Instant Pot BBQ Chicken

brown bbq chicken over white burger buns.

Easy Instant Pot BBQ Chicken is juicy, tender, sweet and so tender! Perfect for sandwiches, nachos, quesadillas, bowls or meal prep for the week. Use your favorite BBQ sauce!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword bbq chicken instant pot, instant pot barbecue chicken, Instant pot BBQ Chicken

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Additional Time 10

Total Time 35

Servings Servings

Calories 317kcal

Author Maria Doss

Equipment

instant pot

Ingredients

2 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 small red onion (sliced)
2 garlic cloves chopped
½ to 1 jalapeños pepper sliced
1 cup barbecue sauce I used Kinder's
½ cup water (use a little more if using a large instant pot)
½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon salt (depends on the bbq sauce)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Mix. Add all ingredients into an instant pot and give a good mix.
Pressure cook. Secure the Instant Pot lid and make sure the valve is set to sealing. Select Manual or High Pressure and set the cooking time for 10 minutes. When the cooking time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Shred chicken. Release any remaining pressure and carefully open the Instant Pot. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large plate.
Press Sauté and let the sauce simmer, stirring often, until it has reduced and thickened.
Meanwhile, shred the chicken with two forks or your hands (make sure it’s cool enough to handle). Keep the chicken as chunky or finely shredded as you like.
Finish. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the chicken is thick and saucy.
Be careful not to overcook it or let it dry out—the chicken should stay moist and nicely coated in sauce. Add a little more BBQ sauce if desired.
Make sandwiches. Pile the warm chicken onto toasted brioche buns and top with apple-cabbage slaw (recipe in notes) along with a few pickle chips.

Video

Notes

Chicken: I prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they stay more moist and tender than breasts. You can also use chicken breasts or a mix of both for a combination of white and dark meat.

BBQ sauce: The BBQ sauce you choose makes a big difference in the final flavor, so use one you love. I used my favorite Kinder’s BBQ sauce, but any bottled BBQ sauce works.

Apple Cabbage Slaw

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

½ tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 cups green cabbage, shredded

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and julienned

½ cup thinly sliced red onions

Combine mayo, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Toss with the cabbage, apple and red onion.
Refrigerate until serving

Nutrition