This Instant Pot BBQ Chicken recipe makes easy pulled chicken in the pressure cooker in about 30 minutes with minimal prep. A quick dinner for busy days!
This easy Instant Pot BBQ chicken is one of my favorite Instant Pot recipes for busy days. Seriously, this recipe is incredibly simple and makes the best pulled chicken in just 30 minutes. If you’re looking for quick and easy dinner recipes, this one’s for you!
I have an awesome recipe for pulled BBQ chicken in the Crock-Pot , but making BBQ chicken in the pressure cooker is so much faster. And since I don’t always plan ahead, this is why I love Instant Pot dinner recipes. Well, one reason, anyway!
Barbecue pulled chicken is also a big hit with the kids. Even my picky eater likes it!
Plus, it’s a very versatile recipe. You can use it to make chicken sandwiches, sliders, wraps or quesadillas. You can even use the meat to top nachos, baked potatoes or salads. You get the picture, right?
How to make pulled BBQ chicken in the Instant Pot
This Instant Pot shredded chicken is pretty much a dump and go dinner. All you do is add the boneless, skinless chicken breasts to the pressure cooker, season them and top them with your favorite BBQ sauce.
You’ll have to add water, since BBQ sauce is so thick. I tried to get away with using only a quarter cup of water, but I had a messy pot to clean afterwards. Half a cup works much better!
When the chicken is done, I usually shred it with a hand mixer. You can do it with two forks, but the mixer is much faster. My kids have fun helping with this part!
And that’s all there is to it! You guys, this Instant Pot BBQ chicken is a lifesaver, especially on crazy busy days!
Looking for more easy Instant Pot chicken recipes?
Recipe for Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Add olive oil to inner pot of pressure cooker, and place chicken in pot
- Add water, and sprinkle sea salt, garlic powder and pepper over chicken, then pour BBQ sauce over chicken. Do not stir!
- Place lid on pot, turn vent to Sealing position, and hit PRESSURE COOK for 10 minutes. Pot will take a few minutes to pressurize, and chicken will cook for 10 minutes
- After pot beeps, allow a 10 minute natural release, then do a quick release to release remaining pressure. When pin drops, remove lid, and use hand mixer to shred chicken before serving
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I hope you enjoy easy Instant Pot BBQ chicken as much as we do!
BB says
Great recipe! Did 4 thick chicken breasts, 10 minute, 20 natural release (I totally spaced out) and it came out great. It did come out watery but I used a fork to drain it a bit. Kids loved it husband had a second serving so this is definitely a staple now. Oh and the hand mixer, you’re a genius!
Dee says
Aww, thanks — but it does help! Thanks for the sweet comment!
Jessica says
Big hit with the kids.
Dee says
Thank you so much, Jessica. So happy they liked it!
TJ Ford says
Not sure what I’m doing wrong, but I always get the “food burn” warning when I put meat directly into the pot without the trivet. I used the trivet after getting the warning and everything came out fine. Any suggestions on what I might need to do differently to avoid that?
Dee says
It could be several things. Some of the newer models are more sensitive. There could be residue on the bottom of the pot, which triggers the warning. The sauce may have stuck to the bottom of the pot. You can try adding the water first, and then, the chicken and remaining ingredients next time. Also, try to make sure the sauce is only on the chicken. You can also add the sauce after pressure cooking if that’s easier. Hope this helps! 🙂
TN says
HAND MIXER SHREDDING TECHNIQUE FOR THE WIN!
Victor says
Really liked the recipe as the chicken was delicious.
Dee says
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed the BBQ chicken!
Elena says
Do you the weight of the 3 breasts approximately? I’m using 2 breasts and need to adjust the ingredients.
Dee says
I usually have around 1.5 pounds of chicken, sometimes 2.
Nik says
I tried this last night for my two kids and it was hit! So quick and easy.
Dee says
So glad you all liked it. Thanks, Nik!
Lori Bizjak says
This was easy and delicious! I wanted thicker BBQ sauce so I set the instapot to sauté and added cornstarch to thicken it.
Dee says
Thanks, Lori! So glad you enjoyed it!
SUZANNE HARLEN says
Fantastic! Was easy and delicious. Great dish for a crowd.
Dee says
Thanks, Susan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Billie says
It wasn’t bad but if you are not a fan of garlic, I recommend doing a half of a teaspoon
Kait says
Hi there,
Do you need to keep the trivet in while cooking this recipe?
Dee says
The chicken goes directly in the pot — no need to use the trivet.
Andi says
Rave reviews! I am a newbie to Instapot. I did high pressure for 10 minutes, but the meat still seamed tough. I did steam for another 10 minutes, and it was perfect. Not sure what I did wrong initially, but it came through! Thanks for the great recipe!
Dee says
I’m glad you enjoyed the chicken, Andi. If the chicken is extra thick or frozen, it may take a little more cooking time. Or if you’re at a higher altitude, it can also take longer to cook.
Erika Slater says
Delicious and it t was so easy! I actually used 8 chicken breasts (house full of teenage boys coming over) and increased the recipe accordingly. 13 minutes on high and 10 minutes natural pressure release did the trick. The hand mixer hack was AMAZING! I cannot believe how easy it made shredding the chicken into perfect pulled chicken consistency. THANK YOU!!!!
Dee says
I am so glad everyone liked the chicken, Erika. Never underestimate the appetite of teen boys! Thanks so much for the review! 🙂
Joanne says
Made this in my 8 quart, used frozen chicken breasts, and just did 15 minutes on high, and 10 minutes natural release pressure. Worked great. It was a bit liquid-y for my taste, so I just discarded some of the runny liquid, and put a little more just bbq sause in after it was done.
Dee says
Frozen chicken will add more liquid, but I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks, Joanne!
Sarah says
So delicious and easy! I think I need to use a thicker bbq sauce next time but we loved it. Also can’t believe I’ve never shredded chicken this way – saves so much time!
Dee says
Thanks so much, Sarah — glad you liked the BBQ chicken!
Robin says
I just made this yesterday. I had six chicken breasts so I doubled the sauce ingredients. The breasts were fairly thick. 10 minutes at high pressure wasn’t quite enough, so I cooked them for an additional two, which was perfect. I shredded the meat in my kitchenaid mixer in about 30 seconds – what a game changer from the 2 forks method!! Easy and delicious – a real hit with everyone!
Dee says
So glad you liked the chicken, Robin. Thanks for sharing how it went! 🙂
Pauline says
This recipe was super easy and delicious.
What a great idea to use a hand mixer to shred the chicken, I’ll definitely be making this again!
Dee says
So happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks, Pauline.
Nicole says
I can’t wait to try this!
If I double the chicken, do I double the rest of the ingredients? Is cook time affected? 🤔
Dee says
You should double the ingredients since you’re adding extra chicken, but the cook time should stay the same. Hope you like it!
Robin says
I had to give it an extra two minutes cooking time when I doubled the recipe, but after that it was perfect. I made this with homemade bbq sauce last week and it was a huge hit. Thanks for a great – and simple! – recipe :).
Dee says
Thank you, Robin! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the chicken! 🙂
Suzy says
Do you use frozen or thawed chicken?
Dee says
I always use fresh, but you can use frozen. I would add a couple of extra minutes to the cook time, and the pot will probably take a little longer to reach pressure.
Noreen says
Omg so very easy, I added a little spicy sauce with the BBQ. I love these recipes, thank you!
Dee says
Thank you so much, Noreen! I’m so happy you liked the recipe!
Jessica Lindsey says
WOW! First time trying this recipe and it was a home run! I followed the recipe to a “t” and it turned out great. We used 1/2 cup honey chipotle and 1/2 cup regular Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, and 1 cup of water as per the directions for an 8 qt. pot. SOOOO GOOD!! This is definitely a keeper. YAY!
Dee says
Thank you so much, Jessica! I’m so glad you liked it!
Dora says
I’ve made this with chicken thighs a couple of times and it’s unreal! Thank you!
Dee says
This makes me so happy, Dora! Thanks so much!