Instant Pot Korean Pulled Pork Wraps
An Instant Pot/pressure cooker brings lean pork loin to falling-apart-tender in just over an hour. Succulent pork is flavored with Korean gochujang, ginger, garlic, hoisin, tamari, rice wine, and rice vinegar in this Instant Pot Korean-Style Pulled Pork Wraps. Paired with Green Onion Kimchi and crunchy Asian Slaw, the umami flavors and spice will literally dance on your tongue. 🙂
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – About Korean Pulled Pork
What is gochujang?
I’ve known of gochujang forever (slight exaggeration 😉 ), but only recently found it at the market and started cooking with it. I think it’s fast becoming an addiction. Gochujang is a thick red paste made from red chiles, fermented soy (similar to miso), salt, and glutinous (sticky) rice.
It is NOT meant to be a finishing sauce (like sriracha or soy sauce) because of its intensity. It brings a funky spicy, sweet, salty, umami flavor to a dish when used with restrain to complement other ingredients like ginger, sesame, and soy sauce.
This Korean-Style Instant Pot Pulled Pork is a perfect way to feature gochujang. The pork loin is seared in the pressure-cooker with just a bit of oil, some fresh minced ginger and garlic, and then cooked with a braising liquid of broth and gochujang barbeque sauce. The recipe for the sauce makes 2 cups; half of the mixture goes into the pressure-cooker, and half is reserved as a condiment for the wraps.
📋 Ingredients Notes
Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.
BBQ Sauce
- gochujang – Gochujang is a fermented soy and chile paste with a fair amount of heat. It is available in the international foods section of large supermarkets, and at Asian grocery stores. If you can’t find it, substitute sriracha or sambal. There are many fine brands available. I have an Asian market locally, but can also get it in the international foods aisle at my grocery store.
- hoisin sauce
- ketchup – I am not a fan of “regular” commercially prepared ketchup as it lacks complexity and has far too much sugar. I found a Korean gochujang ketchup that was perfect. I also love to make my own ketchup. Use whatever you prefer.
- mirin – Mirin is sweetened rice wine. You can substitute honey.
- soy sauce – I like tamari. It’s gluten free. Whatever you have on hand is fine.
- sake rice wine – I keep this on hand. If you don’t want to, substitute dry sherry or white wine.
- unseasoned rice vinegar
- fresh ginger – I keep fresh ginger in the freezer and grate it. I also keep a jar of grated fresh ginger. It’s a great time saver!
- garlic – I keep bulbs of fresh garlic, but (my dirty little secret) I find a jar of minced garlic is a great time saver for weeknight cooking!
The Pulled-Pork
- lean pork – I buy a 4-5 pound pork loin, cut any fat away, and use 2 to 3 pounds in this recipe. You can use boneless pork chops too.
- canola or vegetable oil
- garlic
- fresh ginger – minced or grated. I’m a fan of this fresh ginger.
- beef or chicken stock/broth
Asian Slaw
- rice wine vinegar
- mirin
- tamari or soy sauce
- sesame oil
- napa cabbage
- red cabbage
- orange or red bell pepper
- scallions
To Serve
- green onion kimchi – This ingredient is optional. See Tips.
- large wraps or tortillas
- remaining gochujang bbq sauce – After using 1 cup of the sauce in the pressure cooker, you will heat the remaining sauce to use in your wraps.
❓FAQ
You can use it as a filling for tacos or serve it atop rice or noodles with the Asian slaw as a side dish. I even enjoyed a low-carb lunch of the cold pulled-pork atop the Asian slaw. Use your imagination!
I have fallen in love with the green onion kimchi I linked to it in my Korean Street Tacos With Green Onion Kimchi, and have taken to keeping it in my refrigerator. Kimchi isn’t something you can make last-minute! It takes about 7-10 days to prepare a batch, but it keeps well in the refrigerator. You can substitute a good-quality commercially prepared kimchi, or omit it entirely. You will get plenty of flavor from the pork and the slaw!
💭 Tips
This recipe makes a large quantity! Keep in mind that this recipe makes enough pulled-pork for several meals, and freezes beautifully. While I’ve put together a wrap with the pulled-pork, Asian slaw, and kimchi for this post, it is extremely versatile.
You can make this Korean pulled pork on the stove. It just requires about twice as much time simmering to be tender enough to “pull.”
NOTE: I have changed the title to include “Instant Pot” to aid in SEO (search) so more people can find it. I have used a Pressure Cooker XL, several Instant Pots, and my stove top pressure cooker. They’re all awesome! When time is of the essence, I use my stove top pressure cooker. It’s all good. 😀
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
BBQ Sauce
- Prepare the bbq sauce – Whisk all ingredients together. This should make almost 2 cups. 1 cup will go into the pressure cooker, and the remainder will be used as a condiment for the wraps.
The Pulled-Pork
- Prepare the pork – Sear the pork in your Instant Pot on sauté on all sides. Stir in the garlic and ginger. Add 1 cup of the gochujang bbq sauce and the cup of broth/stock. Give it all a good stir.
- Pressure cook the pork – Cover and lock according to manufacturer’s instructions. Bring to full pressure, and cook 1 hour. De-pressurize naturally (by turning it off). This should take 15-20 minutes. Remove lid. Shred the pork. I like to use a potato masher to help break it up.
Asian Slaw
- Make the slaw while the pork cooks – Whisk together the rice wine vinegar, mirin, tamari or soy sauce, and sesame oil. Toss the cabbages, julienned bell pepper, and scallions together with the dressing.
To Serve
- Heat a wrap on a hot griddle. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, place an appropriately-sized scoop of the pulled-pork along the center of the wrap, leaving space at each end to tuck in.
- Top with a bit of the slaw, and kimchi (if using).
- Tuck in the ends, and then roll. Cut in half before serving if desired.
- Enjoy!
🍷 Pairing Suggestions
I think this wrap screams for a beer! Enjoy it with a crisp saison or a citrus-y IPA. If you’re intent on wine, gewurtztraminer tends to pair well with spicy Asian flavors. Kick your summer meals up a notch, and give Korean-Style Pressure-Cooker Pork Wraps With Asian Slaw & Kimchi a try!
Instant Pot Korean-Style Pulled Pork Wraps
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Ingredients
BBQ Sauce
- ½ cup gochujang
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup mirin
- ¼ cup soy sauce - I like tamari
- ¼ cup sake rice wine
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- ½ tablespoon finely grated garlic
The Pulled-Pork
- 3 to 4 pounds lean pork loin - trimmed of fat and cut in chunks
- 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger - minced
- 1 cup beef or chicken stock/broth
Asian Slaw
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 cups shredded napa cabbage
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- ½ orange or red bell pepper - julienned
- 2 scallions - finely chopped
To Serve
- kimchi - see Tips for suggestions
- large wraps or tortillas see notes
- remaining gochujang bbq sauce
Instructions
BBQ Sauce
- Whisk all ingredients together. This should make almost 2 cups.1 cup will go into the pressure cooker, and the remainder will be used as a condiment for the wraps.
The Pulled-Pork
- Sear the pork in a very hot pressure-cooker on all sides.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger.
- Add 1 cup of the gochujang bbq sauce and the cup of broth/stock. Give it all a good stir.
- Cover and lock according to manufacturer’s instructions. Bring to full pressure, and cook 1 hour. De-pressurize naturally (by turning it off). This should take 15-20 minutes. Remove lid. Shred the pork. I like to use a potato masher to help break it up.
Asian Slaw
- Whisk together the rice wine vinegar, mirin, tamari or soy sauce, and sesame oil.
- Toss the cabbages, julienned bell pepper, and scallions together with the dressing.
To Serve
- Heat a wrap on a hot griddle. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, place an appropriately-sized scoop of the pulled-pork along the center of the wrap, leaving space at each end to tuck in.
- Top with a bit of the slaw, and kimchi (if using).
- Tuck in the ends, and then roll. Cut in half before serving if desired.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
LOVE, LOVE your website, the step by step instructions, so easy to follow! Thank YOU!!
My pleasure! Thanks for taking time to let me know!
Definitely one of my all time favorite recipes from the blog
Thanks Devin! It’s definitely one we’ve not made for too long, and we love it too!
I absolutely love this recipe! And it is especially good left over…
Thanks Evan!
I tried this recipe yesterday and, although the flavors are good, the pork loin was extremely rubbery and dry. I would recommend using pork shoulder instead. Also, the combination of the slaw, the not very thick bbq sauce, and kimchi, which were all quite wet, led to very drippy tacos. Four lbs is a lot of meat, which we’re now struggling to figure out what to do with.
I am so sorry you were disappointed in the recipe. However, the recipe is not for tacos. I do have a Korean street tacos recipe that calls for beef. Did you perhaps comment on the wrong recipe?
The instructions read “using tongs or a slotted spoon.” This addresses the wetness. If you reserved 1 cup of the bbq sauce prior to adding broth, it is actually quite thick. The broth is required for pressure cooking, and the broth goes in the pressure cooker with the other cup of sauce. Any roast or pork loin cooked 1 hour in a pressure cooker, and left to go through a natural pressure release is falling apart tender. There is no way it was rubbery.
The recipe suggests using it over rice. We have used our leftovers that way, and it is quite good. I am posting your comment even though your 2 star rating will hurt me with google. I hope that when you have a positive experience with FREE recipes, you take the same amount of time to thank the blogger. Many, many people have made this recipe, and had amazing results. It’s actually one of my sons’ favorite recipes. Again, I apologize.
Almost every time I make this pork, we fight over the leftovers. This has been one of my favorite recipes from the blog for quite some time. We make it so often we don’t need the recipe anymore, and I’m just trying to figure out where you went wrong with it.
I’ve never used a pressure cooker before but it seems like a fun kitchen tool 🙂 I’ve also been really loving kimchi lately, especially on tacos!
Yay for kimchi on tacos! It does seem like an odd pairing, but tastes so great! You should consider getting a pressure-cooker as they are so great for getting the food tender in a fraction of the time… Thanks Liz!
Awesome combination of flavors! These wraps look absolutely delicious. I’ve never tried Gochujang but I will look for it next time I visit my local asian store.
If you love Asian cooking, you’ll definitely want to give Gochujang a try!
I would love this for lunch today…sounds so flavorful and delicious. xo, Catherine
Thanks Catherine!
I just want to try your recipe right away. I’ve never tried Gochujang so I am already intrigued how it tastes. Spicy, salty and sweet.. all flavors in one:) I bet it is so delicious.
Thanks Ilona! I hope you can get your hands on some Gochujang; I know you will love it!
I love making pulled pork in my pressure cooker! I haven’t done an asian wrap with it yet, but it does sound pretty fantastic! Thanks for the recipe!
The pressure-cooker is so great for pulled pork isn’t it? Thanks Krysten!
You sure are having fun with your pressure cooker and kicking out some awesome dishes! Love the use of Gochujang with this pulled pork. Sissi from With a Glass sent me a huge tub of Gochujang a while back, so I’ve been looking for creative ways to use it. This is Great! Thanks!
I love my pressure-cooker! I am honored to have been asked recently to be a regular contributor (monthly) to Pressure Cooking Today starting in June… and yes, gochujang is my latest obsession 🙂 I love the salty, spicy, umami, and slightly sweet flavor it imparts! I hope you get to give it a try MJ. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Fabulous dish, Tamara! Gochujang is one of my very favorite ingredients to use in the kitchen – it’s truly magical! And the green onion kimchi sounds great – a perfect compliment to the umami rich pork!
Thanks Kathleen! I think I’ve developed a bit of an obsession with gochujang, and I’ve got my kids hooked on it too 🙂
Korean food is something I know very little about, I’m looking forward to trying this!
The flavors in Korean cooking are pretty awesome Sue… I hope you give it a try!
This pulled pork looks incredible. I like the idea of freezing leftovers. Saving the recipe for later.
Thanks Tania! I love to do a large quantity in the slow-cooker or pressure-cooker and package up for several meals… I’m already making plans for our family vacation in June, and have some of this “at the ready!”
I love this! There’s a little Korean restaurant I go to and it has amazing food- I keep thinking I need to learn how to make some myself, but haven’t spent the time to learn anything about it yet! This sounds delicious.. and I need to learn how to make my own kimchi (maybe that’s a good first step)
Thanks Sarah! I’ve been making kimchi for a little over a year, and I love it homemade! The green onion kimchi is a great place to start as it is a little easier than the typical cabbage where you have to treat every leaf to get the fermentation process going…
I only recently started using gochujang, too, and now I’m addicted to it even more than sriracha! These look really good and yes, they do scream for a beer? I have a pork roast in the freezer and I’ll have to give this recipe a try this weekend.
I hope you try it with a good beer Melissa! I’ve got so many ideas for gochujang in my head right now… I just love the complex flavors!
I just found a Korean grocery store yesterday! I’ve made my grocery list! Adding this to my must make now list! But I don’t eat pork so I may try it with lamb or beef… Thoughts?
Hanady, I did a Korean Street Tacos With Green Onion Kimchi about a year ago with beef, and it is fabulous! I really think either would work well with these flavors though… Korean grocery stores are fabulous. Enjoy!