Overnight Smoked Pork Shoulder on Z Grills: Tender, Juicy & Foolproof

Smoked pork shoulder resting in a foil pan after cooking, ready to be pulled.

Overnight Smoked Pork Shoulder: Tender, Juicy & Foolproof

Discover how to make a perfectly tender, smoky pork shoulder with this easy overnight method on your Z Grills. Using cherry wood pellets, a simple rub, and a low-and-slow approach, you’ll get melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork ready to impress — no babysitting required.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Resting Time 4

Total Time 19 20

Equipment

Z GRILLS 7052B
Z Grills cherry pellets

Ingredients

10 lb pork shoulder fat cap removed, scored and cross-scored
Salt
Black pepper
Granulated garlic
Water (for spritzing and wrapping)

Instructions

Prep

Trim & Score: Remove the fat cap from the pork shoulder. Score and cross-score the surface to help the rub penetrate.
Season: Generously coat the pork with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic on all sides.

Cook – Part 1 (Overnight Smoke):

Preheat Smoker: Set your pellet grill to 225°F. Load it with Cherry Z Grills pellets.
Smoke: Place the pork shoulder directly on the grate. Smoke for 14 hours overnight (internal temp will vary around 180f)

Cook – Part 2 (Morning Check & Boost):

Morning Temp Check: After 14 hours, check internal temp. Target: around 181°F.
Spritz: Lightly spritz the shoulder with plain water.(or apple cidar vinagar)
Temp Bump: Increase smoker temperature to 275°F and cook for another 1 to 1.5 hours, until the internal temp passes 200°F. (or tooth pick tender)

Cook – Part 3 (Wrapped Finish):

Wrap & Moisture: Remove the shoulder, place in a deep foil pan, add a spritz of water or other moisture, then tightly wrap with foil.
Oven or Cooler Rest for 4 hours

Finish

Open & Serve: After 4 hours, remove from oven, unwrap. Shoulder should be tender and ready to shred.

Notes

Person trimming and removing the fat cap from a raw pork shoulder on a wooden cutting board. — Removing the fat cap helps the seasoning penetrate and promotes better bark on smoked pork shoulder.

Cross-scored pork shoulder seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic on a wooden cutting board. — Seasoning a scored pork shoulder helps the flavors soak deep into the meat for rich, smoky pulled pork.

Seasoned pork shoulder smoking low and slow on a pellet grill grate. — Low and slow smoking builds rich bark and deep flavor on pork shoulder.

Smoked pork shoulder resting on a pellet grill with a drip pan catching juices below. — Resting smoked pork shoulder above a drip pan keeps it moist and captures flavorful drippings.

Shredded smoked pork shoulder in a foil pan topped with barbecue sauce. — Perfectly shredded smoked pork shoulder drizzled with rich barbecue sauce, ready to serve.

Cost: 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pork

About The Author

Z Grills

Z Grills is a grill manufacturer with over 30 years of experience within the industry. With over 650,000 pellet grills sold and 85 million cooks made, trust us.