This easy recipe for Smoked Pork Butt On Traeger Grill (Smoked Pulled Pork) is one of my all-time favorite smoker recipes. The meat is juicy and fall-apart-tender with a delicious outer crust.
If you love this recipe, try my easy Traeger Smoked Pulled Pork Loin or Smoked Pulled Chicken next!
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The key to the best pulled pork is to cook it low and slow on a pellet smoker. It takes a long time, but it is so worth it. Serve with Smoked Corn on the Cob, Smoked Brussels Sprouts, Smoked Baked Beans, or Slow Cooker Charro Beans for a meal everyone will love.
For more great recipes made on the smoker, check out Smoked Pork Butt Burnt Ends On Pellet Grill, Best Pellet Grill Recipes, or Best Smoked Pork Butt Recipes.
Recipe at a Glance
- Type: Pellet grill pork recipe
- Total Time: 10-15 hours (plus 1 hour rest)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy (hands-off)
- Cut Used: Pork butt / pork shoulder
- Cook Temp: 225-250°F
- Yield: Feeds a crowd (about 12-16 servings)
- Flavor Profile: Smoky, savory, rich BBQ
- Why It Works: Low-and-slow cooking breaks down connective tissue for ultra-tender pulled pork
- Great For: Sandwiches, tacos, nachos, parties, freezer meals
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe requires only 15 minutes of prep time.
- This pork butt is super tender and juicy.
- This recipe will feed a crowd.
- It's low-maintenance. Just let the smoker do its magic until it's ready.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This recipe has simple ingredients that can easily be found at your local grocery store.
- Pork butt (or pork shoulder), boneless or bone-in. You can also find this cut of meat at your local butcher shop. I used a boneless pork shoulder roast.
- Yellow mustard. You don't even taste the mustard; it just helps the dry spices stick and creates a lovely bark. You can use Dijon mustard instead.
- Pork butt rub. I used my Homemade Pork Rub which is made with brown sugar, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, dry mustard powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Feel free to use your favorite spices.
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for quantities.
How To Smoke Pork Butt On Traeger Grill
Prepare The Boston Butt For Smoking
- If the pork butt has a thick fat cap, trim it with a sharp knife until it is ¼-inch thick.
- Combine the ingredients for the dry pork rub in a small bowl or jar.
- Brush prepared yellow mustard over the entire pork butt.
- Generously sprinkle the rub evenly over the pork. Cover the top, bottom, and sides.
- Place the pork roast in the refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours to let the rub penetrate the meat.
- Remove the pork butt from the fridge 1 hour before placing it on the smoker to allow it to come to room temperature.
Smoke The Pork Butt
- Preheat your Traeger grill to 250 degrees F.
- Place the pork roast directly on the grill grate, fat side facing up. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the pork. Close the lid and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, about 8 hours.
- Once the pork reaches 165 degrees F, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil or pink or peach butcher paper. Re-insert the temperature probe. Place it on the Traeger and continue to smoke it until the internal temp reaches 198-202°F. This will take approximately 6½ hours.
- Remove it from the smoker and place it on a towel in a cooler. Close the lid and let the meat rest for 1 hour.
- Remove the smoked pork shoulder from the cooler and place it on a large baking sheet or roasting pan. Remove the foil or butcher paper. Using meat shredders or two forks, shred the pork butt, removing any large chunks of fat. Discard the bone if it is a bone-in pork shoulder.
- Serve the pulled pork immediately to your guests with BBQ sauce and your favorite sides. Enjoy!
Variations
- Sweet - Mix mustard and honey and brush it onto the pork before smoking.
- Spicy - Add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the spice rub.
- BBQ sauce - Brush your favorite BBQ sauce onto the meat before wrapping it.
Related Recipe: Slow Cookers Carnitas Tacos
Equipment
You can make this delicious smoked pork butt on a Traeger grill, Pit Boss pellet grill, Char-Broil, Master Chef, ZGrill, or Masterbuilt smoker.
You will also need an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator: Store leftover pulled pork in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. For quick lunches or dinners, wrap individual portions in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.
Reheating: Reheat in the air fryer, oven, or microwave until heated through.
Top Tips
- This is a long cooking process, so make sure the fire pot is empty, and your wood pellets are topped up before you start.
- Let the pork butt come to room temperature 1 hour before smoking.
- For best results, don't open the smoker to check on the meat; use a meat thermometer. Every time you open the lid of the smoker, the temperature will decrease, and it will take extra time to rise again.
Recipe Ideas
Use smoked pork butt to make pulled pork sandwiches, Crispy Pulled Pork Taquitos, as a pizza topping, in fajitas, in chili, or serve it on nachos or Pulled Pork Fries.
Side Dishes
Serve smoked pulled pork with Smoked Corn on the Cob In Foil, Air Fryer Green Beans, Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower, or Smoked Baked Potatoes.
It also goes great with Smoked Mac and Cheese, Greek Cucumber Salad, Panera Copycat Tomato Basil Cucumber Salad, or Creamy Red Skin Potato Salad.
Recipe FAQ's
An 8-pound pork butt can take anywhere from 10-15 hours at 250 degrees F, depending on the size of the meat and how hot your smoker is. I like to calculate 1.75 hours for every pound of meat. If it is done earlier than planned, keep it resting in the cooler longer.
When smoking a pork butt, the ideal temperature is between 225-250 degrees Fahrenheit. This will allow the pork to cook low and slow, resulting in tender and juicy meat.
Pork shoulder will stall at around 165 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point, the connective tissue in the pork shoulder begins to break down, and the pork will become more tender. At this temperature, I wrap the pork butt to help it retain moisture and get through the stall quicker.
A pork butt is a portion of the shoulder of the pig. It's a relatively tough cut of meat but is incredibly juicy and tender when cooked slowly as the fat renders and adds flavor. The pork butt is also known as the Boston butt pork roast, pork shoulder roast, pork should blade roast, or picnic roast.
I like to use apple, cherry, pecan, hickory, or oak. Feel free to use your favorite kind. You can even use the Signature blend or Competition blend.
More Delicious Smoker Recipes
Did you try this Traeger Smoked Pork Butt Recipe? Loved it? Rate it! ⭐ Have a question or a tip to share? Drop a comment below! ✍️ I love hearing from you! 😊
Printable Recipe
Smoked Pork Butt On Traeger Grill
Ingredients
- 8 pound pork butt (pork shoulder, Boston butt)
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
Homemade Pork Rub
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Trim the pork butt: On the top, trim the fat down to ¼-inch thickness.
- Make the rub: Brush prepared mustard over the entire pork butt. Add all the ingredients for the dry rub into a small bowl or jar. Stir to combine, and spread evenly over the pork shoulder on the top, bottom and sides. Return the pork shoulder to the fridge, and allow the rub to penetrate the meat anywhere from 8 to 24 hours.
- Bring to room temperature: Remove the pork butt from the fridge 1 hour before placing it on the smoker to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Preheat the smoker: Preheat the smoker to 250℉.
- Smoke: Place the pork butt directly on the grill, with the fat side facing up. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the pork. Close the lid and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165℉. This will take about 8 hours.
- Wrap: Once the pork reaches 165℉, wrap the pork in aluminum foil (or pink or peach butcher paper). Wrap the paper or foil over the pork butt nice and tight, and re-insert the temperature probe.
- Continue to smoke: Continue to smoke the wrapped pork butt until the internal temperature reaches 198-202°F in the thickest part of the meat. This will take approximately 6½ hours.
- Rest: Next, remove the pork butt from the smoker and place it in a cooler. Place a towel on the bottom of the cooler to insulate it better and place the pork butt on top. Close the lid of the cooler, and let the pork butt rest for 1 hour.
- Carve: Next, remove the pork butt from the cooler. Place the pork on a large baking sheet or aluminum pan. Remove the foil or butcher paper. Using meat shredders or forks, shred the pork butt, removing any large chunks of fat. Discard the bone if it is a bone-in pork shoulder.
- Serve: Serve the pulled pork immediately with your favorite BBQ sauce and side dishes.
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Notes
- This is a long cooking process, so make sure the fire pot is empty and your wood pellets are topped up before you start.
- Let the pork butt come to room temperature 1 hour before smoking.
- For best results, don't open the smoker to check on the meat; use a meat thermometer. Every time you open the lid of the smoker, the temperature will decrease and it will take extra time to come up again.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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Dan C. says
My Traeger only allows the Super Smoke feature at 225 degrees or less. How long should I plan for 225, and do you do any spritzing with apple juice at any point? Looking forward to using this recipe!
Jeri Walker says
Hi Dan! I'm so excited for you to try this recipe! You can absolutely utilize that Super Smoke feature at 225°F. Since my original recipe is set at 250°F, dropping down to 225°F for the first stage will add a bit of time. Plan for it to take roughly 9 to 11 hours (instead of 8) to reach that 165°F wrapping point, depending on your specific roast and the weather. Just remember to rely on your meat thermometer probe rather than the clock. Once you wrap it, you can leave it at 225°F or crank the Traeger up to 250°F to help push it through the rest of the cook to that final 198°F-202°F mark.
As for spritzing: I don't typically spritz this recipe because the mustard binder and the fat cap keep it incredibly juicy on their own. However, if you love using apple juice, you can absolutely spritz it every hour or so after the first 3 hours (once the bark has had a chance to set so you don't wash the rub off).
Let me know how it turns out!
Dan C. says
Thank you! I started smoking it at 6pm and hit 165 at 3:30am, and it didn’t hit 198 until almost 3pm! Timing worked out perfectly though and the pulled pork was a hit. Bark was excellent and juicy and tender on the inside. I will definitely be using this recipe again!
Jeri Walker says
Thanks so much for coming back and sharing your results Dan! That's a perfect example of why I always recommend cooking to temperature instead of the clock. Every pork butt seems to have its own schedule, and that stall can last a long time! I'm so glad the timing worked out for you and that the bark turned out great while still staying juicy and tender inside. Sounds like you nailed it! Thanks again for trying the recipe and for taking the time to leave a comment. Happy smoking! 😊
Kolina says
I was only able to get 3 lbs what would you do for time and or temp?
Jeri Walker says
Hi Kolina! You can follow the recipe exactly as written and keep your smoker at 250°F. A 3-pound pork butt will cook much faster, so I'd plan on roughly 5 to 7 hours total. Smoke it until it reaches 165°F, wrap it, and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 198-203°F and it feels nice and tender when you insert a probe. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes before shredding. Hope that helps! 😊
Asia says
Delicious!! My husband was so thrilled! I love the internal temp monitoring because my 8 lb took about 3 hours less cook time than mentioned in the recipe so monitoring is internal meat temp is crucial! The leftovers tasted just as good!
Jeri Walker says
I'm so glad it turned out so well! And that your husband loved it! 😊 You're absolutely right… all smokers cook differently, and every pork butt has a mind of its own. That's why going by internal temp instead of time makes such a difference! Thanks so much for taking the time to share!