Instant Pot BBQ Chicken

bbq chicken in instant pot with marble background and blue striped towel

Meaningful Eats

Instant Pot BBQ Chicken! Sweet, fall-apart tender and perfect for sandwiches, salads, BBQ plates and more!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword bbq chicken, gluten free instant pot chicken, instant pot bbq chicken recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings servings

Author Erin Collins

Ingredients

1 cup chicken stock or water
2 lbs chicken thighs
1 lb chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce
1/2 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!

Notes

This recipe was UPDATED in June 2019 with new instructions to prevent the instant pot from burning on the bottom. By adding 1 cup of chicken stock to the bottom of the pot and not stirring it should come to pressure and not burn regardless of the thickness of your BBQ sauce.

Nutrition