This Instant Pot BBQ Chicken is a super easy, tasty recipe for chicken thighs cooked in your favorite barbecue sauce in the Instant Pot until tender. There are so many ways to serve this delicious BBQ chicken. I love it shredded and served on sandwich buns or over a salad!
When I’m looking for a quick and easy dinner idea, I often turn to some of our Instant Pot favorites such as Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki, Instant Pot Balsamic Chicken and this Instant Pot BBQ chicken.
I first shared this Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken recipe with my newsletter subscribers last month, and it quickly became a huge hit!
A couple months ago, I wanted a super quick dinner, so I do what I almost always do in these times (besides ordering takeout), and I whipped out my Instant Pot.
What happened next was MAGIC.
I ended up creating the EASIEST and most delicious barbecue chicken, and get this, it cooks in just 8 minutes. It’s sure to become a favorite of yours too!
How to serve this Instant Pot BBQ Chicken:
There are so many different ways to serve this Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken. You can enjoy it over a salad (it’d be amazing with my Ranch Dressing), serve it with roasted or mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, white rice, stuffed into my Roasted Japanese Yams, or turn it into barbecue chicken sandwiches (Canyon Bakehouse makes my favorite gf burger bun).
How to make Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken in your slow cooker:
You can just as easily make this dish in your slow cooker, you’ll only need to adjust the cooking time. Simply add the chicken, liquid and seasonings to your slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Using chicken breasts in this recipe:
While I personally prefer using boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, you can absolutely use chicken breasts instead, just note that they tend to dry out a bit when cooked in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.
How to turn this into shredded barbecue chicken:
If you’d like, you can turn this recipe into shredded barbecue chicken just as easily! Simply cook the chicken thighs whole (no need to cut up) for 15 minutes in your Instant Pot (20 minutes for chicken breasts), and then shred it with two forks or an electric mixer, then toss with the barbecue sauce.
How to double this recipe:
If you’d like to double this recipe (which is what I do with everything, because leftovers are awesome), it will still cook in just 8 minutes.
Enjoy this recipe for my Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken!
Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs chicken breasts work as well, just note that they tend to dry out a bit
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- ½ teaspoon each sea salt, black pepper and garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil butter or ghee
- 1 small onion sliced
- 1 cup barbecue sauce use any brand that you like - I used The New Primal barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Place the broth or water and chicken into your Instant Pot. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper & garlic powder. Select 'Manual' mode and press the '-' until the screen says 8 minutes.
- Once your Instant Pot has finished cooking, manually release the pressure.
- If you're using the onion: heat a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the cooking fat of your choice and then sauté the onion until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from your Instant Pot, using a slotted spoon, keeping the liquid in the pot. Add the chicken to the hot pan. Drizzle the barbecue sauce on top and stir well to combine. ENJOY!
Notes
To make this recipe in a slow cooker, follow the same directions as above, only cooking this on low for 4-6 hours. That's it!
Other notes:
If you'd like to double this recipe (which is what I do with everything, because leftovers are awesome), it will still cook in just 8 minutes. The bare minimum that you'll need to create this recipe is chicken, water & barbecue sauce. The other ingredients definitely add flavor, but feel free to work with what you've got on hand.
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