How to Reheat Pulled Pork?- Step by Step

Pulled pork is one of those versatile meats that always seems to end up making more than we’re going to use.

Whether you smoked a huge shoulder cut, did something else to get your pulled pork, or even ordered it, you need to have a technique for storing and preserving leftovers when you’re done.

Pulled pork can go a long way, and there are so many creative ways to use it. We love the pulled pork sandwiches with barbecue sauce, but there are plenty of other options as well.

You really can’t go wrong. You can power large gatherings and picnics or just enjoy it with your family.

How do you reheat pulled pork?

The best way to reheat pulled pork is to place it in a foil-covered pan with some leftover meat juices, broth, or sauce and heat slowly to 250 degrees Fahrenheit until the internal temperature of the pork is 165. degrees. You can also reheat pulled pork in a slow cooker, on the stove, or on the grill. 

In this guide, we’ll share with you step-by-step instructions for all the ways you can reheat pulled pork. Your biggest challenge will be reheating the meat without drying it out.

But do not worry. We’ve got all the tips and tricks you need to get back to enjoying that pulled pork.

Read on to find out how to reheat pulled pork and much more.

Reheat Pulled Pork Step by Step

There are many ways to reheat pulled pork. One of the best and easiest is the oven, but there are other options as well.

As we progress through this guide, we’ll walk you through each of those options, sharing step-by-step details with you.

If there’s any advice you need to know, you’ll find it here too. We’ve got some really great and easy options for reheating your pulled pork the right way.

Let us begin!

How to reheat pulled pork in the oven

Let’s start with our top recommendation. If you have the time and space in the oven, we highly recommend using this method to reheat pulled pork.

If this option does not work for you, surely you can try one of the other options and get great results.

Here are the steps for reheating pulled pork in the oven. 

1. Start by preheating the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. You want to keep the temperature low, as you are only reheating the meat and higher temperatures are more likely to dry out the meat.
2. Prepare a baking dish (something like that) with the shredded pork. It’s less likely to dry out if you pour some of the leftover meat juices into the pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil or another similar oven-safe method.
3. Put the covered pan in the oven and let it cook at this temperature until it is hot. Remember that you are only reheating and not cooking, so it won’t take as long.
4. Reheat until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees. The time it takes to reach this temperature can vary depending on how much meat you reheat. It’s already cooked, so this is just to warm it up.
5. Mix the pulled pork well when removing it from the oven.
6. Add any additional juices or sauces you need and serve.

This method is super simple and easy. The thing to keep in mind is that you are not cooking the meat here. It is already cooked and you are only heating it up to enjoy it hot again.

You can also separate it a bit again with a fork or meat tongs to make sure it doesn’t clump together.

Cooking it at 165 degrees is a matter of food safety. Many people also enjoy cold pulled pork as leftovers, so keep that in mind as well.

The other really important thing is to make sure that you add some juice or liquid to the pan and cover it. Both measures serve to prevent direct heat from the oven from drying out the meat.

If you forget to add any type of liquid or forget to cover it, you will most likely end up with dried meat.

Lastly, if you like the pieces of outer crust on your meat to be crispy, you can even do this by reheating it.

Once you’ve heated up the pork, remove the lid and pop it under the grill for a few minutes, and that will take care of it!

How to Reheat Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot

Another method to reheat pulled pork that we really like is to use the slow cooker.

If you don’t already have a slow cooker, this is the one I use and swear by.

The slow cooker allows you to make it and forget about it for a while. You don’t have to keep an eye on it and you don’t have to wait forever for the 250 degree oven to finish heating the meat.

This method works best if you save some of the drippings and juices when you originally cooked the meat. So you can add it to the slow cooker to help lock in moisture and flavor.

If you haven’t saved anything, you’ll need to add some form of moisture.

The slow cooker is designed to take several hours for the meat to reheat, so expect about 2-4 hours of cooking time.

Of course, this is what the crock pot is almost always used for, so it shouldn’t be a problem if you’re familiar with using the crock pot.

The slow cooker is simple and convenient, making it a great option for reheating pulled pork. Here are our recommended steps for reheating pulled pork in the slow cooker. 

1. Place the pulled pork in the slow cooker.
2. Pour any leftover juices or sauces over the meat. If you haven’t saved any, add a little sauce or even a little broth to prevent the meat from drying out.
3. Put the slow cooker on the warm position.
4. Let the meat cook on the hot mode for 2-4 hours. The internal temperature of the meat should reach about 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use a lower temperature if you prefer, but we have found that lukewarm is more or less that temperature.
5. Once the meat is reheated to the proper temperature, you can remove it from the slow cooker and serve however you like.

Again, keep in mind that you are simply heating the meat or reheating it as if it were already cooked. That’s why the heating function is enough for that time.

The slow cooker will continue to heat up and heat the pulled pork to the proper temperature after several hours.

In a slow cooker, the time can vary, but we recommend you plan for a minimum of two hours and probably 2-4 hours total.

Using the heating method can take a bit longer, but the results are actually better this way.

Extended time at a lower temperature helps prevent the meat from drying out. Also, using leftover sauce or juices will also help.

You definitely need some sort of liquid with the meat to help keep it from drying out in the slow cooker.

How to reheat pork in the microwave

The microwave probably isn’t our best bet for reheating pulled pork, but it can be used.

This method is another simple and convenient option, so it works well for someone on the go or short on time, or even for one or two people reheating meat.

The microwave is often used for convenience and simplicity, and in that sense, it will serve perfectly well for your pulled pork reheating needs.

It’s the fastest way to reheat pulled pork and probably the best if you’re only reheating a small amount.

Check out these steps to reheat pulled pork in the microwave. 

1. Place the pulled pork on a microwave-safe plate. Heat only what you need to heat when using the microwave.
2. Add a little juice or sauce to the meat to reheat it. If you have leftover juices this works well, but you can also use broth or apple juice if you need an alternative. Do not skip this step or the pulled pork will be dry.
3. Place the bowl and the pulled pork in the microwave and heat for 2 minutes.
4. The meat should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If it’s not hot enough after 2 minutes, you can heat more in 30-second intervals until the meat reaches eating temperature.
5. Remove from microwave and stir. Check the temperature. When properly heated, serve and enjoy to your liking.

When you reheat pulled pork in the microwave, it’s best to fully thaw it before reheating. This only helps the cooking time, but it also helps the quality of the meat that comes out of the microwave.

The microwave is not our favorite option, but it will undoubtedly serve you when you need a solution and the oven or grill do not work for you.

How to reheat pulled pork on the grill

Many people cook originally pulled pork on the grill or in a smoker. There are several ways to cook pulled pork, but this is one of the most popular.

Grilling is another easy method of reheating, but it can also make it difficult to retain moisture.

Here are a few easy steps to reheat pulled pork on the grill. 

1. It is best if you can use an indirect cooking method to reheat. This means you’ll want the heat on one side and the meat on the other for the best results.
2. Heat one side of the grill to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Coat the meat with juices or sauce to help add some moisture.
4. Wrap the pork in two layers of aluminum foil. Put about 1/4 cup of water on the aluminum foil before sealing it completely.
5. Place the meat on the opposite side of the grill from the heat.
6. Let the pulled pork heat until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
7. At the end, unwrap the meat and place it on the grill for about 5 minutes to give the crust a little crisp.
8. Remove it from the grill, serve it and enjoy it.

We recommend the indirect method, as it is the best way to achieve reheating without drying out the meat. Also, make sure you don’t cook the meat too long.

Cooking times may vary depending on the amount of meat you are heating. Remember that you are only heating the meat and not cooking it again.

Reheating pork on the stove

Finally, we leave you one last method to reheat pulled pork. You can use the stove. You will hear several options to do so.

For example, if you have a Dutch oven, this works almost as if you had cooked it in the oven to begin with, but it can be slightly faster.

However, we are going to talk about a process called Sous Vide that uses the stove. This is a simple and unique process that is very popular in French cooking. Follow these steps. 

1. Place the shredded pork in a plastic bag. It’s best if you can vacuum seal the bag, but you can also release all the air and seal a bag as well.
2. Heat a pot of water to at least 165 degrees. It doesn’t need to be boiling, but it should reach a temperature close to that.
3. Put the bag of pork in the hot water and let it rest for about 45 minutes. If the meat is frozen, you may need to add about 30 minutes to the time.
4. Check the internal temperature of the meat and make sure it reaches 165 degrees.
5. Take it out of the water carefully and open the bag that the meat is in.
6. Serve and enjoy!

This method is still a little time consuming, but many cooks believe it is the best overall method for preserving the moisture and flavor of pulled pork.

Related questions

We hope you found this guide to reheating pulled pork helpful.

You should now have plenty of information for any kind of reheating preferences you may have. Any of these methods will be successful when you put them to the test. Just remember the tips to prevent the meat from drying out.

Check out these questions and answers for additional information that might be helpful to you.

What is the best way to reheat roast pork?

We like the oven method better, but you really can’t go wrong with any of them.

Some will say that stovetop is the best method for preserving flavor and moisture, but you can get good results if you follow the proper steps for either method.

How long does it take to reheat pork in the oven?

This number can vary depending on how much pulled pork you have and how thick the pan is.

You may even need to stir the pulled pork and mix it during the reheating process. In general, we recommend planning for 30-60 minutes to reheat in the oven.

What liquid can I add to pulled pork?

The best thing to do is save the juices and splashes from the initial cooking process of the pulled pork.

Likewise, if you can’t do this, there are other options. Try adding some broth or maybe some apple juice. You can also just use barbecue sauce if you want.