best Way to Reheat Pulled Pork
But when you reheat pulled pork in the Instant Pot, the moist environment helps to keep the meat juicy and tender, exactly as it should be!
In fact, I think using the Instant Pot is the best way to reheat pulled pork, because it preserves the texture of the meat so well.
Today I’m sharing how I use the Instant Pot to reheat pulled pork, including the tips and tricks and tweaks that make this method SO easy!
You may want to use some of your leftover shredded pork in this easy recipe for bola de carne!
How to Reheat Pulled Pork
There are a couple of ways you can go about reheating pulled pork in the Instant Pot, depending on how much you have, whether it’s in sauce, etc.
How to Reheat a Large Amount of Pulled Pork in Juices
If you have a large amount of pulled pork to reheat and it’s still in its juices, one option is to reheat it directly in the insert pot of the Instant Pot.
You can opt for a slower reheating process by using the Keep Warm function. Or, you can reheat it more quickly by selecting a 0 minute cook time at high pressure.
When you use the 0 minute cook time method, the Instant Pot will bring the food to a boil to achieve pressure, but it doesn’t continue maintaining the pressure for a cook time. This is a great way to heat it up quickly, but it requires that the meat still be in the liquid (because liquid is required to achieve high pressure).
How to Reheat A Smaller Amount of Pulled Pork Not in Juices
If you have a smaller amount of pulled pork that isn’t in juices anymore, I love using the pot-in-pot method to reheat it.
You’ll place the leftover pork into a heat-safe dish (I use these ALL the time!). Then, add some water to the insert pot of the Instant Pot and put the trivet in place.
Chances are, you already have some kind of heatproof dish you can use. I also have a list of pot-in-pot accessories that you can check out!
Lower your dish of pork onto the trivet. Use the Steam button to select a 5 minute cook time.
Once the steam time is complete, you can do a quick release of pressure or a natural release.
The 5 minute time is just a ballpark amount–the actual time needed will vary, depending on how much pork you’re reheating and how cold it was to begin with.
If the pork isn’t completely heated through to your liking after 5 minutes, steam it for another minute or two.
When I use this method, I leave the dish uncovered, because the steam helps to keep the pork moist. A small amount of condensation may drip into the dish, so if you want to avoid that, go ahead and cover the dish with some foil. But I personally feel that it is a negligible amount of liquid.
If you are reheating pork that has sauce on it, you’ll use the same pot-in-pot method. I do not cover mine, even when it has sauce on it, but you’re welcome to if you prefer.
Benefits of Reheating Pulled Pork in the Instant Pot
You’ll love how the texture of the pulled pork is so similar to when it’s freshly cooked!
The other great thing is that the pot-in-pot method of reheating minimizes dirty dishes, since you’re probably reheating the leftover pork in the same dish you stored it in.
I also love that this process is pretty much hands-off. No need to stir it in a pot on the stove!
If you’ve taken the time to make delicious pulled pork, you want to be sure you’re reheating the leftovers in the best way!
Psstt….did you know you can freeze pulled pork? Once it’s thawed, you can reheat it in your pressure cooker!
Stock Your Freezer!
2. No need to thaw before cooking in the Instant Pot--meals can cook from frozen!
3. Easy-to-use plan includes shopping lists, labels, recipes, and instructions!
Tried it with pot in pot method for 5 minutes. Took 5 minutes to come to pressure. When it was done I took it out thinking I had reheated pulled pork, but it was lukewarm on the outside and cold in the middle. Stuck it in the microwave for a couple minutes. Thought to myself… next time just put it in the microwave. Wasn’t tough or dry from heating it in microwave. To each his own. Love my IP but not for this. Some things just make more sense in the microwave or oven.
Hi Ginny! I agree the microwave is definitely faster. Heating in the pressure cooker can be a good option for those who don’t have a microwave or prefer not to use one. The 5 minute time is a ballpark, since it really depends on how much meat you have, how big the chunks are, how cold it is to begin with, etc. If it’s still not warm enough after the first 5 minutes, adding 1-2 more minutes should do the trick (and it won’t take as long to come to pressure the second time around, since everything’s already warmed up). But yes, using the microwave is definitely an option, especially if you feel the texture isn’t impacted! 🙂