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You are here: Home / All Recipes / Maple BBQ Chicken

September 12, 2017 By Nancylynn 50 Comments

Maple BBQ Chicken

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This Maple BBQ Chicken is gluten-free, dairy-free, and so amazingly easy to make in your Instant Pot!  It was a hit with my husband and the kids.  Enjoy BBQ all year long with your Instant Pot. This post contains affiliate links for products I’m obsessed with.

BBQ chicken thighs on a white plate with a green sauce brush on the side.

Confession #123 – I feel guilty that I am posting yet another Instant Pot recipe because I know there are a bunch of you who are still not feeling it yet…so I will add some crock pot directions, but only because I heart you.

My crock pot, on the other hand, hasn’t gotten much love from me these days.

I mean…the Instant Pot cooked these unbelievably delicious Maple BBQ Chicken Thighs to perfection with ten minutes of cook time. Ten minutes!  They were so good, my three year old was clapping between bites.

It may have been the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

Raw chicken thighs in an instant pot with homemade bbq sauce being poured on top.

And besides being incredibly tender, these chicken thighs are so darn tasty!  Just the right amount of tang and maple sweetness from the homemade BBQ sauce- the same one from my Pulled Pork.  The awesome part is that instead of cooking the sauce on the stove ahead of time (and dirtying more dishes) I mixed the ingredients and threw the sauce right into the pot with the chicken.

Overhead photo of chicken thighs in an instant pot covered in BBQ sauce

I opted not to sear the thighs first, but you totally could.  I just didn’t think it was worth the trouble this time.  I just sealed the lid and set it on manual for ten minutes.

Overhead photo of an instant pot lid with a person's hand on the handle

I also thought quick release was fine, but you could let it go natural if that’s your thing – thighs are super forgiving in the Instant Pot, so it’s all good.

Close up photo of a summer BBQ spread - Maple BBQ chicken on a white plate, corn on the cob and broccoli slaw in white serving bowls.

After the ten minutes are up,  the sauce needs a little thickening, so remove your chicken using a slotted spoon and set the IP back to saute.  As the sauce simmers, if you want it a little thicker, just stir in some tapioca, cornstarch or thickener of your choice.  I found when I doubled the recipe, I needed to do this, but with one batch it was perfect after a couple mins of simmering.

Overhead photo of chicken thighs with BBQ sauce and black and brown text on a white rectangle. Text says, 21 Day Fix Instant Pot Maple BBQ Chicken | Confessionsofafitfoodie.com

And that’s it!  Enjoy delicious BBQ year round thanks to the Instant Pot!

For Slow Cooker Instructions, see the recipe card!

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Instant Pot Maple BBQ Chicken

★★★★★ 5 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Nancylynn Sicilia
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Instant Pot
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This Instant Pot Maple BBQ Chicken is gluten-free, dairy-free, and so amazingly easy to make in your Instant Pot!  It was a hit with my husband and the kids.  Enjoy BBQ all year long with your Instant Pot.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 to 1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/4 cup of coconut aminos (or sub low sodium soy sauce if not gluten-free)
  • 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • sprinkle of sea or Himalayan salt and black pepper
  • optional – thickener of your choice (arrowroot, tapioca, cornstarch, etc)

Instructions

  1. Place chicken thighs in Instant Pot.
  2. Mix together the remaining ingredients (besides thickener). Pour sauce over chicken.
  3. Set to manual for 10 minutes. After cook time, switch to quick release. Open the lid carefully once it is unlocked. Remove chicken thighs with slotted spoon and set aside.
  4. To thicken the BBQ sauce, set Instant Pot to saute. Stir as it simmers. If you need to thicken it more, add in your choice of thickener, one tsp at a time until desired thickness. Taste and adjust seasonings and add a touch more maple syrup for a sweeter sauce. Cover chicken with sauce and enjoy!
  5. For the slow cooker: Place thighs and ingredients for BBQ sauce in crock pot. Cook on low for 4 hours. After cook time is through, simmer sauce in a small saucepan over medium low heat until desired thickness. Enjoy!

Notes

Makes 4 servings

21 Day Fix: 1 RED, 1 TSP (per serving)  [I count it this way because thighs have more fat than chicken breasts]

WW:  Green, Blue, Purple – 7 points (per serving) [Calculated using 1 lb chicken thighs]


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 3/4 cup of chicken

Keywords: BBQ, chicken, instant pot, gluten-free, dinner, lunch, meal prep, dairy-free

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Tag @confessionsofafitfoodie on Instagram and hashtag it #confessionsofafitfoodie

21 Day Fix Instant Pot BBQ Chicken | Confessions of a Fit Foodie

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Cooking Method, Courses, Dairy Free, Diet, Dinner, GF + DF, Gluten Free, Ingredient, Kid Friendly, Paleo + Whole 30, Poultry, Pressure Cooker, Seasonal, Slow Cooker, Summer + BBQ

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jennifer says

    September 12, 2017 at 8:43 pm

    Hi there!! I think I found dinner for thursday night! One question, can I use chicken breast? Will it change the cook time?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      September 12, 2017 at 8:45 pm

      You can…I usually save breasts for soups because they tend to get dry, but you can try – they might work well because of the sauce! I would do 12 minutes.

      Reply
  2. Megan Sprayberry says

    September 13, 2017 at 5:39 pm

    Could I use frozen chicken breast in the Instant Pot?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      September 13, 2017 at 8:08 pm

      Yes! I’m not the biggest fan of chicken breasts in the IP, but other people use them just fine!

      Reply
  3. Brooke says

    September 13, 2017 at 9:13 pm

    what side dishes would you recommend putting with this recipe?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      September 15, 2017 at 8:33 pm

      I love it with my corn and bean salad (on the blog), some kind of veggie slaw, and baked sweet potatoes or sweet potato fries! Yum!

      Reply
  4. Brooke says

    September 13, 2017 at 9:15 pm

    how do you measure this out? Would you measure it in the red container of the portion fix containers?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      September 15, 2017 at 8:31 pm

      Exactly!!

      Reply
  5. Jess says

    September 17, 2017 at 5:20 pm

    I don’t know that I would call this BBQ (sorry, just being honest for anyone who might review the comments). BUT it was absolutely delicious!! I basically took the chicken out of the pot to let the sauce thicken up and I’m just picking at the chicken dipping it in the sauce. It hasn’t even made it to the table yet.
    I’ve been making 1-2 recipes from your website weekly and they’ve all been keepers. Thank you for great recipes!

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      September 19, 2017 at 5:31 pm

      I appreciate your feedback and just so happy that you liked it!! I do the same thing with the sauce…sooooo yummy!!

      Reply
    • Amy C Anderson says

      January 12, 2018 at 10:58 pm

      I thought I had enough tomato paste but I was 1/2 cup short as I was doubling the recipe so I added a can of Rotel. I was super yummy but not BBQ enough for my Texas boys in this house. So while I was thickening up the sause I added 1 TBS of Worcestershire sauce and 1 TBS liquid smoke per recioe. It was totally amazing and very BBQ!! Thanks so much!!!

      Reply
  6. Theresa says

    December 31, 2017 at 3:05 am

    I made this for my family tonight. I’m not following 21 day fix but healthy no processed Foods. This was a good fit. Everyone liked it even super picky Teen 2. This one is a keeper!!

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      January 2, 2018 at 7:55 pm

      YAY!!! This is wonderful!!

      Reply
  7. Jamie Graebe says

    January 9, 2018 at 7:46 pm

    I’m new to IP cooking! This is going to be my first “meal” tonight – yay! When you’re cooking with IP, do you use frozen meat or thaw it out first? I’ve heard both ways is an option and may just need to adjust cooking times if frozen.

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      January 9, 2018 at 8:13 pm

      Yup – you are right! You can do either! And chicken thighs are very forgiving – they won’t overcook on you. So if frozen, just a couple of minutes and you will be all set!

      Reply
  8. Ashley says

    January 17, 2018 at 12:36 am

    Does it have to be boneless thighs? Can i use Bone-in thighs?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      January 17, 2018 at 1:14 am

      That will work!

      Reply
  9. Danielle says

    January 25, 2018 at 6:39 pm

    I find that chicken breasts come out rubbery in the IP. Do chicken thighs have a better texture?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      January 26, 2018 at 1:49 am

      They absolutely do!

      Reply
  10. Elissa says

    February 18, 2018 at 2:19 pm

    This may be a repeat but if I use chicken breasts in the
    Crock pot how long should I cook first ?

    If frozen how long ?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      February 18, 2018 at 2:42 pm

      Hi! You can do this in 4-6 hours on low, but frozen in the crock pot isn’t recommended.

      Reply
  11. Ally R says

    May 11, 2018 at 10:30 pm

    Do you think the leftovers would be freezer-friendly?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      May 12, 2018 at 10:18 am

      Yup!

      Reply
  12. Jessie says

    August 14, 2018 at 7:00 pm

    Can I substitute honey for maple syrup?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      August 15, 2018 at 1:48 pm

      I do and it’s SO GOOD!

      Reply
  13. Julie says

    August 28, 2018 at 11:59 pm

    Finally made this last night…and the leftovers tonight were equally as good!! ?????? Shared it with a bunch of friends, too.

    Reply
  14. Heidi Huber says

    January 6, 2019 at 12:28 pm

    I am allergic to soy sauce (soy anything), and coconut is not always friendly to me. Is there something else that could be substituted for the coconut aminos/soy sauce, or would it kill the recipe to leave it out?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      January 6, 2019 at 1:52 pm

      Tamari is awesome!

      Reply
  15. Jen says

    February 19, 2019 at 1:25 pm

    Can I cook this for 8 hours on low in the slow cooker while at work?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      February 19, 2019 at 9:43 pm

      Yes!

      Reply
  16. Meghan Lowery says

    March 12, 2019 at 5:56 pm

    I want to pour this sauce on everything! I made it per the recipe only adding a little extra garlic powder (because that’s just what I do with every recipe LOL). The sauce was so tasty I will be making it with pork next time to try.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      March 14, 2019 at 3:20 pm

      YAY! This makes me SO happy! Thank you for taking the time to rate and review!

      Reply
  17. Britney B says

    May 7, 2019 at 8:09 pm

    if I were to use chicken breasts instead of thighs, would the count be just 1 red? Or does it still use a tsp for the sauce?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      May 11, 2019 at 7:10 pm

      Just a red 🙂

      Reply
  18. Abbie says

    May 14, 2019 at 10:44 pm

    Loved this recipe! I didn’t have chicken thighs so I read your comment about chicken breasts for 12 mins. I shredded the chicken and it was delish!! Love your recipes, Nancylynn ❤️

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      May 18, 2019 at 11:55 am

      That’s AWESOME! Thank you so much, Abbie!

      Reply
  19. Payton Prather says

    May 24, 2019 at 10:42 pm

    Could you use chicken breast for this recipe as well? If so, how long in the instant pot?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      May 26, 2019 at 1:29 pm

      You can! I prefer Chicken Tenderloins to full breasts…but if you use full chicken breasts you can cook for 15 minutes for shredded chicken, or cook for 7 minutes with a full natural release for chicken that isn’t shredded. You can also dice the chicken breasts and cook for 5 minutes with a 10 min natural release.

      Reply
  20. healthywannabe says

    September 24, 2019 at 9:50 pm

    Just had a question about the crockpot version… After the chicken is done, would you just remove it and pour the remaining sauce in another pan and simmer on the stove? Sorry I think that is what it is saying in the instructions just wanted to be sure. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      September 24, 2019 at 10:27 pm

      yes! Exactly!

      Reply
  21. Tara says

    February 1, 2020 at 2:17 pm

    This is one of our family favorites – I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made it. With the IP, it’s ready in a flash and easy enough prep that my youngest son can help. My mom made it for dinner one night when all of the family was staying at the house over Christmas – we quadrupled the recipe and had it going in multiple crockpots.
    I often go a little heavier on the chicken (I have all boys, lol) adding up to an additional pound. It has still cooked fine in the IP and there was enough sauce to go around.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      February 19, 2020 at 7:34 pm

      That’s wonderful! Thank you so much!

      Reply
  22. Haley says

    February 4, 2020 at 8:27 pm

    Im curious on how come you dont count the sauce as anything? Im a sauce person and could definitely indulge in it.

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      February 8, 2020 at 1:46 pm

      The only thing to be mindful of is the sugar content – you could count a serving size (just divide sauce equally over the meat) as two sweetener teaspoons.

      Reply
  23. Marissa says

    August 6, 2020 at 11:45 pm

    I have leftover bbq sauce and hate for it to go to waste. Would it be ok/safe to reuse it? Say, brush it on chicken and grill? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Marissa says

      August 6, 2020 at 11:55 pm

      Also, if it is ok to reuse how long will it last in the fridge? Thanks again!

      Reply
  24. Tara Henning says

    November 16, 2020 at 7:59 pm

    This has been a family favorite at our house for the past 2 years. I usually double or triple the recipe and freeze back portions ready to pop into the IP another day. Since you can cook from frozen, it works beautifully. I just add another 2 minutes on the time. It is truly one of kids’ top 5 favorite meals. My mother even liked it so much, she pulled in multiple crockpots and made giant batches for a big family dinner. Beyond easy, super tasty, and guilt-free.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      November 18, 2020 at 5:11 am

      This is the best comment and compliment! Thank you!!

      Reply
  25. Lucy Tomczynski says

    March 19, 2021 at 8:12 pm

    Doesn’t the BBQ cause count as an Orange container for 21 Day Fix?

    Reply
  26. Lucy Tomczynski says

    March 22, 2021 at 12:21 am

    I added the liquid smoke as others recommended and dash more maple syrup -this was good – I basted my chicken and grilled it and now I have some sauce left over to add to something else. Will definitely make this again.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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