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This cozy Dutch oven pork roast recipe has very simple prep, and the irresistible seasoning rub uses pantry ingredients! It’s fall-apart tender, juicy, and so flavorful.
Try my Creamy Lemon and Herb Pot Roasted Chicken or Mississippi Pot Roast next.
Why you’ll love it
Sometimes a good pork roast is the only thing that will do the job when you’re craving a comforting meal. As it’s roasting away, your kitchen will smell amazing! The result is really tender meat that feeds a big family. It gives cozy weekend at Grandma’s vibes.
The seasoning rub includes everyday ingredients like Italian seasoning, ground sage, and smoked paprika. It’s just a really tasty way to dress up pork shoulder. Just top it with some gravy. You’re going to come back to this easy pork roast again and again!
What you’ll need
- Pork – we’re using boneless pork shoulder. This well-marbled cut is ideal for low-and-slow cooking methods like roasting because the fat breaks down making it into tender, shreddable meat.
- Seasoning rub – it has Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, ground mustard, ground sage, and pepper
- Chicken broth – for moisture
- Worcestershire sauce – this adds another layer of flavor
- Fresh thyme – it’s bright and herbaceous and goes so well with savory meat dishes
Helpful tips
- Sometimes you’ll find that pork shoulder is labelled as picnic roast/picnic shoulder.
- I purposely don’t trim any fat off since it adds a lot of moisture and flavor. You can always discard larger pieces (if any) before shredding, though.
- If the meat doesn’t shred easily with two forks once cooking time has elapsed, just pop it in the oven for a bit longer!
How to make pork roast
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Preheat the oven. Cut the pork into four pieces, and discard the string. In a prep bowl, combine the seasoning ingredients. Coat the pork with it, and add the pieces to a Dutch oven. Pour in the broth and Worcestershire sauce, and arrange the thyme.
Cover and cook for a couple of hours, then uncover and continue cooking until fall-apart tender. Discard the thyme. Place the roast on a baking sheet, and shred with two forks. Skim off the fat from the juices and use them for gravy, or just serve the pan juices over top.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This is my 5.5-quart Staub Dutch oven. Another option that’s budget friendly is this Lodge 6-quart Dutch oven.
- Store your leftover fresh thyme in this herb keeper.
- Here’s the gold baking sheet pictured that I use to shred the pork on.
Substitutions and variations
- You can change the spice rub up a bit according to what you have in your pantry or what you prefer, but I definitely recommend trying it as written the first time.
- If you’re looking for an all-in-one pot roast with veggies, try my Sunday Pot Roast (if you like beef).
What to serve with pork roast
- Nothing goes better with pork roast than a pile of my Garlic Mashed Potatoes!
- My stovetop Sautéed Green Beans, Easy Glazed Carrots, Garlic Butter Broccolini, or Easy Creamed Corn are all great pairings.
- Use the drippings for my Brown Gravy from scratch. Or you can make up a packet — I won’t judge!
Leftovers and storage
- Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat in a covered saucepan or in the microwave in intervals.
- You can freeze this pork roast for up to 6 months.
If you made this oven roasted pork recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! I’m excited to hear from you. Or you can tag me on Instagram.
Dutch Oven Pork Roast
Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds boneless pork shoulder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt see note
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- Brown gravy for serving, optional (click for my recipe)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300F.
- Cut the pork shoulder into 4 smaller pieces. If there's any string around the roast, remove it. I don't trim off any of the fat.
- In a small bowl, stir together the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, ground cumin, ground sage, and pepper. Coat the pork pieces in the spice mixture, and add them to a Dutch oven. If desired, you can do this step the night before and keep it in the fridge, covered.
- Pour the chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce around the pork, and place the thyme springs on/around the pork.
- Cover and cook for 2 hours, then uncover and cook for another 1.5 hours or until it's fall-apart tender.
- Discard the thyme sprigs. Take the meat out of the Dutch oven and place it on a baking sheet or large cutting board. Shred it with two forks into desired-size pieces.
- The remaining juices in the pot will be quite greasy. I suggest serving this recipe with my brown gravy, using about 1/2 cup of the juices from the pot once you've skimmed the fat off (either spoon it off as best you can or use a fat skimmer). Alternatively, if you don't feel like making gravy, you can spoon the fat off the juices and then serve the roast with the remaining pan juices. It doesn't make a ton, so if you want lots for your mashed potatoes, definitely make the gravy.
Notes
- If you’re not using sea salt or kosher salt, you may want to start with half the amount. You can always season the meat with more salt after you taste it, but I try to be fairly conservative with it since gravy and juices can be quite salty.
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a large, deep roasting pan that has a lid.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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