Smoked Pork Butt On Traeger Grill
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.
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 305kcal
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.
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 the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 264mg | Potassium: 782mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 83IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg
