Try these Competition 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 starts with a pork injection marinade. Larger roasts and lean pork cuts can dry out during long, low, and slow cooking. However, you can mitigate this by adding extra moisture and flavor to the meat.

Our competition pork injection recipes are not just for pulled pork. They’re versatile enough to add a little oomph to your pork shoulders, pork loin roasts, and more! Whether you’re a seasoned Pitmaster or a beginner, all you’ll need is a meat injector and a few ingredients to elevate your low and slow-cooked pork!

About Pork Injection Marinades

A pork injection marinade is a solution used to flavor pork from the inside. It is considered a building block of flavor when paired with a pork rub, wood smoke, a BBQ spritz, and a serving sauce.

Building a Marinade

Pork injection marinades contain an acid, like peach or apple juice or apple cider vinegar, a thin, flavorful liquid like chicken broth, brown sugar and spices. While you can purchase premade pork injection mixes, our competition injection recipe list is a great place to start. We say this because making your own offers the benefit of adding your preferred ingredients to the marinade. Start with one of our recipes and add your own unique twist. 

Injecting a Pork Roast

• Prepare marinade and load it into your injector. Examine the roast. The goal here is to distribute the solution evenly through the meat.
• Start at one end and push the needle into the center from the top.
• Slowly squeeze the plunger until the marinade starts to leak out of the injection site.
• Stop squeezing. Gently blot roast with a paper towel. Move two inches over and inject again. Fill the center of the roast, top to bottom, in a pattern covering as much of the meat area as possible.
• Next, inject every two inches, front to back and side to side. Let the meat tell you how much it will hold.
• Once the meat is fully injected, let it stand for 5 minutes. Handle it carefully, particularly if cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and marinating overnight in the refrigerator.
• Discard remaining marinade that has come into contact with raw meat.

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 a tenderizer. 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) Cajun Pork Injection Marinade

This easy, homemade Cajun pork injection marinade is your best bet for a juicy tender and, flavorful pulled pork. Try it on pork loins and thick cut chops too! Cajun Pork Injection Marinade Recipe

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.

7) Peach Injection Marinade

When it comes to smoked pork, you might have tried different marinades and flavor-boosting techniques. But have you ever tried injecting your pork roasts with a peach injection marinade? If you haven’t, then here is your chance!

Pork Injection Basics – The Movie!

Meat Injectors

You can’t use a pork injection marinade without an injector. It is simply a food safe syringe available for a low to moderate price. Below I have listed three distinct models to fit your cooking needs. If you plan to do a lot of injecting, then opt for an injector with a pump action. When buying a meat injector, look for something easy to use, holds the right amount of liquid, and fits comfortably in your hand.

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.

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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.

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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.

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