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Let this flavorful grilled Grilled Pork Butt Recipe be the star of your next cookout! So tender you can shred it with a fork, grilled pork butt uses just 3 ingredients and calls for very little prep time. You will love how simple but delicious this Boston butt recipe is!
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Pork Butt on the Grill
If you know anything about me and my family, you know how much we love grilling out! Living in Florida, we grill year-round, and one of my favorite meals to make on the grill is this Boston butt recipe. It is tender, flavorful, and - best of all - so simple.
Pork butt is an inexpensive cut of meat, but you get a lot out of it, so it's perfect for feeding a crowd! I love grilling Boston butt for backyard BBQ parties or for special occasions like game day.
Even better, leftover pork butt makes delicious tacos, nachos, and even rice bowls. You can use the leftovers in all the same ways you enjoy pulled pork. My personal favorite is flatbread pork pizzas, Pulled Pork Nachos, or Pork Tacos using this grilled Boston butt recipe!
BBQ Pork Butt Ingredients
- Pork butt
- Beef broth
- Brown sugar bourbon seasoning, or seasoning of your choice
How to Cook Boston Butt
- Coat pork butt completely with brown sugar bourbon seasoning. Pat down to encrust the meat with the seasoning. After seasoning, refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight (recommended).
- When ready to grill, place an aluminum tray under the rack of your grill. Center it in the middle of the grill so it will catch the juices from the pork as it cooks.
- Pour beef broth into the tray.
- Place pork butt in the center of the grill over the aluminum tray. Grill for 2.5 hours over indirect low heat. The two side burners of the grill should be set to low, and the middle burner should be turned off.
- After 2.5 hours, remove the pork butt from the grill. Carefully wrap it in aluminum foil, then add it back to the grill. This prevents the pork from burning and helps tenderize the meat.
- Cook for another 1.5 hours. When done, shred with two forks (if desired) and separate the fatty bits from the meat to discard. Serve, and enjoy!
Flavor tip: The beef broth combined with the fat drippings in the aluminum pan can be made into an au jus to serve with the meat.
Grilling Pork Butt Tips
- Cook time varies by size. I recommend 52 minutes up to 1 hour of grilling time per pound of meat. For example, a 4.5 pound pork butt will take approximately 4 hours on the grill.
- Cook the pork over indirect heat by leaving the middle burner of your grill off and setting both side burners to low heat. Low heat is generally a temp range of 225°F-250°F.
- You can use two forks to shred the pork once it's done cooking. Make sure to separate the fat from the pork and discard it before serving.
- Use the fat drippings combined with the beef broth to make an au jus to serve with the pork. This is even better with pulled pork sandwiches using this Boston butt recipe!
What is a Pork Butt?
Pork butt, also known as Boston Butt, is a cut of pork that comes from the shoulder of the pig and has a very high-fat content. It is perfect for pulled pork on the grill because the majority of the fat cooks off during the grilling process and leaves juicy pieces.
Boston Butt Internal Temperature
| Pork Butt/Boston Butt | 4-5 pounds | Fall-apart tender; cook until at least 190°F to 195°F | 52 minutes up to 1 hour per pound of meat over indirect low heat, uncovered for the first half |
| Boneless or Bone-in Pork Shoulder | 4-6 pounds | Fall-apart tender; cook until at least 180°F to 205°F | 52 minutes up to 1 hour per pound of meat over indirect low heat, uncovered for the first half |
For more information on pork internal temperature and tips on cooking pork recipes, check our Pork Temperature Chart!
Boston Butt Recipe FAQs
Though you can cook it in the oven, smoker, slow cooker, and even Instant Pot, grilling is a perfect cooking method for Boston butt. It tenderizes the meat and gives it a beautiful char, in addition to being easy even for total beginners to cook a pork butt.
A very simple pork butt rub recipe is all you need; use your favorite pre-mixed grilling seasoning or a homemade rib rub recipe. I recommend using a brown-sugar-based rub, like the brown sugar bourbon seasoning used in my Boston butt recipe.
Cooking time varies by size; if you have a larger pork butt, it will take longer to cook. I recommend 52 minutes up to 1 hour of grilling time per pound. For example, cook a 4.5-pound Boston butt for a total of 4 hours over low heat on the grill, covering it with foil at the 2.5-hour mark. This will perfectly tenderize the meat so it is fall-apart tender and easy to shred with a fork.
Boston butt is the perfect choice for making pulled pork. It shreds beautifully and takes on plenty of flavor from the grill, giving it a great taste for pulled pork.
Grilled Pork Recipes
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Grilled Pork Butt
Equipment
- grill
- 1 aluminum pan
- aluminum foil to wrap pork butt with
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 pounds Boston butt
- 2 cups beef broth
- 5 Tablespoons brown sugar bourbon seasoning or favorite pork seasoning of your choice
Instructions
- Coat pork butt completely with brown sugar bourbon seasoning. Pat down to encrust the meat with the seasoning. After seasoning, refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight (recommended).4 to 5 pounds Boston butt, 5 Tablespoons brown sugar bourbon seasoning
- When ready to grill, place an aluminum tray under the rack of your grill. Center it in the middle of the grill so it will catch the juices from the pork as it cooks. Pour beef broth into the tray.2 cups beef broth
- Place pork butt in the center of the grill over the aluminum tray. Grill for 2.5 hours over indirect low heat. The two side burners of the grill should be set to low, and the middle burner should be turned off.
- After 2.5 hours, remove the pork butt from the grill. Carefully wrap it in aluminum foil, then add it back to the grill. This prevents the pork from burning and helps tenderize the meat.
- Cook for another 1.5 hours. When done, shred with two forks (if desired) and separate the fatty bits from the meat to discard. Serve, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Cook time varies by size. I recommend 52 minutes up to 1 hour of grilling time per pound of meat. For example, a 4.5 pound pork butt will take approximately 4 hours on the grill.
- Cook the pork over indirect heat by leaving the middle burner of your grill off and setting both side burners to low heat. Low heat is generally a temp range of 225°F-250°F.
- You can use two forks to shred the pork once it's done cooking. Make sure to separate the fat from the pork and discard it before serving.
- Use the fat drippings combined with the beef broth to make an au jus to serve with the pork. This is even better with pulled pork sandwiches using this Boston butt recipe!
M says
Can this be done in the oven if one doesn't have a grill??
Isabel Laessig says
Hi, thank you for your question! Yes, you could roast this pork in the oven. Follow the first step of our instructions to season and refrigerate the pork, then when ready to cook, preheat your oven to 250°F. Place the pork on a wire rack in a roasting pan - like the one in our photos. You can add the beef broth to the bottom of that pan. Roast it uncovered for 2.5 hours. After 2.5 hours, remove it to wrap it with aluminum foil, then add it back to the oven for another 1.5 hours (a total of 4 hours). Then, check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer. It should reach about 195°F internally. If it's not quite done, you will need to roast it for longer. Finally, let it rest for at least 15 minutes before shredding and serving.