How Long Is Pulled Pork Good For?

How long will pulled pork last for? Pulled pork can last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. If you’d like to make your leftover pulled pork last longer, keep it in the refrigerator. I would suggest storing your pulled pork inside an airtight bag to stop the loss of moisture.

Pulled pork requires an extended amount of time to cook. You usually will end up with a bigger portion of meat than would have.

However, letting this delicious and tender meat waste away isn’t a viable alternative. There are plenty of ways to use pulled pork. The issue is, how long do you want to keep it?

Continue reading to find out what the best method to keep pulled pork inside the refrigerator How to keep pulled pork in the freezer, and how long it will last there, the best way to identify poor pulled pork and so on.

Can Pulled Pork Go Bad?

Pulled pork is an extremely popular American food item that is usually made using the shoulder of the pork.

The fat in these cuts makes them perfect to pull, as long as you cook the meat slowly and low. After the meat has been prepared and shredded it is often combined with sauce.

Pulled pork, just like other kind of cooked and uncooked meat, is perishable, and should be kept refrigerated. Only canned pulled pork that has not been opened can be stored at room temperature in the pantry or the kitchen cabinet.

How Long Does Pulled Pork Last At Room Temperature?

Two hours of rest holds applicable to pulled pork that is two hours. It is not recommended for pulled pork to remain at room temperature longer than 2 hours. If you’re not going to eat the pork, you can put it in the refrigerator once it has cooled.

Cooked or uncooked pork to remain at room temperature longer than two hours can result in a significant possibility of contamination by bacteria.

The canned pulled pork that has not been opened can last for up to 5 year in the refrigerator.

How Long Does Pulled Pork Last In The Fridge?

The pulled pork in the refrigerator can last for three to four days. The pork can appear and smell delicious for a few days.

However, whether eating it cold or hot it is not recommended to consume pulled pork that’s been kept in the fridge for more than four days because it could cause food-borne illness.

What Is The Best Way To Store Pulled Pork In The Fridge?

There are many ways to store the leftover pulled pork in the refrigerator. It is important to ensure that the pork is wrapped.

This will preserve the texture and flavor from the pulled meat for up to four days and also stops that smell from the meat from spreading within the refrigerator.


Here’s how to preserve cooked pork items in your refrigerator:

  1. Divide pulled pork into portions. This will allow you to not to reheat the entire pot of leftover pulled pork several times. Although you could cook food for a few minutes however, it can create the possibility of bacterial contamination.
  2. Place the pulled pork in airtight bags or containers. Zip-top bags are ideal to store barbecued pork inside the refrigerator because you can get rid of the air from the meat and keep the tender flesh from drying.
  3. If the pulled pork you are serving does not have sauce then wrap it first in aluminum foil and then place it in zip-top bags. The aluminum foil serves as an additional layer of protection and keep it from drying out rapidly as is the norm when pulled pork isn’t seasoned with sauce.
  4. The bag should be labeled with the dates. This is vital because you shouldn’t keep your pulled meat in the refrigerator for more than 4 days.
  5. Keep pulled meat in the coldest section of the refrigerator.

Can You Freeze Pulled Pork?

It is possible to store pulled pork in the freezer to prolong its shelf-life. However, there is the possibility to dry the pulled pork out, if don’t employ a suitable method for freezing.

Food stored in freezers for prolonged periods will cause the texture to lose. We recommend that using the pulled pork that you have frozen immediately, even though it could be stored for a long time when stored in the freezer.

How To Store Pulled Pork In The Freezer

The most important thing to remember when the process of freezing pulled pork is to make sure you keep its tender and delicious texture and taste.

It is recommended to store pulled pork frozen in plastic bags that are sealable. It is also recommended to take the air from the bags to avoid the meat from drying out.

You can put pulled pork into zip-top bags regardless of whether it’s with or without sauce. When you freeze pulled pork in zip-top bags, make sure you eliminate the air that is left.

This is particularly important If you are making a freezer-safe pull pork that is not accompanied by any sauce, as in this instance there is a greater risk drying the meat out.

If you’re freezing a large amount from pulled pork break the portion into smaller pieces in order to defrost and make use of as much as you’ll need later. Defrosting pulled meat stored in smaller portions is much easier and faster.

Super tip: If you’ve cooked a lot of pork and are aware that you’ll be left with leftovers, do not shred the whole piece of pork. Keep a small portion of it intact and keep it in the freezer. The frozen pork that is not shredded helps preserve the flavor of the meat.

How Long Does Pulled Pork Last In The Freezer?

The pulled pork that is that is stored in the freezer lasts much greater than pork pulled that is stored in the refrigerator. The freezer can make pulled pork last for as long as 6 months if the meat is properly sealed.

How Can You Tell If Pulled Pork Is Bad?

The easiest way to know whether pulled pork is excellent and not bad is by smelling it. Poor pulled pork can have the smell of rancid that can be unpleasant. If you’ve kept pulled pork stored in the refrigerator over a long period of time, you could see signs from mold appearing on the pork as well as within the container.

If you are looking to freeze pulled pork It is recommended to first defrost it and only after that, examine it for evidence of spoilage. But , you are able to dispose of it immediately if you’ve had the pork stored in your freezer too long or when it has become burned in the freezer.

The cause of freezer burn could be because of inadequate packaging for freezers. Whatever the cause of the freezer burn it is advised not to eat pork that has been burned in the freezer. Although it’s safe to consume food cooked in the freezer however, the taste of the pork cooked in the freezer won’t be delicious and may be quite dry.

What Happens If You Eat Bad Pulled Pork?

Consuming pulled pork that has gone bad can lead to food poisoning. There are signs such as nausea, cramps and fever, stomach upset and more.

However it is unlikely that you’ll eat so much pork that you develop food poisoning. Pork that is bad has a discernible unpleasant smell and flavor which you can smell immediately.

There are a few basic rules to be followed to avoid food poisoning caused by pulled pork.

Be sure to start with a delicious pork shoulder. After the pork has been cooked, don’t allow it to remain at room temperature longer than 2hrs. Also, don’t consume the pulled pork if it have kept it in the fridge for more than 4 days.

Ways To Use Leftover Pulled Pork

Pulled pork only lasts for 3 to 4 days. Given the amount of time the pulled pork cooks and cook, you should definitely not throw away the leftovers.

There are plenty of delicious ways to cook with leftover pulled pork. You can make them into a delicious breakfast or lunch, or even dinner. Here are some delicious dishes that you can prepare using left-over pulled pork.

Sandwiches

Sandwiches made with pulled pork always are delicious and flavorful. You will never be disappointed when you make a pulled pork sandwich with barbecue Sauce and colelaw. Grilled cheese sandwiches featuring pulled pork is a great idea as well.

Tacos

Tacos Leftover barbecue is the best excuse to have the perfect Mexican dinner. Prepare tortillas, make your favorite toppings and then enjoy the most simple and delicious tacos.

Shepherd’s Pie

The process of making Shepherd’s Pie with pulled pork at home takes quite a while. If you’ve always wanted to create this pie using pulled pork in the past, do not pass up the opportunity to make it in the event that you have pulled-pork leftovers.

Pizza

Making pizza using left-over pulled pork leftovers is a fantastic method to make use of leftovers, and also break from your typical pizza toppings.

Empanadas

It is possible to make delicious, bite-sized empanadas using left-over pulled pork. All you have to make is the dough to make the empanadas.

Salad bowl

An easy and simple way to use leftover pulled pork is to prepare salad. Make use of the greens and other vegetables that you like and make a salad dressing to mix all the ingredients.

There are a variety of the ways you can make use of left-over pulled pork. You can also make use of pulled pork for stews and soups, as well as and casseroles and more.

Norah Clark

Norah Clark

Norah Clark, the founder and editor of YummyTasteFood! She's a seasoned food writer and editor with over a decade of experience in the hospitality industry as a former pastry chef, sous chef, and barista. When not writing about food, she explores new recipes or travels the world for culinary inspiration.