Chipotle Barbecue Pulled Pork

Aug 15, 2023 • Tom Jackson

This time of year is when cooking for the masses saves time. Chef Tom’s, Chipotle Barbecue Pulled Pork is the perfect choice to plan for those busy nights. With equal parts smokiness, sweetness, and spiciness it's packed with lots of flavor. It will for sure melt in your mouth.

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE

Two rubs, two purposes. Honey chipotle first for sweetness, then a coffee-chipotle layer on top for depth — one rub alone wouldn't hit both notes.
Pineapple juice does more than sweeten. Added to the foil wrap, it tenderizes the meat as it braises while balancing the smoky heat from the chipotle and adobo.
Pulled at the right temp, not a guess. Cooking to 205ºF+ until the blade bone slides out easily means the meat is genuinely ready to shred, not just technically "done."
Built to stretch across the week. With 24 servings from one cook, this is designed for meal-prepping sliders, tacos, and bowls, not just a single dinner.

Chipotle Barbecue Pulled Pork

Tom Jackson

Rated 3.6 stars by 56 users

Cuisine

American

Servings

24

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

15 hours

Calories

427

Chef Tom’s Chipotle Barbecue Pulled Pork is smokey, sweet, and spicy all at the same time. It’s also a crowd-pleaser with the versatility of turning it into sliders to tacos. With a little planning and prep you can turn this into many meals throughout the week.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Creekstone Farms Bone-in Boston Butt Pork Roast
Hoff & Pepper Smoken Ghost Hot Sauce, for binder
R Butts R Smokin Honey Chipotle Seasoning
Cattleman’s Grill Smoky Chipotle Coffee
1 each Chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce)
1 tbsp adobo sauce (from can of chipotles in adobo)
1/2 cup pineapple juice
Chile Slinger Chipotle BBQ Sauce

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Directions

Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 190ºF.
Trim, then slather your pork butt with Hoff & Pepper Smokin Ghost Hot Sauce, for binder.
Season with a layer of R Butts R Smokin' Honey Chipotle Seasoning, then a secondary layer of Cattleman’s Grill Smoky Chipotle.
Place the pork butt on the second shelf of the grill and smoke overnight (8-12 hours) until a deep mahogany colored bark is formed and the internal temperature is between 145ºF-165ºF.
Remove from the grill. Increase grill temperature to 275ºF.
Place the pork butt on top of two sheets of heavy duty foil. Add the pineapple juice, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce to the foil.
Wrap tightly and return to the second shelf of the grill.
Cook until the blade bone is easily removed, and the meat is ready to shred, about 205ºF+ and approximately 3 hours.
Remove from the grill and let rest until cool enough to shred with cotton and nitrile gloved hands. Shred meat by hand. Drizzle with Chile Slinger Chipotle BBQ Sauce to taste.

Recipe Note

Recipe FAQ

Why two different rubs instead of one?
The honey chipotle rub brings sweetness first, and the coffee-chipotle rub on top adds a deeper, more savory layer — together they build more complexity than either would alone.

Why wrap the pork in foil partway through?
Wrapping in foil with pineapple juice, chipotle, and adobo sauce around the 165ºF mark speeds through the "stall" and bastes the meat in a tangy-sweet liquid as it finishes cooking.

How do I know when it's actually ready to pull?
Check that the internal temperature has passed 205ºF and that the blade bone slides out with little resistance — both are better indicators than time alone.

Can I make this ahead and reheat it?
Yes — pulled pork reheats well with a splash of stock or extra BBQ sauce to bring back moisture, and it holds in the fridge for several days.

What else can I make with this besides sliders?
Tacos, nachos, loaded baked potatoes, quesadillas, or straight over rice — the smoky-sweet-spicy flavor works well beyond a bun.

How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
3 out of 5 — works indoors with adjustments, but the grill is recommended. The braise and shredding steps are ordinary kitchen work, but the initial overnight smoke that builds the bark can't be replicated indoors.

Recipe Highlights

Double-layered rub before any smoke: Direction Step 3 seasons the trimmed pork with honey chipotle rub first, then a second pass of coffee-chipotle rub — that order builds sweetness underneath a more savory top layer.
Overnight smoke to a mahogany bark: Step 4 smokes the pork butt for 8–12 hours until deep mahogany in color — that extended low-heat stretch is what forms the bark before any wrapping happens.
Foil-wrapped braise with pineapple and adobo: Steps 6–7 wrap the pork with pineapple juice, chipotle pepper, and adobo sauce sealed inside the foil, letting it braise in its own tangy-sweet liquid rather than cooking dry.
Pulled by feel, not just by clock: Step 8 confirms doneness by checking that the blade bone releases easily around 205ºF+, which is a more reliable cue than cook time alone.