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One of the easiest barbecue recipes ever is smoked pulled pork. And now, it just got even easier with the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill.

All you have to do is season the pork shoulder and push a button on the grill. In less than 8 hours, you’ll have pull-apart smoked pork that the neighbors will be knocking down your door for.

platter of pulled pork cooked on the Ninja Woodfire Grill.

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What is pulled pork?

Pulled pork is a popular American barbecue dish of slow-smoked pork shoulder that is tender and flavorful. It’s often served at barbecue restaurants by the pound or piled high on white bread or a soft hamburger bun.

There are several ways to flavor pulled pork. This recipe has a traditional sweet and savory flavor. You can also try my Smoked Carolina Pulled Pork recipe.

Once you get the technique down, which is super easy, you can try other flavor profiles by using Asian or Latin seasonings and sauces or glazes.

Ingredients

pulled pork ingredients: pork shoulder, pork rub, yellow mustard.
  • Pork Shoulder: Sometimes this cut is packaged as pork shoulder and sometimes it’s packaged as pork butt. They’re both the same cut, which is from the upper front arm of the pig
  • Mustard: Yellow mustard is a great binder that helps the seasoning adhere to the pork to create a beautiful bark.
  • Pork Rub: Use your favorite BBQ rub or pork rub, or try my recipe for All-Purpose BBQ Rub.
  • Barbecue Sauce: Once the pork is pulled, eat it plain or cover it with your favorite barbecue sauce.
Substitutions: You can use any type of barbecue seasoning or a combination of salt and pepper. 

How to smoke pulled pork on the Ninja Woodfire Grill

  1. STEP ONE: Remove the pork shoulder from the packaging and pat it dry. Brush yellow mustard all over the pork shoulder.
basting pork shoulder with mustard.
  1. STEP TWO: Sprinkle Pork Rub liberally on all sides, covering the mustard.
pork shoulder seasoned and resting on pan.
  1. STEP THREE: Add wood pellets to the smoke box. Set the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill to smoker and set the temperature to 250F degrees and the time for 7 hours. Add the seasoned pork butt to the smoker and close the lid.
  1. STEP FOUR: Smoke the pork until it is fork tender and the internal temperature reads around 200-203F degrees. For an 8-pound pork shoulder, this will take around 6 hours.
Pulled pork with bark on Ninja Grill.
NINJA PRO TIP: For more smoke flavor, refill the smoke box with pellets every hour. 
  1. STEP FIVE: Once the pork butt has reached the desired temperature, wrap it in plastic wrap, foil or butcher paper and let it rest for an hour. You can place it in a cooler without ice or leave it on the counter.
pork shoulder on grill registering a 203-degree internal temperature.

How to serve smoked pulled pork

After the pork shoulder has reseted, unwrap it and shred the meat into strands. You can do this with your hands, if you wear gloves with liners. Or you can use two forks or meat claws.

I prefer using my hands, because then I can remove larger pieces of fat.

smoked pork shoulder on Ninja grill.

Toss the pulled pork in a large pan with a little more seasoning and your favorite barbecue sauce. Serve on a platter with smoked mac and cheese and homemade bread and butter pickles or piled high on buns.

pulled pork sandwich.

Storage

Save any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or freeze leftovers for up to 6 months.

To reheat leftover pulled pork, microwave it at a reduced heat or cook it up in a skillet or on the Ninja Woodfire Griddle Plate.

The leftovers are also great on nachos or piled on a loaded baked potato.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best meat to make pulled pork with?

Pulled pork is traditionally made with pork shoulder, which is also referred to as pork butt. It comes from the upper arm or shoulder of the hog. It’s the best choice because it contains a lot of intramuscular fat, making the pulled pork tender, juicy and flavorful.

Can pulled pork be made ahead of time?

Absolutely. You can smoke a whole pork shoulder ahead of time and then pull the meat and toss it with sauce. Place it in an air-tight container and refrigerate it for up to 5 days. When it’s time to serve the pulled pork, heat it slowly either in the oven, reduced-heat microwave or sous vide. You can also place it in a Ninja Foodi Slow Cooker on low.

Can pulled pork be overcooked?

It’s pretty hard to overcook pulled pork, but technically yes. If you continue cooking it after it reaches 210F degrees internally, it will eventually start to dry out. But pork shoulder is very forgiving, so you have to pretty much completely forget that it’s on the grill to mess it up.

Is pulled pork healthy?

Pulled pork is healthy in moderation. It is a protein rich in thiamin, vitamin B, zinc and iron, but it does contain a higher concentration of fat compared to a more tender cut like a pork tenderloin.

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4.94 from 15 votes

Smoked Pulled Pork on a Ninja Woodfire Grill

Make the most delicious smoked pulled pork on a Ninja Woodfire Grill with three simple ingredients, this easy recipe and a push of a button.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 7 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 16

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Season: Remove the pork shoulder from the packaging and pat it dry. Rub the pork shoulder all over with mustard. Then, sprinkle liberally with pork rub.
  • Heat Grill: Add pellets to the smoke box. Set the Ninja Woodfire Grill to smoker. Set the temperature to 250F degrees and the time to 7 hours.
  • Smoke: Place the seasoned pork shoulder on the grill and cook it until the meat is fork tender and the internal temperature registers around 200F degrees.
  • Rest: Remove it from the grill. Wrap it in plastic wrap or foil and let it rest for about an hour.
  • Serve: Shred the meat with your hands or two forks (see notes above). Sprinkle with more rub and barbecue sauce and serve.

Notes

Sometimes stores will call this cut pork shoulder and sometimes it will be called pork butt. If you’re not sure if you’re buying the right cut, tell your butcher you’re making pulled pork and they should be able to hook you up. 
I always set the Ninja to more time than is needed so the clock doesn’t run out in the middle of the cook. If the food is done cooking before the timer runs out, just push stop to turn the grill off. 
For more smoky flavor, refill the smoke box with pellets every hour or so. 

Nutrition

Calories: 241kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 27gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.001gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 332mgPotassium: 527mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 80IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to rate it, leave a comment and save it so you can make it again. Show off your awesome results on social by tagging @girlscangrill
christie vanover standing against wood wall.

Hey BBQ Family

I’m Christie, the head cook and award-winning competitive pitmaster for Team Girls Can Grill. I have won multiple grand championships and top 10 category finishes. I’m an expert grill reviewer for BBQ Guys, and I have appeared on the Food Network and Ninja Woodfire Grill infomercials. I established this website in 2015 to share my BBQ tips and recipes.

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Recipe Rating




18 Comments

  1. The recipe worked deliciously. I’ve had my ninja woodfire grill since Xmas and have used it for pork butt twice now. I have a question though. Just like your recipe, my pork came out looking exactly like yours. That’s not a bad thing! But I wonder if the exterior bark shape and color can be changed if a spritz bottle were used every hour to keep the moisture on the outside? Just made pork carnitas today and tasted amazing. But the exterior bark I wanted it to look a more light brown. I know this is achieved with traditional smokers so maybe this is just how it looks for ninja woodfire grills? Thoughts? Thanks again for the recipe starting up my Ninja woodfire grill smoker experience 😋

    1. The Ninja does create darker bark than some other grills. The only way I know to change that is to use fewer pellets. I’m glad you like the recipe.

    1. Interesting. It may be that you waited too long to add more pellets. I usually add them when there are a few left from the first batch. That way, the previous pellets ignite the new pellets.

      1. no,, whenever you refill the pellets,,you have to hold down the woodfire button 3 secs and it will reignite the new pellets

    1. In my experience, it takes about 45 minutes per pound to reach temp. Then, allow a bit more time to rest it.

        1. Yes. I would still estimate about 45 min per pound. If however, you had an 8-pound butt, I would estimate an hour or so per pound.

  2. thank you for the recipe, if anyone is having trouble with refilling the pellets just refill but dont overcrown and hit the woodfire tech button that has the flame on it for a few seconds and the ignite logo on the digital screen should flash and that will reignite the pellets.

    1. If there are still pellets inside that are burning, they should catch the new pellets. But if those pellets don’t have enough heat, push the button.

    1. It should be butcher’s netting, which is safe to keep on during the cook. It’s used to hold the roast together, so it keeps its shape.

  3. Made this last night and it turned out perfectly! My wife isn’t a fatty meat person but she went back for thirds. Please but up more recipes for the Ninja Outdoor Grill.