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    Home » BBQ

    Smoked Pork Butt

    Published: Jun 6, 2022 · Modified: Nov 2, 2022 by Sean

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A classic BBQ recipe with hickory wood gives this Smoked Pork Butt a hint of bacon without overpowering the natural taste of the pork and the rub. Tender, flavorful, and easier than you can imagine to cook.

    Smoked Pork Butt a classic BBQ recipe with hickory wood gives it a hint of bacon without overpowering the natural taste of the pork and the rub. Tender, flavorful, and easier than you can imagine to cook. A classic BBQ recipe with hickory wood gives this Smoked Pork Butt a hint of bacon without overpowering the natural taste of the pork and the rub. Tender, flavorful, and easier than you can imagine to cook. this recipe

    It can be shredded simply with 2 forks, enjoyed as is, or with your favorite BBQ sauce. The smoked pork butt will be the star of your next BBQ party. If you have any leftovers or you were meal planning, the pulled pork can be frozen. Then it can be ready for a quick and flavorful dinner on a busy night.

    Smoked Boston Butt

    Boston Butt and pork butt are one and the same. Boston is a reference to how the pork butt was cut in Boston and the name stuck. If you want to have a laugh, check out this article in Southern Living.

    Pulled pork freshly shredded from the smoked pork butt. A classic BBQ recipe with hickory wood gives this smoked pulled pork a hint of bacon without overpowering the natural taste of the pork and the rub. Tender, flavorful, and easier than you can imagine to cook. Oh my gosh! Smoked pulled pork at your fingertips.

    A great aspect of the Boston Butt is that it picks up flavor so well, especially during a “Low & Slow” cook. The long cook allows the complex flavors to infuse into the pork like nothing else. This is why I used hickory wood and celery seeds in our pork butt rub for this cook. Don’t worry the rub ingredients are usually in your cupboard and the recipe is straightforward. The only hard part is patience and planning.

    Jump to:
    • Smoked Boston Butt
    • Pork Butt Rub
    • Smoked Pork Butt Time
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • The Peek (check at halfway)
    • Wrapping, Finishing, and Resting
    • Shredding Smoked Pork Butt
    • Smoked Pulled Pork
    • Pulled Pork Goes Great With…
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • TIPS
    • Smoked Pork Butt
    • FAQS

    Pork Butt Rub

    We love creating easy rubs so you can use household spices to wow your taste buds. Our pork butt rub uses celery salt and seeds to highlight the BBQ flavors for this low and slow cook. The pepper and Paprika give that kick of spice, and the garlic salt and minced garlic combine all these flavors. The light brown sugar adds a beautiful and tasty caramelization to the smoked pulled pork. This homemade classic BBQ rub can be used on pork, chicken, or beef to give it a sweet-salty and subtle peppery taste.

    Pulled pork in serving bowl. A classic BBQ recipe with hickory wood gives this smoked pulled pork a hint of bacon without overpowering the natural taste of the pork and the rub. Tender, flavorful, and easier than you can imagine to cook. Oh my gosh! Smoked pulled pork at your fingertips.

    Smoked Pork Butt Time

    Now, this is a long cook, 10 hours, and well worth it. The slow cook truly brings up the aromatics of all those BBQ flavors we love. Smoking also gives you the opportunity to have fun with woods and rubs. You can simply choose a sweet wood, like peach, or change to a tangier dry rub to find a new flavor combination you and your family will love. Check out our section on “Smoking Wood” from the Smoked Sausages post for different smoking wood ideas.

    Ingredients

    • Boston or Pork Butt bone-in (about 10 lbs.)
    • Light brown sugar
    • Ground black pepper
    • Smoked Paprika
    • Celery salt
    • Garlic salt
    • Ground mustard
    • Minced garlic
    • Celery seed

    See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients with measurements.

    Instructions

    We love creating easy rubs so you can use household spices to wow your taste buds. Our pork butt rub uses celery salt and seeds to highlight the BBQ flavors for this low and slow cook. The pepper and Paprika give that kick of spice, and the garlic salt and minced garlic combine all these flavors. The light brown sugar adds a beautiful and tasty caramelization to the smoked pulled pork. This homemade classic BBQ rub can be used on pork, chicken, or beef to give it a sweet-salty and subtle peppery taste.

    Prep the Pork Butt

    1. Take the Boston Butt out of the packaging and dry it with a paper towel.
    2. Set it on a prep surface.
    3. Dry rub. Mix the following in a medium-sized bowl: light brown sugar, ground pepper, smoked Paprika, celery salt, garlic salt, ground mustard, minced garlic, and celery seed. Blend all ingredients together.
    4. Coat the pork with the dry rub, and gently press it all over.
    5. Time to refrigerate, place the pork on a tray uncovered overnight. I find not covering it allows a slight crust to form, which aids in keeping the pork moist through the first part of the cook.

    Time to Smoke

    Smoked Pork Butt on the BBQ grill grate. A classic BBQ recipe with hickory wood gives it a hint of bacon without overpowering the natural taste of the pork and the rub. Tender, flavorful, and easier than you can imagine to cook. A classic BBQ recipe with hickory wood gives this Smoked Pork Butt a hint of bacon without overpowering the natural taste of the pork and the rub. Tender, flavorful, and easier than you can imagine to cook.
    1. Set your BBQ grill for indirect cooking.
    2. Light your charcoal or fire up the smoker, and preheat the cooker to 250 degrees F.
    3. Place a drip pan under the Boston Butt. I filled it with water or you can use apple juice for more aromatics.
      • This step helps catch all the drippings. In my BBQ, I can place a drip pan under the grill resting on the indirect diffuser plate legs.
      • If you don’t have room, place the drip pan on the grill and the pork on a rack above it (a roasting pan is ideal).
    4. Once the BBQ or smoker has reached temperature, take the pork out of the fridge and place it on the grill fat side up.
      • Coming directly from the fridge, I find helps the smoke penetrate more into the meat.
    5. Cook with the cover closed, for about 5 hours.

    The Peek (check at halfway)

    1. At the estimated halfway point, I check the internal temperature, mine was 160 degrees F. and I could feel the pork getting tender.
    2. I decided to increase the temperature to 275 degrees F because the Boston Butt had a great golden bark.
    3. Peek at 7 hours into the cook. I could see a crack thru the fat cap of the pork and it had a dark red color. This is a great indicator that you are getting close to wrapping, the final part of the cook.
      NOTE: I peek through the top vent with a flashlight.
    4. Eight hours in and the Boston Butt was a dark red Mahogany color and had reached a temperature of 185 and 190 degrees F. on the thick and thinner side. Pull the pork and wrap.
    Over head shot of Smoked Pork Butt showing the crack in the fat cap. Tender, flavorful, and easier than you can imagine to cook. A classic BBQ recipe with hickory wood gives this Smoked Pork Butt a hint of bacon without overpowering the natural taste of the pork and the rub. Tender, flavorful, and easier than you can imagine to cook.

    Wrapping, Finishing, and Resting

    1. Be careful removing the pork butt from the grill, it is tender like Jello. I used BBQ tongs and a BBQ spatula to move it to the foil, which was staged in two layers to prevent any leaks.
    2. Once you wrap the Boston Butt tightly place it back on the grill at 275 degrees F until it reaches 200-205 degrees F. This took another 2 hours.
    3. 10 hours in and the internal temperature reached 203 degrees F. I pulled it off the BBQ and placed it on a sturdy wood cutting board.
    4. I let it rest for an hour. This is not a hard time just what I find that works for allowing the juices to be reabsorbed.

    Shredding Smoked Pork Butt

    Two forks shredding the smoked pork butt. A classic BBQ recipe with hickory wood gives this Smoked Pork Butt a hint of bacon without overpowering the natural taste of the pork and the rub. Tender, flavorful, and easier than you can imagine to cook. A classic BBQ recipe with hickory wood gives this Smoked Pork Butt a hint of bacon without overpowering the natural taste of the pork and the rub. Tender, flavorful, and easier than you can imagine to cook.
    1. Unwrap the Boston Butt onto a prepping surface.
    2. Now you need to remove the bone. Be careful here the bone is hot.
    3. Time to shred the pork. I used two forks or if you have those cool shredding claws, you will make quick work of it.
    4. Serve and Enjoy!

    You can find all the instructions and ingredient amounts at the end of this post in the recipe card.

    Smoked Pulled Pork

    A open face shot of a pulled pork sandwich. The recipe is done with a classic BBQ flavor of hickory wood that gives the smoked pork butt a hint of bacon without overpowering the natural taste of the pork and the rub. Tender, flavorful, and easier than you can imagine to cook. Oh my gosh! Smoked pulled pork at your fingertips for sandwiches to pasta.

    I used to only think that pulled pork was for our big BBQ parties to feed a crowd, which it does fabulously. Until I had a light bulb moment thanks to a friend. She gave us the idea about meal planning with it. Oh my gosh! Smoked pulled pork at my fingertips. All I had to do was defrost or warm it up for a quick and tasty meal.

    Now, my head was filled with ideas of what we can do with the pulled pork. Smoked pork butt is a regular in our family meal planning. We are a family of four. So, this 10 lbs. pork butt gives us a wonderful meal and 4 others. Our second meal with the fridged leftovers is one we love doing with brisket as well, tacos. It puts a BBQ twist onto Taco Tuesday.

    Over head shot of pulled pork. A classic BBQ recipe with hickory wood gives this smoked pulled pork a hint of bacon without overpowering the natural taste of the pork and the rub. Tender, flavorful, and easier than you can imagine to cook. Oh my gosh! Smoked pulled pork at your fingertips.

    The frozen leftovers are a great solution to the always-present, “What’s for dinner question”. In fact, last night was one for us. We defrosted the pulled pork added some BBQ sauce and mixed it in with pasta. Wow, smoked pulled pork rigatoni pasta for a quick and tasty dinner. Here are some of our favorite meal ideas.

    • Tacos
    • Mixed with pasta or rice
    • Sliders
    • Burgers
    • Quesadillas
    • Fajitas or Burritos
    • Nachos
    • Pizza

    Pulled Pork Goes Great With…

    Garlic knots are so quick and easy to make in the air fryer. Made entirely from scratch, they are packed with flavors, thanks to garlic and Parmigiano. With easy step-by-step instructions, you will have these perfect knots done in no time.

    Garlic Knots Cook them up while the pork is resting. Heck, slice them open to make pulled pork sliders.

    Cheesy garlic bread in the air fryer: have you ever tried it? A simple and tasty recipe that can be the perfect side dish to a main course or served as an appetizer. It is the type of recipe where you decide how much garlic or cheese you want. Garlic Bread was one of the first things I learned how to make when I was a kid in the “Old-Toaster Oven Days”. It is so versatile and the fresher the ingredients the better it tastes.

    Cheesy Garlic Bread is cooked in under 10 minues. It is simple and uses what’s left in the fridge or cupboard.

    Light, creamy, fluffy, and fully loaded twice-baked potatoes are a scrumptious treat. They are ideal for a lite meal or a side dish packed with flavor. The potato skin is thin and crisp like a homemade chip. The combination of the ingredients with the potato meat gives each bite a delightful freshness. You are going to be tempted to use this mixture for your next mashed potato recipe.

    Twice-Baked Potatoes put these on while the pork rests. Or kick up the heat for Smoked Baked Potatoes.

    Silky and smooth, San Sebastian Cheesecake is an easy sweet treat. With no crust and no cracking to worry about, it is a breeze to make for any occasion. The texture is one of a kind with a buttery exterior and a hint of caramel in each bite.

    San Sebastian Cheesecake is a breeze to make. The texture is buttery, smooth, and just a hint of caramel in each bite.

    Equipment

    • BBQ Grill (with indirect cooking)
    • Smoking Wood (I used Hickory)
    • Clear mixing bowl: Anchor and Hockings
    • Marinading BBQ tray (red tray)
    • Instant read thermometer
    • BBQ tongs and a BBQ spatula
    • Heavy-Duty Aluminum Foil

    Storage

    • If you have made this to use later, you have made a great decision. I actually find that the pulled pork is still as flavorful when used later. According to USDA, you can keep cooked pork in the fridge for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.
    • Easy solution for freezer storage. Separate your leftovers for future meals in freezer-safe bags/containers.

    TIPS

    1. Patience and planning, and just let the smoker or BBQ get the job done.
    2. Timing your cook, the general rule for smoking or BBQing is an hour per pound at 250 degrees F.
    3. For marinading, time is your friend. The longer in the fridge, up to 24 hours, the better.
    4. The dry mustard aids in tenderizing the Boston Butt.
    5. Prep the BBQ the day/night before the cook.
    6. Charcoal BBQers, place your smoking wood off-center on top of the charcoal to get a good long smoke.
    Welcome to The Kitchen Bucket List. My name is Karina and I am very excited to share with you our Simple, Easy, and Tasty recipes. After years of cooking and baking with my girls, where even dad shows up from time to time, especially for the BBQ, The Kitchen Bucket List was created in the Spring of 2020.

    Congratulations on your 1st Smoked Pork Butt! What did you do with the leftovers?
    Let us know below.

    A classic BBQ recipe with hickory wood gives this Smoked Pork Butt a hint of bacon without overpowering the natural taste of the pork and the rub. Tender, flavorful, and easier than you can imagine to cook. A classic BBQ recipe with hickory wood gives this Smoked Pork Butt a hint of bacon without overpowering the natural taste of the pork and the rub. Tender, flavorful, and easier than you can imagine to cook.

    Smoked Pork Butt

    Sean
    The Kitchen Bucket List loves to bring this BBQ "Low & Slow" to you.
    Let us know what you think.
    Enjoy sharing with your family & friends.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 11 hrs
    Marinating 12 hrs
    Total Time 22 hrs 15 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American, BBQ
    Servings 18 people

    Equipment

    • BBQ Grill or Smoker
    • Smoking Wood
    • Marinading BBQ tray
    • Clear mixing bowl
    • Instant read thermometer
    • Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
    • BBQ tongs
    • BBQ spatula

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 Pork/Boston Butt bone-in (about 10lbs)

    Dry Rub

    • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
    • 2 teaspoons smoked Paprika
    • 2 teaspoons celery salt
    • 2 teaspoons garlic salt
    • 2 teaspoons ground mustard
    • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
    • 2 teaspoons celery seed

    Instructions
     

    Prep the Pork Butt

    • Unpack the pork and dry it with a paper towel.
    • Place on a prep surface. Set aside.
    • In a medium-sized bowl mix together: light brown sugar; ground black pepper; smoked Paprika; celery salt; garlic salt; ground mustard; minced garlic; celery seed.
    • Fully coat the pork butt with the rub.
      NOTE: Don't be afraid to rub it in.
    • Place the Boston Butt on the tray and leave uncovered in the refrigerator overnight.

    Time to Smoke

    • Prepare your BBQ for indirect cooking.
    • Preheat BBQ or smoker to 250 degrees F.
    • Place a drip pan under the grill grate with water in it.
    • Once at the temperature, place the pork butt on the grill grate with the fat side up.
    • Cook with the cover closed for 5 hours.

    The Peek (check at halfway)

    • I check at the estimated halfway point for the cook, 5 hours.
    • Increase BBQ to 275 degrees F, and continue to cook with the cover closed.
    • Check at 8 hours. Our pork butt had a dark red mahogany color and the fat cap had a good crack. The internal temperature was between 185 to 190 degrees F. Time to pull and wrap the pork.

    Wrapping, finishing, and resting

    • Be careful when you pull the Boston Butt. It is very tender. Wrap the pork in the aluminum foil tightly. Place back on the BBQ and close the lid. Continue cooking at 275 degrees F.
    • Wait for the pork to come up to an internal temperature of 200 to 205 degrees F. This took another 2 hours.
    • Pull the wrapped pork and rest for 1 hour.

    Time for Smoked Pulled Pork

    • Once you have rested the pork butt, now you need to remove the bone.
    • Shred the pork.
    • Serve and ENJOY!
    Keyword barbecue, Big Green Egg, Boston Butt, pork butt, pork butt rub, pulled pork, Smoked, smoked pulled pork

    FAQS

    Can I use regular mustard vs. dry?

    Yes. We did that for our Burt Ends recipe and it worked perfectly.

    Can I use fresh garlic instead of dry?

    Unfortunately, the fresh garlic may catch and give a bitter taste.

    I see you are cooking with a kamado-style BBQ. Can I use a different smoker or BBQ grill?

    Yes, you can use a different cooker. The key to this cook is the temperature for the smoking and the internal temperatures for when to wrap, pull, and rest. The times may vary for your cooker.

    Happy Smoking!!!

    More BBQ

    • Honey Mustard Chicken breasts on the kamado BBQ are perfectly tender. Our homemade marinade and rub make every bite sweet and delectable. You will be amazed at how easy this BBQ recipe is. Just a few hours in the marinade and just over 10 minutes on the kamado-style BBQ.
      Honey Mustard Chicken
    • Flank Steak grilled on the Blackstone is a great way for a fun and savory meal done all outdoors. Our marinade is easy to make and brings out the natural flavor of the steak. The whole recipe, including the sides, is done on the griddle. Best of all, each of the steps flows into the next. The only time you need to watch the clock is for grilling the flank steak.
      Blackstone Flank Steak
    • Potato Bites grilled on the BBQ are flavorful and tender thanks to the foil packet. They are cooked in 30 minutes and each packet can be uniquely flavored ahead of time.
      Potato Bites
    • Seared perfectly, these Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs are tender and flavorful. Our chicken marinade brings the right balance of sweet and savory in every bite. The marinade is easy to make and best of all you can have the thighs marinate overnight to just a few hours before grilling. I bet you have the brown sugar and soy sauce in the house right now. Let's get grilling.
      Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jess

      September 03, 2022 at 10:52 am

      5 stars
      This entire post made me giggle in the best way (smoked butt…hehe), but all jokes aside this looks AMAZING! I also love that you shared how we can make it on a BBQ as well as a smoker because we haven’t taken the smoker plunge yet.

      Reply
      • Karina

        September 03, 2022 at 1:09 pm

        I get all sorts of giggles over here too when I say we are smoking a pork butt. I love giving different options, and being able to make it no matter we have a smoker or not is helpful.

        Reply

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    I'm Karina,

    After years of cooking and baking with my girls, where even dad shows up from time to time, especially for BBQ. The Kitchen Bucket List was created.
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    Modern footer. Welcome to The Kitchen Bucket List's Recipes & About footer. My name is Karina and I am very excited to share with you our Simple, Easy, and Tasty recipes. After years of cooking and baking with my girls, where even dad shows up from time to time, especially for the BBQ, The Kitchen Bucket List was created in the Spring of 2020.

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