Smoked Boston Butt

5 from 3 votes

Smoked Boston Butt is the ultimate in pulled pork! Cooked low and slow, it's fall-off-the-bone tender and SO flavorful!

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Resting Time2

Total Time12 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Smoked Boston Butt

Servings:

Calories: 454kcal

See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!

Add pellets to the smoker, and preheat to 225°F. While it's heating, combine ½ cup brown sugar, paprika, pepper, garlic, minced onion, and chili powder in a small bowl, and mix well to combine.
1 cup Brown sugar, ¼ cup Black pepper, 3 Tablespoons Paprika, 2 Tablespoons Garlic, 2 Tablespoons Minced onion, 2 Tablespoons Chili powder
Set the pork butt on a cutting board, and rub down entirely with olive oil.
7 lb. Boston butt, 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
Making sure to get every side, sprinkle the whole pork with salt flakes.
2 Tablespoons Salt
Sprinkle the boston butt rub mixture on all sides of the boston butt, making sure to spread it evenly across the entire surface including crevices.
Open the preheated smoker, and place the butt inside. Cook for 6 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Remove the pork from the smoker, then place it in an aluminum roasting pan and sprinkle it with the last ½ cup of brown sugar. Place the unmelted stick of butter on top of the roast, cover the pan with tin foil, and place it back in the smoker.
1 stick Salted butter, 1 cup Brown sugar
Continue smoking for another 4-6 hours, depending on the size of the boston butt, until the internal temperature reaches about 203°F.
Remove, and allow the pork to rest for another 2 hours without removing the foil. Once rested, shred with a fork and enjoy!

If you want to save on pellets, move the pork to the oven after wrapping the pan and cook at 225°F. The smoke will not reach the meat once it's covered, so the remaining cooking time is purely for heating it further.
For an even more incredible roast, dry brine the pork! Just rub it in brine salt and let it rest in the fridge overnight.
Make sure you add salt to the meat before you add the rest of the rub. This will ensure completely even salt distribution, which is critical to the flavor!
If you have an excessively fatty boston butt, feel free to cut some of it away. Just don't remove too much, as the fat melts and adds tons of incredible flavor while the meat cooks.
The overall cook time is just a guideline to get to the right temperature! A bigger or smaller roast will need different times, so keep your meat thermometer handy and be sure to pull the roast from the smoker as soon as it reaches 203°F.