Servings
Font
Back
4.2 from 189 votes

Instant Pot BBQ Chicken

Instant Pot BBQ Chicken is easy to make with chicken breasts, directly from the freezer or refrigerator, plus a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce. Use it to make different recipes throughout the week, from pasta for dinner, to wraps for lunch!

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 4 cups bbq chicken
Calories: 270 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs, boneless or bone-in (see notes below)
  • 12 ounces BBQ sauce

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add the chicken and bbq sauce to an Instant Pot. 
  2. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the steam release is set to “sealing”.
  3. For bone-in chicken breasts, frozen chicken breasts or chicken thighs, set the timer on the Instant Pot to HIGH pressure for 12 minutes. For fresh (not frozen) boneless chicken breasts, set the timer to 10 minutes.
  4. Once the timer beeps, allow the Instant Pot to pressure down for 10 minutes, then move the pressure valve from “sealing” to “venting” to release any remaining pressure. Once all of the pressure has been released, remove the lid from the Instant Pot.
  5. Once the lid is removed, shred the chicken with two forks and toss with the bbq sauce.
  6. Remove from the Instant Pot and serve immediately with your favorite bbq chicken recipe, or place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for later use.

Notes

  • If your BBQ sauce is very thick, or you’re concerned about it burning in the Instant Pot, add 1/2 cup chicken broth to the pot with the chicken and sauce.
  • This recipe can be made using fresh or frozen chicken breasts, bone-in or boneless chicken and chicken breasts or thighs.
  • Season the chicken breasts first with my famous Chicken Seasoning, or your favorite BBQ rub, for even more flavor.
  • One pound of chicken will give you approximately 2 cups of shredded chicken. Chicken breasts vary in size greatly, so when determining how much shredded chicken you’ll need for a recipe, I recommend going by weight NOT the number of breasts or thighs.
  • This recipe can be made with 1 pound of chicken, up to 6 pounds of chicken, using a 6 quart Instant Pot. For every pound of chicken, you’ll want to add ¾ cup of bbq sauce.
  • Cooked, shredded chicken will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the shredded bbq chicken in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Nutrition Information

Serving 6cups Calories 270kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 23g (8%) Protein 33g (66%) Fat 4g (6%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 97mg (32%) Sodium 758mg (32%) Potassium 691mg (20%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 19g (38%) Vitamin A 172mg (3%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 26mg (3%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4cups bbq chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 270

% Daily Value*

Serving 6cups
Calories 270kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 23g 8%
Protein 33g 66%
Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 97mg 32%
Sodium 758mg 32%
Potassium 691mg 15%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 19g 38%
Vitamin A 172mg 3%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 26mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.