This fast and easy BBQ chicken Instant Pot dish is absolutely delicious! Enjoy a hearty sandwich with homemade buns, or incorporate into salads and even pizza!
I know meal planning saves money. I know that if I just take 15 minutes to figure out what we’re having for dinner for the next 7 days, the rest of my week goes SO MUCH SMOOTHER.
But I also know that sometimes, things don’t always work out as planned.
That’s why there’s Instant Pot BBQ Chicken!
PS… In my course Grocery Budget Bootcamp, I teach my students the importance of always having a back-up plan when things don’t go smoothly.
Here’s why you should make these
- Fast – We know the Instant Pot gets dinner on the table fast, but depending on the type of chicken you use, dinner can be ready with 6 minutes of cooking time.
- Easy – You only REALLY need two ingredients – can it get any easier?
- Tasty – If your favorite BBQ sauce tastes as good as my homemade BBQ sauce, then you can’t go wrong!
- Need a back up plan for dinner? This BBQ chicken recipe is perfect! You can use chicken breasts, legs, thighs, fresh or frozen.
Ingredients
- BBQ Sauce
- Apple Cider Vinegar (optional)
- Liquid Aminos (optional)
- Chicken
- Onion (optional)
Psst! Want to kick this up a notch? Try finishing this recipe with a pinch of finishing salt! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a bag for just 1¢!! Just add a pinch to the top of the chicken before serving for extra savory flavor! (Get your penny bag of salt on this page.)
Quick Note on the Chicken
I usually get my chicken from Costco since they tend to have great prices on organic chicken. But I’ve also tried chicken from Butcher Box and it was really good! It’s a great option if you want organic pastured chicken and can’t find it locally.
Butcher Box delivers grass-fed beef, pasture-raised and organic chicken, and heritage pork directly to your front door each month. You can read my honest review on Butcher Box here, and also my updated Butcher Box review here.
The search for high-quality meat ends here. Amazing taste. Humanely raised and delivered to your door. Sign up today! Click this link to claim the current offer!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Place ingredients in the Instant Pot.
Step 2. Close the Instant Pot and turn the sealing valve to “sealing.”
Step 3. Press “pressure cook” or “manual,” make sure the pressure is set to “high” and adjust the timer to 15 minutes if using fresh chicken, or 25 minutes if using frozen chicken.
Step 4. Let the pressure release naturally.
Step 5. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and place on a plate.
Step 6. Shred the chicken with two forks and place the meat back into the pot, stirring with its juices.
Step 7. Serve hot!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- No matter which you pick, top with your favorite BBQ sauce, this Instant Pot BBQ chicken, plus cheese and BAM – dinner is done.
- This homemade BBQ chicken is SO GOOD! You can make it with chicken breast, legs, thighs, fresh or frozen. It comes out quick and great for a back up plan!
- Don’t forget to save the chicken skin for homemade chicken stock (your choice, slow cooker chicken stock or Instant Pot chicken stock!)
FAQs
The BBQ sauce should NOT be placed in the Instant Pot first. The sauce can burn on the bottom, so put the chicken in first, then top with the sauce.
If your chicken breast winds up with a rubbery texture, it most likely means that you need to cook it a bit longer. In general, the Instant Pot does better with longer cook times for meat.
Yes, you most certainly can!
Yes, you can make Instant Pot BBQ chicken with frozen chicken! I’m including a time variation in the recipe just for you.
To Serve BBQ Chicken
In case you’re wondering what you should do with Instant Pot BBQ chicken – besides eat it – here’s some of our favorite ways to serve it:
Sandwiches
- Both Instant Pot BBQ chicken and my homemade bun recipe freeze well, which means BBQ chicken sandwiches for dinner now AND later.
- Or you can go the grilled cheese route – a few slices of No-knead Artisan Bread (because it tastes similarly to sourdough), a scoop of BBQ chicken and a couple slices of cheddar? YUM.
Salads
Doesn’t a BBQ chicken bacon ranch salad sound SO GOOD?! Use this recipe with the BBQ chicken from this post!
Pizza
If BBQ chicken pizza doesn’t win you over, I don’t know WHAT will… just pick your jam:
- New York Style thin crust
- American-style thick crust
- Easy Homemade Pizza Bagels Recipe
- Cast-iron skillet pizza
More Quick and Easy Recipes
Hands-Free Cooking
Learn the secrets to getting dinner done faster by hacking your kitchen appliances, plus 30+ recipes to fuel your family!Watch How to Make Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
This fast and easy BBQ chicken Instant Pot dish is absolutely delicious! Enjoy a hearty sandwich with homemade buns.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-25 minutes
- Total Time: 20-30 minutes
- Yield: Varies
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (optional)
- 2 Tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce (optional)
- 2 – 2 1/2 lbs chicken (thawed or frozen), skin removed**
- 1 onion, sliced into rings (optional)
Instructions
- Place Ingredients in the Instant Pot.
- Close the Instant Pot and turn the sealing valve to “sealing.”
- Press “pressure cook” or “manual;” make sure the pressure is set to “high” and adjust the timer to 15 minutes if using fresh chicken, or 25 minutes if using frozen chicken.
- Let the pressure release naturally.
- Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and place on a plate.
- Shred the chicken with two forks and place the meat back into the pot, stirring with its juices.
- Serve hot!
Notes
*Try this BBQ chicken on homemade buns, salads, and pizza. See more recipe ideas above for incorporating BBQ chicken into multiple finger-licking meals!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 ounces
- Calories: 313
Keywords: Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Can I make this in a slow cooker instead? What are the adjusted times/measurements for that?
Thank you!
Hi Miranda! Yes! You can make this in the slow cooker. The general recommendation on BBQ Chicken in the slow cooker is 4-6 hours on low.
Not enough info, how much chicken? What are your measurements?
Hi Teresa, So sorry for our mistake and thank you for pointing it out. It has been fixed above. 🙂
How much of everything do you use for this recipe? There’s no measurements AT ALL!
Hi I noticed you updated the recipe last week, in the new update there are no amounts and I noticed the soy sauce option ingredient and water is no longer listed.
How much chicken does the recipe call for? How much BBQ sauce? How much apple cider vinegar? How much soy sauce used to be listed?
This is one of my families favorite IP recipes for and I’m bummed I didn’t write it down somewhere with the ingredient amounts before it was updated without it :/
Can please we get it corrected or can you reply with the amounts for each ingredient?
I plan to make it as a quick 4th of July meal tomorrow (:
Hi Samantha, thanks for catching our mistake and so sorry for the inconvenience! It has been fixed now.
Hello Julia,
We’re very happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe!
Hmm, I followed it exactly for fresh chicken breast and I also had the IP give me the BURN notice. I opened it up and the bottom was burned. I stirred it up and added 1/2 cup of water and tried again and it worked out just ok. Was very liquidy and lacking flavor. I would have poured out most of the liquid in the end and just mixed with fresh BBQ sauce but I was all out. I think it would be helpful to add more notes to the recipe. I had to read the comments to find tips.
(I used Sweet Baby Rays, ACV onions and soy sauce.)
★★★
Sorry to hear that, Leonardo. How long was it cooked for on manual or pressure? I do not know how over a cup of liquid would evaporate so quickly. Adding the extra water would make the recipe have more liquid and dilute the flavor. I hope it works better if you try it again.
You mention 2-2.5lbs chicken. Is that for bone in chicken legs? How much frozen chicken breast would you use in place of that?
It is a recipe based on chicken breast.
I made your recipe at home very tasty. Please add more.