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Instant Pot BBQ Chicken

Instant Pot BBQ Chicken is an easy meal prep recipe. With less than 5 ingredients, you get tender juicy pulled chicken in about 30 minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 259kcal

Author: Davinah

2 lbs Chicken Thighs raw, boneless and skinless, with as much fat trimmed off as possible
¼ cup bbq seasoning click for recipe
½ cup Chicken Broth low sodium
½ cup BBQ Sauce Hickory or Kansas-city style, split in half, click for my homemade recipe

Add the chicken thighs to the bottom of the cooking pot with the bbq chicken rub and half the barbecue sauce. Mix until all of the chicken is coated. Be sure to unroll the chicken thighs to get spices in the middle.
Pour the chicken broth on top of the meat.
Add the pressure cooker lid, set the venting knob to seal, and cook the meat on high manual pressure for 8 minutes.
Allow the pressure to manually release for 10 minutes. Open the lid.
Shred the meat with meat claws or two forks: You can add the meat to a cutting board or shred the meat right in the cooking pot.
Reduce the cooking liquid: use the sear/sauté function on medium to reduce the liquid by half. This takes about 5 minutes.
Add the remaining bbq sauce to the shredded meat
Optional: to get some burnt ends, you can use your Instant Pot Duo air fryer lid to cook the meat at 400 degrees for 5 minutes or add the meat to a broiler-safe dish and broil it on high for 5 minutes.

Taste and adjust at the end. After shredding, add a little extra BBQ seasoning or a pinch of sea salt if needed. BBQ sauces vary in sweetness and salt, so a quick final taste makes a big difference.
Let it naturally release. Give the Instant Pot the full 10-minute natural release. Chicken thighs are forgiving, and this keeps them extra tender and juicy.
Keep it in the liquid. Let the shredded chicken sit in the reduced cooking juices. It helps the meat stay moist and boosts flavor.
Control the sauce. Want it saucier? Add more BBQ sauce. Prefer it thicker? Simmer a few extra minutes on sauté before serving.
Stretch it into more meals. Serve as-is for dinner, or use it for sliders, tacos, baked potatoes, wraps, salads, or layered into casseroles later in the week.