Instant Pot BBQ Shredded Chicken

Delicious easy shredded chicken in a fraction of the time right from your instant pot – loaded with tangy, smoky flavor from your favorite BBQ sauce!

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

BBQ Pulled Chicken in the Instant Pot

You don’t need to be outside grilling for delicious, juicy, tender, flavor-packed pulled chicken – this recipe locks in tons of flavor and a perfect texture for perfect chicken in no time – with almost no cleanup. Using your instant pot for chicken is a great way to save time and effort – just add ingredients, set, and go – and come back to chicken ready to shred and toss in sauce!

This chicken is also great with your favorite BBQ sauce if you’d like a low carb option instead of the homemade BBQ sauce we’re making, including sugar free and keto versions, so this recipe can be enjoyed on a keto diet. You can even serve with 4 Ingredient Keto Jalapeno Cheese Bread or Easy Keto Sandwich Bread Recipe to make a delicious BBQ chicken sandwich!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do.

How to Make BBQ Instant Pot Chicken

To make this recipe, we will use the following ingredients:

• Chicken Breasts
• Water
• Barbecue Sauce:
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Vegetable oil
  • Dark Brown Sugar
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder

Once you’ve gathered the ingredients, we will use the following process:

• Prep. Place chicken breasts in the Instant Pot. In a small bowl combine the following ingredients: Barbecue Sauce, apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and onion powder; mix well to combine. Pour liquid mixture over the chicken breasts inside the Instant Pot. Take a fork and turn over each chicken breast so they are fully coated with liquid on each side, as this prevents burning.
• Cook at pressure. Using the Manual High Pressure button, Cook on HIGH for 14 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for around 12 minutes. Then you can use the quick release.
• Shred. Shred chicken with 2 forks inside the Instant Pot, or remove the breasts to a plate, shred, then return to the sauce.

Tips and Tricks to Perfect Instant Pot Shredded BBQ Chicken

Take care when releasing steam. Instant pot steam releases can cause burns – never have your face over the Instant Pot, and stand back when releasing any steam. Never try to force open a pressure cooker.

Account for time for Instant Pot to come to pressure. IP cooking times can be decieving, since they are calculated by cook time – not by the time the pot takes to come to pressure. Add an extra 5-10 minutes, depending on you elevation, humidity, and temperature, for timing of your meal.

Thin store bought sauce with stock or water. If using a thicker BBQ sauce other than what I use, you will need to add chicken broth so it will not burn in the Instant Pot. Start with 1/2 cup broth to thin the sauce down, as you need the liquid for the pot to come to pressure.

Turn chicken in sauce. The purpose of turning the chicken over is to not have the chicken on the bottom of the Instant Pot without liquid underneath it. The chicken will stick and possible burn.

Shred in a stand mixer. Use a Kitchen Aid mixer with a paddle attachment to shred the chicken fast and quickly!

Keep leftovers! Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Serving tips. Serve on hamburger buns, hot dog buns, Hawaiian rolls, regular rolls, on top of baked potatoes, even nachos!

FAQs

If you have a favorite BBQ sauce, go ahead and use it! We’re including a basic quick recipe for a tomato-sugar BBQ sauce that can be used with this recipe.

Chicken will cook for 14 minutes at high pressure and a 10 minute natural release period.

Chicken is fully cooked when it is 165 degrees internal temperature.

What to Serve With BBQ Shredded Chicken

BBQ shredded chicken sandwiches are great with Air Fryer French Fries, Air Fryer Potato Chips, The Best Air Fried Corn Ribs, Mediterranean White Bean Salad, and more!

For more of ourside dish ideas, check below:

The Best Air Fryer French Fries

Butter Poached Potatoes

BBQ Baked Beans with Ground Beef and Bacon

Grilled Potatoes

Instant Pot BBQ Shredded Chicken Recipe

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