If anyone tells you a fancy rub or complex marinade is required for barbecue chicken, they’re lying. This simple barbecue chicken recipe is perfect for topping sandwiches, pizzas, or salads and requires almost no prep work. We’ve never had barbecue chicken as tender or flavorful as this. Take your backyard barbecues to a new level this summer with this tasty, easy chicken recipe from Meaningful Eats.
Barbecue chicken is an American classic. Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Father’s Day, and Labor Day are all perfect summer holidays to dish this up for friends and families. Or, surprise the kids and use this as a pizza topping during a long weekend.
However you decide to eat this chicken, you’ll be amazed at all you can do without ever touching a grill!
Here is what you need:
1 cup chicken stock or water
2-3 lbs. chicken thighs or breasts
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1/2 cup grated onion, plus juice
2-3 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
How to Make it Happen
Step 1:
Place all ingredients into your Instant Pot in this order: chicken stock or water, chicken, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, barbecue sauce, onion, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce.
Pro Tip: Do NOT stir the ingredients. You want the water at the bottom to keep the ingredients from burning as the Instant Pot pressurizes.
Pro Tip: We’re usually picky about our barbecue sauce. We’ve found, though, that an off-brand works just as well in this recipe as any of the more expensive name brands since it’s mixed and boiled with other ingredients.
Pro Tip: Chicken thighs taste a lot better than chicken breasts in any recipe you’re making. Thighs are more tender!
Pro Tip: If you can’t say Worcestershire sauce, learn to. It makes life so much less awkward.
Step 2:
Place the lid on the Instant Pot, making sure the valve is in the sealed position. Press manual (high pressure) and set to 15 minutes.
Pro Tip: If you’re starting with frozen chicken, set the Instant Pot to 25 minutes, and make sure the chicken pieces are separated from each other rather than putting them into the pot in one giant frozen mass.
Step 3:
Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then add more barbecue sauce if desired.
Pro Tip: This will look liquidy when done and the amount of liquid will vary depending on how frozen your chicken was when you put it in and how much chicken you used. Feel free to drain some of the liquid after you shred the chicken. But storing the chicken in the liquid helps keep it moist for days.
Step 4:
Shred and enjoy on sandwiches, salads, barbecue plates, and more!
Pro Tip: To shred, try using a KitchenAid hand mixer. It’s counterintuitive but using the beaters in the chicken is the quickest and most professional way to shred chicken.
Instant Pot Shredded Barbecue Chicken
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
If anyone tells you a fancy rub or complex marinade is required for barbecue chicken, they’re lying. This simple barbecue chicken recipe is perfect for topping sandwiches, pizzas, or salads and requires almost no prep work. We’ve never had barbecue chicken as tender or flavorful as this. Take your pakyard barbecues to a new level this summer with this tasty, easy chicken recipe from Meaningful Eats.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken stock or water
- 2–3 lbs chicken thighs/chicken breasts
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
- 1/2 cup grated onion, plus juice
- 2–3 Tbs brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Place the ingredients in the instant pot in this order: chicken stock (or water), chicken, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, barbecue sauce, grated onion, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. To prevent from burning, do NOT stir.
- Place the lid on the instant pot making sure the valve is in the sealing position. Press manual (high pressure) and set to 15 minutes.
- Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Add more barbecue sauce if desired.
- Shred and enjoy on sandwiches, salads, barbecue plates and more!
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: bbq chicken, instant pot, quick dinner, leftovers, easy weekday meals, freezer meals
