Speedy BBQ Chicken in the Instant Pot: Tender, Juicy Recipe

This Instant Pot BBQ Chicken comes together in about 30 minutes — juicy, flavorful, and ideal for sandwiches, salads, nachos, and more.

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If you enjoy my Instant Pot chicken recipes like Salsa Shredded Chicken or Cheesy Bacon Shredded Chicken, you’ll love this easy BBQ version. It uses straightforward pantry ingredients and adapts well to a variety of meals.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Ready in roughly 30 minutes with under 10 minutes of hands-on prep.
• Made with simple ingredients you likely already have, so it’s a quick, no-fuss dinner.
• Very versatile: use it for sandwiches, salads, nachos, baked potatoes, tacos, pizza, and more.

🍗 Ingredients & Variations

• 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts — boneless thighs work well too.
• ⅔ cup ketchup — forms the base of the sauce; use a thinner sauce for pressure cooking.
• ¼ cup light brown sugar — adjust to taste for sweetness.
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup chicken broth — use stock if you have it for extra flavor.
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard — adds a bright bite.
• Seasonings: 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp black pepper.

Other Substitutions

• If you prefer store-bought barbecue sauce, use it. Add about ¼ cup water or chicken broth per cup of sauce so the Instant Pot can come to pressure easily.

👩🏻‍🍳 How to Make Instant Pot BBQ Chicken

1. Pour ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, and ¼ cup chicken broth into the Instant Pot.
2. Place the chicken breasts in the pot. Pour the remaining ingredients (ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and seasonings) over the chicken without stirring.
3. Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to Manual / High Pressure for 15 minutes. After the cook cycle, allow a natural pressure release for 10–15 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.
4. Remove the chicken, shred with forks, and stir the shredded meat back into the sauce to coat.

🎥 Step-by-Step Recipe Video

🍽️ How to Serve

This BBQ chicken is perfect for classic barbecue sandwiches, but it also works great on many other dishes. Popular serving ideas include:

• Barbecue nachos
• Chicken salad
• Loaded baked potatoes
• Quesadillas
• Tacos
• BBQ chicken pizza

❄️ Leftovers & Storage

Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days to keep flavors fresh and prevent them from mixing with other foods.

Freezing: Cool fully, then freeze the chicken with sauce in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Use within about 6 months for best flavor.

✅ Tips & Tricks

• You can cook this with frozen chicken; the Instant Pot will take longer to come to pressure, but you don’t need to change the cook time.
• If you prefer a slow cooker, place the chicken and sauce in a Crock Pot and cook on low for 5–6 hours.