Smoked Pork Butt

Learn how to make smoked pork butt using a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes prep! Smoked pork makes the best pulled pork.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword pork butt smoker recipe, smoked pork butt, smoked pork butt recipe, smoked pork butt recipes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Resting Time 2

Total Time 12 15

Servings with ½ pound servings

Calories 458kcal

Preheat your pellet smoker to 225°F. Combine ½ cup of the brown sugar, paprika, pepper, garlic, minced onion, and chili powder. Mix well.
1 Cup Brown Sugar, ¼ Cup Black Pepper, 3 Tablespoons Paprika, 2 Tablespoons Garlic, 2 Tablespoons Minced Onion, 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
Rub down the pork butt, entirely, with oil.
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, 7 Pound Pork Butt
Sprinkle the entire butt with salt, evenly, on all sides.
2 Tablespoons of Salt
Sprinkle the rubbed down pork butt with the prepared spice mixture and rub all sides and crevices down well until coated.
Place the prepared butt in the smoker for about 6 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Once it reaches 165°F, place it in the aluminum roasting pan. Sprinkle it with the remaining brown sugar and place the stick of butter on top, unmelted. Cover with tin foil and place back in the smoker.
1 Stick Salted Butter, 1 Cup Brown Sugar
Continue smoking for 4-6 hours or until the internal temperature reaches about 203°F. Remove from the smoker and allow to rest for 2 hours without unwrapping it. After 2 hours, unwrap and pull apart, removing the bone if using bone-in pork butt. Enjoy!

If desired, you can place the pork butt in the oven once it’s been wrapped. Set the oven to 225 degrees and simply cook until the correct internal temperature is reached. When it’s wrapped, it doesn’t receive smoke, just the heat. So, it’s a good way to conserve pellets.
For additional flavor enhancement, you can dry brine your pork butt by rubbing it the night before and letting it sit in the fridge overnight.
It’s important to do the salt separately and first to ensure an even distribution of salt.
If you notice that your pork butt has an excess of fat, simply trim it down before covering it in anything. Just don’t get rid of all of it, as it adds flavor.
The temperature of your meat is more important than time cooked. For example, you might have an 8-pound pork butt, which will take a little longer to cook than mine. It doesn’t matter, keep an eye on that internal temperature like a hawk. That will deem the success of your finished meat.