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!
R. says
If Not fully defrosted-Add another 10 Mins.
Kelly says
AMAZING. This was my first time using my instant pot, and it turned out so yummy. The flavour was to die for (I used sweet baby rays BBQ sauce as recommended) and the chicken pulled apart so easily. I will definitely be making this recipe again!!!! Thank you Erin!
Catherine Adams says
Just cook this for my family tonight and The Taste is delicious. The only issue I had was a cup of broth made it too watery so I used the exact amount of ingredients that the recipe called for so has anyone tried half a cup of broth instead of 1 cup of broth? That was my only issue. I just used a slotted spoon got the taste but would like to see it less moist.
Erin Collins says
Hi Catherine! It’s kind a tricky situation with this recipe because you need the liquid so the instant pot will come to pressure properly. I would recommend removing the meal and simmering the sauce to reduce it to your liking. You can also thicken it with 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water – mix this together then add to the sauce while it’s simmering. I hope this helps!
Michael Olivares says
Would this work with pork as well?
Erin Collins says
The cooking time would be very different for pork and it would vary based on what cut you use. So it’s hard to say for sure!
Lindsay Land says
Easy to follow and can’t wait to try it out. I’m sure its going to be amazing!!! Thank you for the recipe!!!!
Yum yum yummmmmm
Matt says
Incredible recipe. Used the sauté function with cornstarch after taking the chicken out to thicken the sauce.
Anna says
I made this yesterday and it was the best thing I’ve made so far in my Instant Pot, hands down! I used two bone in, skin on chicken breasts and removed skin/bones and it was wonderful. So juicy and tasty! It will go into my regular rotation of meals.
Andi says
Fabulous recipe! Made it in a 3 qt mini by halving the recipe. The chicken shreds beautifully!
Chris Hendrix says
Our favorite recipe in our instapot!
Brendan Corcoran says
This was so good! Thank you for the recipe. I used Lillie’s Q Gold South Carolina mustard BBQ sauce, which was great. I used the sauté setting on high to thicken the sauce. It took more than a few minutes but the sauce did eventually simmer down to a nice thickness. Our whole house smells like BBQ now…in a great way! Loved the sauce but might try something spicier next time or add a hot pepper.
Elaine says
recipe looks great but way too much sodium especially for someone on low sodium diet. Any easy way to reduce sodium?
Andrea says
Loved it best thing I’ve insta potted so far. I would add red pepper flakes as well tho. 🙂
Kathy Carroll says
To everyone posting about frozen chicken. I haven’t made this recipe, yet, but cook frozen chicken in mine all of the time. I always cook frozen chicken an hour. It’s very tender and tastes great. Hope this helps.
Nancy W. says
Erin,
Thanks for this Instant Pot recipe for pulled bbq chicken. Since I have a 3 qt. mini, I’ll halve the recipe amounts. I really appreciate that you included the Nutrition Information at the end.
Nancy
Summer says
Is this for frozen or thawed chicken?