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    Home » Recipes » Main Dish » Sous Vide Pork Shoulder Recipe

    Sous Vide Pork Shoulder Recipe

    Published: Jun 15, 2021 · Modified: Sep 10, 2021 by Erin · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

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    Pinterest Pin: Shredded pork on a wooden board.

    Sous vide pork shoulder is the easiest way to make the most tender, fall-apart pulled pork. This recipe is almost entirely hands-off, yet gives you juicy meat that can be enjoyed on its own, or as a pulled pork sandwich, carnitas tacos, and more!

    Wooden platter with shredded sous vide pork shoulder.
    Jump to:
    • Why You Will Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Step-By-Step Instructions
    • Expert Tips
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • More Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Reviews

    Why You Will Love This Recipe

    Pulled pork is my favorite way to prepare pork. But traditional cooking methods require a lot of attention! The sous vide process is almost completely hands-off!

    Once the pork goes into the water, you can walk away! And when you return the next day, you have juicy, tender pork ready for you to enjoy!

    The key is in the way that the sous vide cooker works! When you are smoking your pork or cooking it following traditional methods in the meat temperature has to hit 205° in order to melt the connective tissue. The lower temperatures used with sous vide achieve this same melting point by maintaining the temperature over a long period of time.

    No more dry meat! This pork shoulder is fall-apart tender, and easy to shed, right out of the bag!

    Cooked pork shoulder on a white rectangular plate, with a bite of pork on a fork.

    Ingredients

    Labeled ingredients for sous vide pork shoulder.

    Pork Shoulder: Also called picnic roast, this cut of meat is the lower part of the pig's front leg. It is most commonly used for sliced pork, but with the sous vide it is easy to transform into pulled pork. Pork butt, also known as Boston butt, is the higher part of the leg and is interchangeable with this recipe.

    Dry Rub Ingredients: The combination of spices makes a really delicious rub! If you do not have coriander on hand then cumin makes a good substitution.

    Liquid Smoke - If you want the flavor of a smoker, simply add a little bit of liquid smoke to the bag before cooking. This is an optional ingredient for those who love a smoked flavor.

    Step-By-Step Instructions

    1. Mix the spices together in a small bowl.
    2. Set aside ¼ cup of the spices and rub the remaining spices all over the pork shoulder.
    3. Vacuum seal pork in a large sous vide bag (first add liquid smoke, if using), then place in a 165°F sous vide water bath for 18-24 hours.
    4. Remove from bag and pat dry with paper towels. Rub remaining spices on the pork and place in a roasting pan. Finish in a 400°F oven for 30 minutes, or until the spice crust has turned dark brown.
    1) Bowl of spices, 2) Reserved ¼ cup of spices, 3) Pork in sous vide cooker, 4) pork dried and in roasting pan.

    Expert Tips

    • Your pork should be fall-apart tender when you remove it from the sous vide. If for some reason it is not, follow the instructions for patting the pork dry and adding the finishing spices, but instead of placing it in the oven at 400°F, heat your oven to 300°F and roast for up to 90 minutes, or until the pork is tender.
    • Vacuum seal the pork instead of using the water displacement method. Because of the long cook time the plastic bag is at a higher risk of leaking and this risk is reduced when vacuum sealing.
    • When cooking sous vide for as long of hours as we are with this pork, it is helpful to cover the lid with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, to reduce water evaporation.
    • If you are new to sous vide, check out How to Get Started!
    Pulled pork sandwich on a plate, with bowl of bbq sauce behind it.

    Serving Suggestions

    There are so many ways to enjoy pork shoulder!

    Pulled pork served with a little bbq sauce. It is delicious with Western North Carolina BBQ Sauce, or my favorite store barbecue sauce is Head Country). Then just add a baked potato and green beans. Or for a little more of an elegant meal, try this Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Cranberries or Gruyere and Leek Mashed Potatoes with your pulled pork.

    Pork sandwiches with some potato salad, baked beans, and a few pickles.

    I like to add some chili powder and cumin to leftovers and crisp them in oil to make carnitas tacos!

    Depending on the size of your pork shoulder this one recipe can give you a lot of meat! It is an easy main dish to serve at a big party! Just have everyone bring their favorite side dish! It is such an easy dinner for any occasion!

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can you sous vide the pork for too long?

    The pork is unlikely to dry out in the sous vide cooker, but it will turn to a mushy texture if cooked for too long.

    Can I sear the pork before I sous vide?

    The purpose of searing meat before cooking is to lock in flavor and develop a good crust. With the way that the sous vide method cooks, the crust would completely disappear. Therefore, it is not recommended to sear before placing in the sous vide.

    What is the best sous vide machine?

    I use the Anova Nano (<--affiliate link) and recommend it highly! I can monitor and control the time and temperature using my phone!

    More Recipes

    • Garlic Parmesan Hasselback Potatoes Recipe
    • Sheet Pan Pork Chops with Roasted Vegetables
    • Easy S'mores Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
    • Hot Honey Margarita Recipe

    Let me know how you like this recipe by leaving a review! And follow along on Instagram @stateofdinner for behind the scenes and to be among the first to know when new recipes post!

    Recipe

    Pulled pork on a wooden board, with bowl of bbq sauce.

    Sous Vide Pork Shoulder

    Recipe by: Erin
    Tender, juicy, and flavorful pork shoulder is easy to prepare when you use a sous vide immersion cooker!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 1 d
    Roasting 30 mins
    Total Time 1 d 35 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 227 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4-7 pound pork shoulder
    • 3 tablespoons kosher salt
    • 3 tablespoons chili powder
    • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
    • 1 ½ tablespoons paprika
    • 1 tablespoon black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon coriander
    • 1 tablespoon ground mustard seed
    • ½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Set the sous vide precision cooker to 165°F.
    • Mix the spices together in a small bowl. Reserve ¼ cup of the spice rub and set aside for a second application.
    • Rub the remaining spice mixture over the pork shoulder. Place the shoulder into a bag and add the liquid smoke, if using. Seal with a vacuum sealer.
    • Place in a water bath and set the timer for 18-24 hours. Cover the container with foil or plastic wrap to reduce water evaporation.
    • After an 18-24 hour period, remove the pork shoulder from the vacuum-sealed bag and pat dry with paper towels.
    • Rub the remaining spices over the cooked pork shoulder.
    • Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the pork shoulder in a roasting pan and cook for 30 minutes, or until the spices have developed into a dark crust.
    • Use two forks to shred the pork, then serve.

    Notes

    This recipe will give you fall-apart tender pulled pork. For pork shoulder that can be sliced, set the induction cooker to 145°F.
    Because of the long cook time, it is recommended to use a vacuum-sealed bag instead of the water displacement method. This will help reduce the risk of leaks.
    If the pork is not fall apart-tender when you remove it from the sous vide, it can be placed in a 300° oven for up to 90 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 2772mg | Potassium: 575mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 960IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katie Youngs

      July 03, 2021 at 8:05 am

      5 stars
      This recipe was packed with flavor!

      Reply
    2. Jeri

      July 01, 2021 at 4:39 pm

      5 stars
      This was so easy to make and was absolutely delicious! It was so juicy and tender, and the spices were just perfect! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Erin

        July 01, 2021 at 7:03 pm

        Thank you, Jeri! I am glad to hear how much you loved it!

        Reply

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    Photo of Erin Gierhart

    Welcome! I'm Erin, wife, mom, and lover of great food. I've been cooking and baking for over half my life, including 7 years teaching cooking demonstrations. I have even sold baked goods, from homemade bread to wedding cakes! Somewhere between my kitchen disasters and extraordinary creations I learned a few things about what it takes to make a great dish. And I am excited to share those learnings and mouthwatering recipes with you!

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