I tested 4 methods for reheating pulled pork, these were my findings.
| Method | Taste | How Long? |
|---|---|---|
| Sous Vide | Closest to the day I smoked it | 1 hour |
| Oven or Smoker | Good | 1-2 hours |
| Crock Pot | OK | 1-2 hours |
| Microwave | Edible | 1-2 minutes |
If you have the time, sous vide or reheat in a ziplock bag submerged in 165F water.
If you don’t have the time, the microwave is a last resort.
1. Reheating Sous Vide is Best
You might think you need a sous vide machine, you don’t.
Take the frozen pork and put into a ziplock bag.
Heat water to 165F in a large pot. Submerge the pork for 1 hour OR until the internal temperature is 165F.
Observations:
- Tasted the closest to the day I made it.
- Most cumbersome to do.
- Took the longest.
2. Reheating in the Oven OR Smoker
Set your oven to 225F.
Put frozen pulled pork in an oven safe container and put 1-2 pats of butter on top.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and poke a few holes in the top.
Place the pan or dish in the oven and allow the pork to reheat for 60-90 minutes.
Observations:
- Slow but faster than sous vide
- Easy to do.
- Tastes Good.
3. Using Your Crock Pot
When reheating with a crock pot, use the lowest setting.
Place the frozen pork in the crock pot with 1-2 pats of unsalted butter on top.
Allow the pulled pork to reheat for 60-90 minutes (depending on the amount you’re reheating).
The small amount of pulled pork above took 1 hour and 30 minutes to get to 165F.
Observations:
- I’d only do this with a lot of pulled pork.
- Tasted OK.
- Not much faster than the oven.
4. How to Reheat Pulled Pork in the Microwave
Put pulled pork in a microwave safe dish with 1-2 pats of butter on top.
Cover with a paper towel and reheat with your “frozen food setting” or on power level “low” for 1-2 minutes.
Observations:
- Tasted the worst.
- Fastest.
What Temperature Should I Reheat Cooked Pulled Pork to?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) states the following:
“All ready-to-eat or fully cooked frozen foods should be thoroughly heated to 165 F.”
USDA.gov
Be sure to use a thermometer to determine the temperature of the pulled pork after reheating.
If you’re reheating the pulled pork for an event, keep the food above 140F internal with a chafing dish, steam table, warming tray, or a slow cooker/crock pot.
