Try one of our Best Pork Injection Recipes the next time your smoke a pork shoulder, grill a rack of ribs or thick-cut chops.
One of the best secrets to making delicious pork on the grill or in a smoker is with one of these Best Pork Injection Recipes. Larger cuts can dry out, and it is quite difficult to add flavor right into the center of the meat. An injection marinade is inserted straight into the center of the meat, adding moisture, flavor, and tenderizing power.
Used by pitmasters for decades, the injection solution is key to making an amazing pulled pork barbecue. These are the best recipes we’ve formulated over the years that add a little oomph to pork butts, whole shoulders, and pork loin roasts. Get yourself a meat injector and take your low and slow cooked pork to a whole new level.
About Pork Injection Marinades
- Flavor: Pork injection marinades are a building block of flavor for smoked pulled pork. Other flavor components include the rub, the smoke, a spritz, and the serving sauce.
- Building a marinade: While you can purchase premade pork injection mixes, our best injection recipe list is a great place to start. I say this because making your own offers your the benefit of adding preferred ingredients to the marinade. With that said, use one of our recipes as a base and add your twist. Now, most pork injection marinades begin with an acid of some kind, like fruit juice. You can also use simple vinegar. Next, we recommend adding a thin, flavorful liquid like chicken broth. And finally, you’ll need some spices. It doesn’t need to be complex.
- Injecting: Using one of the Best Pork Injection Recipes prepared and loaded up into your injector, take a look at your roast. The goal here is to distribute the injection solution evenly through the meat. Start at one end and push the needle into the center from the top. Squeeze the injector until the marinade starts to leak out of the injection site. Stop squeezing. Move about two inches forward and repeat. Fill the center of the roast, top to bottom, in a pattern covering as much of the meat area as possible. I recommend an injection every two inches, front to back and side to side. Let the meat tell you how much it will hold. Once you are done injecting, dry the surface with a few paper towels. Be gentle, though. The marinade will continue to distribute through the meat. However, if you press on the roast, you will squeeze out the solution, defeating the purpose. Once the meat is fully injected, handle it carefully, particularly if wrapping it and marinating overnight in the refrigerator.
1) Basic Pork Injection Marinade
If you are looking for an easy “go to” recipe for a pork injection marinade, then look no further. It will help to keep your smoked pork tender and flavorful during a lengthy cooking process. This injection marinade is the perfect starting point for making great BBQ Pulled Pork. Try our Basic Pork Injection Marinade
2) Tropical Pork Injection
Not only does this injection marinade add flavor and moisture to cuts of pork, but the acidic quality of the pineapple juice and cider vinegar act as tenderizers. Use this pork injection recipe for leaner or tougher cuts of pork to maximize the flavor and tenderness of the meat. Try the Tropical Pork Injection
3) Surefire BBQ Pork Injection
For great barbecue pork, the flavor starts inside. This injection marinade balances acid, liquid, and fats with a full but straightforward flavor profile that makes for great pulled pork. Keep this Pork Injection Recipe handy, because you will be thrilled with the results. Recipe for Surefire BBQ Pork Injection
4) Smoke and Spice Pork Injection
Take your pulled pork to a whole new level of smoky goodness. This pork injection recipe contains both flavor and tenderizing power. It adds the perfect balance of ingredients to make sure your pork shoulder or pork butt doesn’t dry out during long smokes. Try the Smoke and Spice Pork Injection
5) Garlic Maple Pork Injection
Prevent lean cuts of pork from drying out on the grill or in the smoker. Use this pork injection recipe to add flavor and moisture inside the meat. It will keep it tender and juicy through the cooking process. This injection solution works perfectly with all cuts of pork, but particularly on pork loin roasts. Recipe for Garlic Maple Pork Injection
6) Easy Pork Injection Marinade
Another stellar pork injection marinade for smoked pork roasts. It is a simple solution that takes a few minutes to prepare. Next time you’re in the mood for pulled pork, give this Easy Pork Injection Marinade a try.
Pork Injection Basics – The Movie!
Meat Injectors
You can’t use a meat one of best pork injection recipes if you don’t have an injector. It is merely a syringe, often available at a decent price. However, you will need a good one. Below I have listed three models that are different in design. If you are doing a lot of injecting, then you want something with a pump action, versus the regular syringe style. When buying a meat injector, look for something easy to use, that fits comfortably in your hand, and can handle the volume you need.
Ofargo Marinade Injector
The Ofargo Marinade Injector is a classic style syringe. The marinade is sucked up through the needle and then pushed back into the meat. The needle on this model is large enough that it shouldn’t clog. Still, make sure that your marinade is near water thin. It is an inexpensive unit that you can purchase for around $10. It is dishwasher safe and durable enough to last for several years. The volume on this injector is small, but it will handle most jobs for a single family.
Oklahoma Joe’s Trigger Meat Injector
The Oklahoma Joe’s Trigger Meat Injector is more of a marinade pump than a syringe. Dip the hose end into a container with your marinade, and the trigger mechanism pumps the solution into the meat on both strokes. This will make for faster injecting and is excellent for those that are doing more than a single, small roast. At around $30, you pay a little more, but it can handle a lot more injecting. It will save your hands if you have a lot to do.
Chop’s Power Injection System
Do you need to inject a dozen whole pork shoulders? Then this is the system you need. The tank holds a gallon of injection solution. Pump up the pressure and start injecting. It is the system used by caterers and BBQ competition cooks. Easy on the hands, it will allow you to inject at lightning speed. Of course, it costs around $160, so this is really for those who make money on barbecue.
