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
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- ½ 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!
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!
Tony D says
I made this last night! And OH BOY!! Was it good! It came out so perfect! Thank you for such a great recipe!
Lori says
I just bought an instant pot and this was the second recipe I tried using it. I’m starting to wonder why didn’t I get one sooner! This recipe was very easy and delicious! My super picky husband devoured the sandwiches and had seconds! The only thing was my meat wasn’t as tender as I had hoped. I had to put some muscle into shredding the chicken. There was no way a hand mixer would’ve helped. Anyone know why this could be? Should I have let it cook for a little longer or did I cook too long? I followed the instructions to a T. Regardless it was still so good! Thanks for a delicious and easy recipe!
Dee says
So sorry the chicken wasn't as tender as you wanted. Are you at a higher altitude? Was it extra thick? Did it release for a few minutes on its own? There are many reasons why it could have been on the tough side. But the hand mixer really does make it easier to shred. 🙂
Zoe says
Use zesty Italian dressing instead of water and this is wonderful!
Dee says
That sounds like a delicious combo. Thanks for sharing!
Tony D says
I made this last night and it came out sooo good! I put it on King's Hawaiian Sweet Sub Rolls, and added pickled jalapeno's, and it was perfect for me and my friends!
Valerie S says
Wow!! It doesn’t get any easier than this!! I was a little nervous because I’ve never made pulled anything before but this was literally dump and walk away! This came out perfect! I used 6 big chicken breasts, 1 cup of water, 2 cups of bbq sauce, seasonings as suggested and it couldn’t taste any better! Thank you for sharing!!
Dee says
Thanks so much, Valerie! Glad you enjoyed this -- you made my day! 🙂
Bridget Kevin-Myers says
So good and so easy. Leftovers could go in lettuce wraps or quesadillas!
Dee says
We have made the leftovers into quesadillas before! Thanks so much, Bridget -- glad you liked it! 🙂
mikah testa says
I want to try this for a BBQ I'm having and wondering if you can make this in advance and what's the best way to reheat.
Dee says
You can definitely make this ahead of time. For a large crowd, I would heat it up and keep it warm in a slow cooker, but you can also use your oven or even your IP if you want.
Star Bury says
Can this meal be frozen? Made to much and want to save for later
Dee says
Yes, you can freeze the leftovers. 🙂
James says
Made this last night since it was too windy to BBQ. Awesome and the clean up is simple. Another hit with the kids too! You have to try this!
Dee says
That's the best thing about IP ribs -- you can make them anytime!