How to Reheat Pulled Pork for Best Flavor

Last Updated:
September 13, 2024

I tested 5 methods for reheating pulled pork, these were my findings.

MethodTasteHow Long?
Sous VideClosest to the day I smoked it1 hour
Oven or SmokerGood1-2 hours
Crock PotOK1-2 hours
MicrowaveEdible1-2 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.

pulled pork reheating sous vide

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.

frozen pulled pork in oven

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.

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.

frozen pulled pork in crock pot

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.

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.

microwaved pulled pork

Cover with a paper towel and reheat with your “frozen food setting” or on power level “low” for 1-2 minutes.

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.

dylan bio profile picture
Dylan Clay
Dylan Clay is a pitmaster based in New Hampshire, with over 17 years of experience in grilling, smoking, and dehydrating meat. Throughout this time, he has worked with nearly every cut of meat. In 2019, he launched the Barbecue FAQ website to share his extensive knowledge about all things meat, aiming to assist others in making better barbecue at home.

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