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Home By Meal Lunch and Dinner

Instant Pot BBQ Chicken

★★★★★ 29 Reviews Recipe Print
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By: Erin1/28/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

instant pot bbq chicken

Easy shredded Instant Pot BBQ Chicken is a healthy dinner or meal prep idea for your busy work week! This simple recipe uses boneless chicken breasts and your favorite BBQ sauce. Use the meat to put on sliders, sandwiches, salads, and potatoes!

instant pot chicken

Even when you are running home with no time to make dinner, you have time to make my Instant Pot BBQ chicken.

This entire meal only takes 20 minutes to make, from start to finish. And the meal prep couldn’t be any easier! Seriously, pin this post. You are going to want to make this again.

Easy Instant Pot BBQ Chicken

I save this recipe for those weeks when I don’t feel like planning anything complicated. I’ve memorized the recipe at this point. If you make it a few times, you’ll have it memorized too.

Ingredients

You probably already have these in your fridge.

  • Chicken breasts
  • Olive oil
  • Chicken stock
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Paprika
  • BBQ Sauce
chicken in instant pot

How To Make BBQ Chicken in the Instant Pot

I love how simple my Instant Pot recipes make dinner time. The Instant Pot is an incredible tool! It cooks food so fast that by the time you put the dishes away, the food is ready.

The entire recipe is in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. But here’s a really easy overview so you know what to expect.

1. Add All The Ingredients To the Instant Pot

Be careful to put them in the Instant Pot in this order: chicken breasts, stock, onion, spices, and BBQ sauce.

2. Lock Lid & Manually Cook

Next, lock the lid and cook it manually for 10 minutes. Let the Instant Pot come to pressure before starting the timer.

3. Natural Release

When the timer goes off, use the natural release for 10 minutes. Then use the quick release.

4. Shred and Serve

Then just shred the chicken and add in more BBQ sauce to completely cover the chicken. Yum! It’s read to eat!

It really is that easy.

bbq chicken in bowl

Can you use chicken broth instead of chicken stock?

The recipe calls for 1/3 cup of chicken stock. This is because the chicken will lose some moisture in the steaming process.

Yes, you can certainly use chicken broth instead. The reason I love chicken stock is that it has a bit more flavor than broth.

Chicken stock is typically made by boiling the bony parts of the chicken in water. Chicken broth, however, is made by boiling meat in the water. The differences are almost not discernible.

instant pot bbq chicken

BBQ Chicken Serving Ideas

There are so many ways you can serve the chicken after it’s cooked. Try any one of these fast and easy ideas.

  • BBQ Chicken Sandwiches – serve with some french fries
  • BBQ Chicken Bowls – put the shredded chicken on top of a bowl of mashed potatoes
  • Cookout – Serve with grilled corn on the cob
  • Pasta Dish – Shred the chicken and serve with pasta for a new main dish

BBQ Chicken Side Dish Ideas

These are my favorite side dishes that taste the best with this scrumptious meal.

  • Crispy Baked Chili Lime Sweet Potato Fries
  • Cranberry Quinoa Salad
  • Healthy 7-Layer Dip

How To Store the BBQ Chicken

Store this correctly because you can use it in so many different recipes. It’s delicious as leftovers.

  • Refrigerator – Store in the fridge for up to 5 days
  • Freeze – Freeze in an airtight container or a resealable bag for up to 6 months.

Can You Make BBQ Chicken in The Slow Cooker?

Yes, it’s pretty easy, actually. Just put all the ingredients (except the chicken stock) in a slow cooker.

Set the slow cooker to “low” and cook for 6-8 hours. Then, it’s ready to shred and put on your sandwich buns.

instant pot bbq chicken
instant pot chicken
★★★★★ 4.8 from 29 reviews

Easy Instant Pot BBQ Chicken

Easy shredded Instant Pot BBQ Chicken is a healthy dinner or meal prep idea for your busy work week! This simple recipe uses boneless chicken breasts and your favorite BBQ sauce. Use the meat to put on sliders, sandwiches, salads, and potatoes!

Prep: 10Cook: 20Total: 30 minutes
Yield 8 1x
Print Pin it Rate

Ingredients

  • 3lbs chicken breasts
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/3 cup chicken stock
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced very small – I used a cheese grater
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp paprika (I used smoked)
  • 1.5 cups BBQ sauce, divided – I used Tessemaes.

Instructions

  1. Add one tablespoon olive oil to bottom of Instant Pot.
  2. In this order, add in chicken breasts, 1/3 cup stock, onion, garlic, paprika, and 1 cup BBQ sauce.
  3. Lock the lid and manual pressure cook for 10 minutes. Just hit ‘pressure cook’ then add the time. The IP will need to come to pressure before the timer starts.
  4. Once the timer goes off, natural release for 10 minutes and then quick release.
  5. Shred with two forks and let place back in IP and stir in other half cup of bbq sauce.
  6. Serve!

Notes

Can freeze for up to 3 months.

Author: Erin MorrisseyCategory: dinner, meal prepMethod: instant potCuisine: American
instant pot chicken

Did you make this?

Leave a comment below and tag @erinliveswhole on social media!

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There may be affiliate links in this post! By purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. Thank you for supporting Erin Lives Whole, it helps keep this blog afloat 🙂

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chocolate chip cookies
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Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love seeing what you made!

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Kelly says

    Posted on 8/10 at 8:35 pm

    Delicious! Easy to make. Directions were great. Adding this to my regular rotation. I put on potato buns and served with cole slaw.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/11 at 2:03 pm

      Hi Kelly, so happy you loved it and great idea! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Kandy says

    Posted on 1/25 at 8:26 pm

    Made this for dinner tonight and added it to a wrap with lettuce, cheese, and ranch. Delicious and easy!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/26 at 12:07 pm

      Hi Kandy, so glad you loved the chicken!! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Hannah says

    Posted on 12/5 at 8:06 pm

    Super quick and easy! Would be great on a sandwich or even with a side of veggies!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/6 at 1:18 pm

      Hi Hannah, so happy you loved it!! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Danielle Slaney says

    Posted on 10/12 at 5:05 pm

    Really great, quick meal! So versatile

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 10/13 at 4:01 pm

      Hi Danielle, so happy you loved it!

      Reply
  5. Josephine says

    Posted on 8/27 at 11:53 am

    Easy, quick and delicious. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs mainly because I had a package in my freezer but also I like the dark meat better. Also, my husband makes a super BQ sauce which I used.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/27 at 11:59 am

      Hi Josephine, I am thrilled you loved them and ah that is awesome!!

      Reply
  6. Monica from Bestconsumerratings says

    Posted on 8/25 at 9:48 pm

    Chicken is my family’s favorite food, thank you for sharing the great recipe. I have one more delicious on my list, definitely try it your way. Looking forward to seeing more recipes, I will be back.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/26 at 10:42 am

      Hi Monica, so happy you loved it so much! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Kaylie says

    Posted on 8/8 at 11:26 pm

    This recipe is great! Took less than 30 minutes start to finish. I used about 4.5 lbs of chicken and about 0.5 cups of chicken broth (not stock). I also had less than a cup BBQ sauce on hand and only a red onion (not yellow onion) and it still turned out amazing!! Great for tacos and taco bowls! Thanks, Erin!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/9 at 5:09 pm

      Hi Kaylie, so happy you loved it so much and made it your own! 🙂

      Reply
  8. JoAnn says

    Posted on 6/16 at 12:09 pm

    I used 3 large frozen chicken breasts and added 1/2 seeded jalapeño, 2 tbs apple cider vinegar & a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Added 1/3 cup more chicken stock and cooked for 15 min with a 10 min release. Extra juice was absorbed after shredding-hitting sauté at the end and stirring helped chicken absorb all the yummy flavors. Let it rest a little for extra yum.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 6/16 at 7:53 pm

      Hi JoAnn, so happy you loved it!!

      Reply
  9. Cait says

    Posted on 4/28 at 5:45 pm

    Not nearly enough liquid. Immediately burned. I even had less chicken.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 4/29 at 4:24 pm

      Hi Cait, hmm I haven’t had that issue before. You can always add more for next time. Let me know what happens!

      Reply
  10. Olivia says

    Posted on 3/22 at 1:23 pm

    I’ve been trying to use my instant pot more often, and with the recent warm weather I was craving bbq. I was so happy with how tender the chicken was and it was so quick to make! I didn’t have quite enough bbq sauce (probably like .8 cup rather than a full cup in the instant pot), but it still turned out great! Enough for leftovers or a group!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 3/22 at 11:57 pm

      Hi Olivia, so happy you enjoyed it so much!!

      Reply
  11. Laura says

    Posted on 3/10 at 12:26 pm

    I made this for meal-prep – throughout the week I had it in tacos, in a salad, a sandwich and with some rice & veggies and froze some leftovers. So easy, very versatile and it tastes even better after a day in the fridge!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 3/10 at 9:45 pm

      Hi Laura, so glad you enjoyed it and great ways to make it all week long!! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  12. Darci says

    Posted on 3/4 at 9:42 am

    Made this for the second time the other night and it went over just as well as the first time. It’s quick, easy and delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 3/5 at 12:23 am

      Hi Darci, so glad you loved it!! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Sam says

    Posted on 2/10 at 11:23 pm

    Turned out perfectly. Did from frozen so added 5 extra minutes
    Great meal!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 2/11 at 7:20 am

      Hi Sam, so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  14. Lindsay Nolte says

    Posted on 1/27 at 6:03 pm

    So so good!! Quick and simple, yet delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/27 at 6:06 pm

      Hi Lindsay, so glad you liked it!!

      Reply
  15. Flo says

    Posted on 1/20 at 9:21 pm

    The chicken texture is amazing and soft. So delicious and so easy! I found the sauce too watery even when I added the extra half cup at the end. I might have added too much chicken bone broth. Would that make it more watery or change the texture? I’m new to the instant pot/cooking game so I’m excited to try more of your recipes! Thank you for sharing 🙂

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/21 at 11:19 am

      Hi Flo, glad you liked it and possibly. Next time try adding a little less and see how it comes out!

      Reply
  16. Courtney says

    Posted on 1/4 at 1:58 pm

    My first ever recipe that I made in the instant pot and it was so easy to follow. Thanks Erin for making the recipe incredibly easy to follow.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/4 at 3:55 pm

      Hi Courtney, so glad you loved the recipe! 🙂

      Reply
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I’m Erin. Creator of Erin Lives Whole, a food blog with delicious and easy healthy recipes that will leave you feeling good. We’ve got everything from wholesome baked goods to comforting savory dishes. I can’t wait to see what you whip up! Read More...

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