Slow-Smoked Kansas City Pulled Pork with Tangy BBQ Sauce

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-06 · Updated 2026-06-06

Tender slow-smoked pulled pork shoulder served with a rich, tangy Kansas City-style BBQ sauce perfect for family meals or individual plates. This American-inspired barbecue recipe, ready in about 460 minutes, pairs pork shoulder, kosher salt, black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 450 calories and feeds 8, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 4 lbs pork shoulder
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• for smoking hickory wood chips
• 1 cup water

The instant-read thermometer we’d check this pork with → Best Instant-Read Thermometers for 2026: Fast, Accurate Picks Under $100

Instructions

1. Step 1: Combine 2 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp black pepper, 2 tbsp paprika, 3 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp garlic powder, and 1 tbsp onion powder in a bowl and rub evenly all over the 4 lbs pork shoulder. Let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Step 2: Prepare your smoker and preheat to 225°F, adding hickory wood chips to generate smoke. Place the pork shoulder in the smoker fat side up and smoke for 6-7 hours until internal temperature reaches 195°F, spritzing every hour with 1 cup water to maintain moisture.
3. Step 3: While pork smokes, mix 1 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp molasses, 1 tbsp yellow mustard, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tsp smoked paprika in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
4. Step 4: Remove pork from smoker and let rest for 30 minutes. Shred the meat with two forks and mix with half of the prepared BBQ sauce. Serve remaining sauce on the side.