Chicken quickly cooked with some spices and BBQ sauce makes this Instant Pot BBQ chicken a perfect weeknight meal with minimal prep.
I'm all about some good BBQ chicken - from grilled BBQ chicken to BBQ chicken kebabs to BBQ chicken pizza.
But what about when you're short on time? Well that is where the Instant Pot comes into play. You get a delicious meal without the effort.
Why This Recipe Works
- Simple - you let the Instant Pot do the work. While there are quite a few spices they should all be ones you have in the pantry.
- Flavorful - the flavor really comes from the spices and the BBQ sauce you use. My go-to is Sweet Baby Ray's, but you can use your favorite.
- Versatile - this Instant Pot BBQ chicken can be made into a sandwich, a quesadilla, served over some rice or even used in a salad.
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Ingredient Notes
- Chicken - I like the combination of thighs and breasts as it keeps it moist.
- Spices - the combination of spices adds a little heat and some sweetness to the chicken.
- Sauce - you can take the time to make your own BBQ sauce, but store-bought works great.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe you can mix up the ingredients. Some variations include:
- If you want a little different flavor to the dish, you can replace the chicken stock with your favorite beer.
- To me the combination of chicken thighs and breasts enhances this dish, but you can use one or the other.
- Light brown sugar adds some sweetness, but honey is good substitute.
FAQs
The great thing about an Instant Pot is either works. If using frozen, just add 5 minutes to the cooking time.
I have the 6 quart Instant Pot. It is super simple to use and makes great meals, especially this BBQ chicken.
Yes. Just throw all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours and then shred the chicken and serve.
When cooking in an Instant Pot, you need some liquid, or you'll get the burn notice before it reaches temperature. Once cooked, the chicken and onion releases some water
If you have this issue, you can remove the chicken, peppers and throw on a pan. Broil for just a couple of minutes.
Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.
If you reheat the chicken in the microwave, it might become slightly rubbery. Just heat the chicken in a skillet with some oil over medium heat until everything is warmed through.
Serving Ideas
This BBQ chicken recipe is super versatile and can be used in a variety of ways. Some options include:
- Add to a quesadilla like this BBQ chicken and peach quesadilla
- Serve on a sandwich over a brioche or kaiser roll
- Make a salad like this BBQ chicken salad
- Serve over some rice and veggies
- Throw on top of a pizza
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Add stock first so it helps avoid the burn notice you might get otherwise in the Instant Pot.
- If you like heat, add some crushed red pepper flakes.
- To quickly shred the chicken, use an electric hand mixer. It goes by much faster.
Other Instant Pot Recipes
If you’ve tried this Instant Pot BBQ chicken recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- In Instant Pot, add stock, onions, chicken, brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard, salt and BBQ sauce in that order. No need to mix.
- Close lid and turn vent to "sealing." Set Instant Pot to "manual" on high pressure and set for 10 minutes. Allow it to naturally release.
- Shred chicken and add more BBQ sauce if desired.
Notes
- Add stock first so it helps avoid the burn notice you might get otherwise in the Instant Pot.
- If you like heat, add some crushed red pepper flakes.
- To quickly shred the chicken, use an electric hand mixer. It goes by much faster.
Sophie says
Made this tonight! It was really good! Looking forward to leftovers already! I always forget how long the natural release takes, so will plan better next time.
Ryan says
Glad you liked it!