Instant Pot BBQ Chicken! Sweet, fall-apart tender and perfect for sandwiches, salads, BBQ plates and more!
This Instant Pot BBQ Chicken makes an easy, weeknight meal you can use in so many ways! I like serving it on gluten-free buns or over rice.
It’s also delicious in a BBQ chicken salad with romaine, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado and dairy-free ranch (I like Tessemae’s Creamy Ranch) This chicken is versatile, easy and delicious!
The flavor of this BBQ chicken really depends on what kind of BBQ sauce you use. I used to use Sweet Baby Rays and still love the flavor – but don’t love the ingredients.
I asked a bunch of my gluten-free blogger friends what their favorite gluten-free BBQ sauce is and they all said Stubbs. (This is not sponsored – just meant to be helpful!)
Stubbs is gluten-free and doesn’t contain high-fructose corn syrup. My favorite flavor is Stubbs Sweet Sticky BBQ Sauce. You can get it for such a good price on Amazon!
I like using a combination of chicken breasts and chicken thighs for the meat. The meat turns out so much more moist this way than compared to using all chicken breasts.
I used to make BBQ chicken in the slow-cooker all the time, but now I prefer it in the instant pot. It is so easy to throw everything in and walk away. Plus it takes just a fraction of the time.
Enjoy this on toasted gluten-free buns with a side of my favorite Dairy-Free Coleslaw!
Notes about this recipe:
Use Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce: Not all brands are gluten-free so check the label! I use Lea and Perrins which is gluten-free.
Choose a Good BBQ Sauce: The flavor of this chicken is highly dependent on what kind of BBQ sauce you use. I love the flavor of Sweet Baby Ray’s – but lately I’ve been using Stubbs Sweet Sticky BBQ sauce (such a good price on Amazon!) because it doesn’t contain high-fructose corn syrup.
Chicken Breasts + Thighs = Yum: I like using a combination of chicken breast and thighs in this recipe. The chicken thighs keep the dish moist and delicious!
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Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken stock or water
- 2 lbs chicken thighs
- 1 lb chicken breast
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce
- ½ cup grated onion, plus juice
- 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Place the ingredients in the instant pot in this order: chicken stock (or water), chicken, onion powder, garlic, powder, paprika, salt, BBQ sauce, grated onion, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Do NOT stir. You want the water to stay on the bottom of the pot so the instant pot comes to pressure.
- Place the lid on the instant pot making sure the valve is in the sealing position. Press manual (high pressure) and set to 15 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Add more BBQ sauce if desired. Shred and enjoy on sandwiches, salads, BBQ plates and more!
Nancy says
Awesome recipe! I use smoked paprika and added about 1/2 TBSP of chili powder, reduced the brown sugar to 1 TBSP. Family loves it!
Jamie says
So easy and the chicken came out so tender. Was practically shredding itself when I took it out of the pot!
Natalie says
This was sooo good! Want to make it for a party of 30. How does it reheat? I want to make a large foil pan of this the night before and heat up in the oven before the party. Can you make this a head? Thank you
Karen Friedenberg says
Hands down the best BBQ shredded chicken recipe I have ever made. I don’t usually leave recipe review – but for this one I had to do so. After reducing the sauce it was totally perfect! I don’t like a ton of heavy sauce on/in my BBQ pork or chicken – it masks the flavor of the protein, IMHO. This recipe fits the bill – served on brioche buns (can find them at Aldi) paired w slaw and green beans – can’t be beat!! Thank you for sharing this recipe
Erin Collins says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Glad it worked well to reduce the sauce!
Morgan says
Soooo what do you do with all the water that’s leftover? This recipe was confusing to me..
Donna says
Can this recipe be mad using just boneless chicken breast? Should cooking times be adjusted to ensure the meat doesn’t dry out?
Erin Collins says
Yes this can be made with chicken breast just fine. The cooking time will stay the same!
Lawrence O says
Cooked this at the firehouse and it’s always a hit. I used to get a lot of teasing for cooking in crockpots and instapots but once we’re on a fire for hours, it’s either done and staying warm in crock or done by the time everyone is cleaned up. I never thought one of the things I’ll miss most was cooking for the crew.271 days to go and I’m outta here!
Erin Collins says
I’m so glad the recipe works well for your crew! Thanks for the comment 🙂
P. Hughes says
Thank you for your service as a firefighter 🙂
Lindsey Adams says
Does the time need to be adjusted for frozen chicken?
Dianna says
Would this turn out just as good in a crock pot?
Erin Collins says
Yes this works great in the crockpot! You can cook it on low for 4-5 hours.
Tim says
Would doubling (or 1.5x) this recipe call for a longer cook time? Thanks!
Erin Collins says
Nope! The cook time will remain the same.
Karen says
Just made this, it came out great… I didn’t add the brown sugar and used sugar free BBQ sauce. I used the saute function to thicken the sauce with a little corn starch while I was shredding the chicken. It was perfect… Definitely a new recipe to add to our busy weekday menu.. Thank you!!!
Sam says
Tried this last night. It was amazing.
I have a question on the nutritional information. Where would the 35 grams of carbs come from? Seems kinda high to me based on the ingredients.
Erin Collins says
My guess would be from the BBQ sauce and other sauce ingredients. I’m glad you liked the recipe!
Aarin says
This recipe will now be on rotation in our kitchen; thank you for sharing!
Erin Collins says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
JOANN says
Made this last night. I added 2tbs apple cider vinegar & 1/2 seeded jalapeño. I used 3 frozen chicken breasts cooked for 15 min with a 10 min release. The extra juice absorbs when you shred your chicken and you can hit sauté at the end to help reduce the juice. It came out perfect.
Diana Shields says
Very easy recipe to follow! There was too much liquid at the end, but luckily I saw the comment about sautéing at the end to thicken up the sauce and it worked! All the family liked it! Even the picky eater!!
TeriD says
I love this technique for pulled chicken! And I’ve become much more a fan of pulled chicken as opposed to pulled pork How much time should I add if I’m using frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs (I prefer using exclusively thighs w/o the addition of breasts)? They’re thawed enough to break them apart, but still pretty much frozen solid. Thanks!