This Instant Pot BBQ Chicken is so easy to make! Shred and toss with BBQ sauce, then serve with coleslaw and burger buns for a full meal!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken breasts – use boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- BBQ sauce – any store-bought sauce will work or you can make your own homemade version.
Coleslaw
- Coleslaw mix – buy a bag of mix or chop up some red, green and Napa cabbage.
- Apple cider vinegar – rice vinegar would also work for this recipe.
- Sugar – or any cup-for-cup sugar substitute of your choice.
- Canola oil – swap out for another neutral cooking oil like olive oil.
- Dijon mustard – stone-ground mustard would be the best substitute here.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
How to make BBQ chicken in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Assemble your ingredients.
Step 2: Make the coleslaw.
Mix all ingredients for coleslaw together in a large bowl.
Step 3: Add water and trivet to the Instant Pot.
Step 4: Place the chicken on top.
Step 5: Cook on high pressure.
Press the pressure cook button and select the high setting, then set to cook for 8 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release once chicken has finished cooking (should take 15-20 min), then open lid when safe to do so.
Step 6: Shred the chicken.
Remove chicken and shred with a fork and knife.
Step 7: Toss in BBQ sauce.
Drain water from the pot and then toss chicken with BBQ sauce.
Step 8: Serve and enjoy!
Serve on toasted burger buns with coleslaw and enjoy!
How to serve BBQ chicken
The most popular way to serve this Instant Pot barbeque chicken is on a sandwich. But there are lots of other ways you can use this meat.
- Enchiladas
- Casserole
- Quesadillas
- Topping for baked potatoes
- Deluxe nachos
- Spicy pasta
- Mini pizzas
Frequently Asked Questions
I like serving this Instant Pot barbeque chicken with a yummy coleslaw, but you can use it for a variety of side dishes or use it as a topping for other dishes. The options are pretty much endless!
Chicken is much easier to shred after it has cooked than when it’s raw. Don’t wait until it has cooled either – warm chicken is easier to shred. For this BBQ chicken Instant Pot recipe, you can use a knife and fork, two forks, a hand mixer, a blender or pull it apart with your hands.
The types of BBQ sauce are largely dependent on the region in which you live. Essentially, there are four main kinds of BBQ sauce: tomato-based sauces, vinegar-based sauces (also known as North Carolina BBQ sauce), mustard-based sauces and white BBQ sauces. Tomato-based BBQ sauce is the most common kind and the type I used for this Instant Pot barbeque chicken breasts recipe.
Storing and reheating
You can store any leftovers of this Instant Pot barbeque chicken in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Sprinkle a bit of water over top then reheat in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or heat it up with the meal you plan to serve it with (i.e., add it to mini pizzas before cooking them in the oven).
Freezing this recipe
After cooking this BBQ chicken Instant Pot recipe, you can divide it into individual portions and freeze it for up to 4 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy, defrost it in the fridge overnight then reheat it in the microwave with a bit of water sprinkled over top.
More Instant Pot chicken recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- The trivet that comes with your Instant Pot.
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this recipe into leftovers.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through before shredding.
Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup water `
- 1 lb chicken breasts or boneless thighs
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
Coleslaw
- 1 bag coleslaw mix
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
Instructions
- Add water and trivet to Instant Pot and place chicken breasts on top. Press the pressure cook button and select the high setting, then set to cook for 8 minutes.
- Instant Pot will take about 5-10 minutes to preheat then the 8 minutes to pressure cook. Note: to double recipe, add 5 more minutes cook time.
- Let the pressure naturally release once chicken has finished cooking (should take 15-20 min), then open lid when safe to do so.
- Remove chicken and shred with a fork and knife. Drain water from the pot and then toss chicken with BBQ sauce. Serve on toasted burger buns with coleslaw and enjoy!
Coleslaw
- Mix all ingredients for coleslaw together in a large bowl. Serve on the side of the BBQ chicken.
