Anyone who’s ever gotten his hands on a chunk of pork butt eventually ends up smoking it.
And even though this seems like a pretty straightforward task, there are some key steps you need to pay attention to.
Fortunately, these 13 smoked pork butt recipes include all the info you’d need to make a finger-lickin-good piece of pork.
As you’ll see, most of them are quite easy to follow as long as you don’t get lenient with the temperature of the meat.
13 Smoked Pork Butt Recipes
Jamaican Jerk
Let’s kick things off with a traditional Caribbean staple, Jamaican Jerk pork.
This recipe features pork butt that’s generously rubbed with Caribbean jerk paste and then smoked over indirect heat.
The Carribean jerk paste is loaded with habanero peppers and gives the meat a dangerously spicy kick.
Apart from the paste, the only other ingredient you’ll need is half a bottle of beer for the smoking.
Check the recipe at: Garlic And Zest
The Best Smoked Pork Butt
Tender, juicy and fall-apart smoked pork garnished with a bit of BBQ sauce and stashed between two hamburger buns.
If this description sounds enticing, then you’ll love this smoked pork butt recipe.
The pork is slathered with dijon mustard and rubbed with a mix of kosher salt, chili powder, paprika, and a handful of other ingredients.
This creates an amazingly juicy bark that’s loaded with tons of different mouthwatering flavors.
Check the recipe at: Midwest Foodie Blog
Simple Texas Pulled Pork
If there’s anyone who really knows how to smoke a pork butt, it’s the folks down in Texas.
And this simple pulled pork recipe is a living proof of that.
It’s made with pork butt which is smoked slowly over hickory wood and seasoned with a blend of salt, black pepper, paprika and garlic powder..
If you don’t mind the color of the bark, you can also use a fruit wood such as cherry or apple.
Check the recipe at: House of Yumm
Smoked Pork Carnitas
This Pork Carnitas recipe is a great option if you want to prepare pork butt in a more unconventional way.
Instead of serving the pork as is, the meat is covered in a cider fruit glaze and crisped up in the oven.
The best part is that you don’t need to use fresh pulled pork. You can make this recipe with leftovers and it will taste exactly the same!
Check the recipe at: Out Grilling
Easy Traeger Smoked Pork Butt
This simple Traeger Smoked Pork Butt delivers flavor-packed pulled pork in every single bite.
The meat is marinated in a mix of apple cider vinegar, apple juice, worcester sauce and Dijon mustard.
This not only enhances the flavor of the meat but also makes it more tender.
Check the recipe at: Farmhouse Harvest
Cider Brined Pulled Pork
If you don’t want to bother with recipes that are over-the-top in terms of ingredients, then this Cider Brined Pulled Pork is just for you.
All you need is some apple cider vinegar for the brine and some garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika for the dry rub.
Even though this recipe is rather simple, you will need to leave the pork butt sit overnight so the brine can do its magic.
Check the recipe at: Gimme Some Grilling
Brown Sugar Smoked Pork Butt
This smoked pork butt has a sweet and sticky bark that melts in your mouth and fills it with tons of flavor.
This all thanks to Weber’s smoky brown sugar rub which caramelizes under the high heat to create a robust dark bark.
Serve on top of a sandwich or with a side of coleslaw.
Check the recipe at: Josh’s Cookhouse
Smoked Pork Butt Burnt Ends
These smoked pork butt ends are a great appetizer for cookouts, get-togethers and potlucks.
They’re made from cubed pork butt which is smoked with some butter, honey and brown sugar.
Roughly half an hour before they’re done, the butt ends are covered in a glaze of apple jelly, jalapeno jelly and BBQ sauce.
This gives them a spicy kick which elevates the flavor of the meat even more.
Check the recipe at: My Boys And Their Toys
Honey Butter Pork Butt
Sweet, spicy and extremely juicy, this Honey Butter Pork Butt will leave the guests at your dinner table begging for more.
The secret behind this recipe is a complex dry rub made from cayenne pepper, red chili flakes and cumin among other ingredients.
Apart from the dry rub, the meat is also basted in a rich mop sauce of butter, apple cider vinegar, honey, Worcester sauce and Soy sauce.
Check the recipe at: Sips Nibbles Bites
Jim Beam Apple Bourbon Pork
Jim Beam Apple Bourbon Pork Butt is injected with a mixture of well…apple bourbon, apple sauce and Worcester sauce.
This bizarre marinade relaxes the muscle strands, helps break down connective tissues and essentially makes the meat more tender.
If you’re worried about the flavor, I can assure you that you’ll barely notice there’s any alcohol whatsoever.
Check the recipe at: That Guy Who Grills
Easy Smoked Pork Butt
Don’t get fooled by the name of this smoked pork butt recipe as it isn’t the easiest to pull-off on this list.
Nevertheless, it’s probably the best in terms of how difficult it is to make and the flavor it brings.
The difficulty comes mostly due to the fact that you need to use 9 different ingredients for the dry rub and make the BBQ sauce yourself.
But if you’re willing to go the extra mile, you’ll get a juicy pork butt with a knockout flavor.
Check the recipe at: Smoked BBQ Source
The Absolute Best Smoked Pork Butt
I can’t really say that this is truly the Absolute Best Smoked Pork Butt recipe out there for certain.
What I can say, however, is that it packs an amazing flavor and is fall-apart tender.
This is all achieved thanks to the dry rub which includes cumin, coriander, dry mustard powder and a whole host of other spices.
Serve with some cauliflower mashed potatoes, coleslaw or oven roasted potatoes.
Check the recipe at: Life Love and Good Food
Weber Grill Pulled Pork
This grilled pork butt proves that you don’t need to have an offset smoker to make great pulled pork.
The meat is seasoned with ancho chili powder and ground coffee, and then cooked slowly over low heat.
The mix of ingredients for the dry rub give the meat a deep rich flavor which I haven’t been able to replicate with any of the other recipes on this list.
Check the recipe at: Simply Meat Smoking
How long to smoke pork butt?
The amount of time you’ll need to smoke a pork butt largely depends on the temperature of your smoker and its weight.
It’s generally accepted to smoke pork but at a temperature of 225°F or 107°C.
At this temperature, the connective tissues can fully break down without drying out the meat.
You can certainly try out higher smoking temperatures, but in my opinion the risk isn’t worth it.
With this in mind, you’ll typically need about two hours of smoke time per pound of meat.
This means that an 8 pound cut will require roughly 16 hours of smoke time.
These estimates, however, aren’t set in stone. I’ve had times where an eight pounder would take me less than 12 hours to fully cook.
That’s why the best way to check if your pork butt has finished cooking is by measuring its internal temperature with a digital thermometer.
If you want to check out more tips for smoking pork butt, click here.
Wrapping Up
Smoking a chunk of pork butt is a great way to feed a large family crowd or host an outdoor BBQ.
There are more than a few ways you can do this so there’s literally zero risk that your smoked pork will ever go out of fashion.
You can inject the meat with cider vinegar, cover it in a citrus glaze or smoke it with a simple dry rub.
The choice is entirely up to you.
Next, you can check out my collection of the best pork shoulder roast recipes!
