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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
And that’s it! Enjoy delicious BBQ year round thanks to the Instant Pot!
For Slow Cooker Instructions, see the recipe card!
Instant Pot Maple BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos or sub low sodium soy sauce if not gluten-free
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Sprinkle sea or Himalayan salt and black pepper
- Optional - thickener of your choice arrowroot, tapioca, cornstarch, etc
Instructions
- Place chicken thighs in Instant Pot.
- Mix together the remaining ingredients (besides thickener). Pour sauce over chicken.
- 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.
- 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!
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
Nutrition
Sarah says
This recipe was sooooo good! My family loved it! Thank you for all your recipes, especially makes it easier to stay on track with my containers too!
Nancylynn says
Thank you for this sweet comment, Sarah!
Melissa says
Did anyone else get the burn message?
Nancylynn says
Bummer! Try spraying your pot with cooking oil spray first. And you could add a little extra water to your BBQ sauce. Some IP’s are just so touchy!
PaulaG says
We love this recipe! It’s great for meal prep for lunches for the week. I wondered though…If I cook the whole recipe, and freeze it. How would you recommend to re-heat when ready to serve?
Nancylynn says
Thank you!!
You can thaw in the fridge overnight and then either pop in the IP for 0 minutes to heat up, or just use the microwave. Everyone has different preferences!
Paige Ozdonski says
SO good! Did you happen to post the nutritional facts, just wondering!!! I love your recipes and my nutritionist was curious haha!
Lucy Tomczynski says
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.
Lucy Tomczynski says
Doesn’t the BBQ cause count as an Orange container for 21 Day Fix?
Tara Henning says
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.
Nancylynn says
This is the best comment and compliment! Thank you!!
Marissa says
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!
Marissa says
Also, if it is ok to reuse how long will it last in the fridge? Thanks again!
Haley says
Im curious on how come you dont count the sauce as anything? Im a sauce person and could definitely indulge in it.
Nancylynn says
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.
Tara says
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.
Nancylynn says
That’s wonderful! Thank you so much!
healthywannabe says
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!
Nancylynn says
yes! Exactly!
Payton Prather says
Could you use chicken breast for this recipe as well? If so, how long in the instant pot?
Nancylynn says
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.
Abbie says
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 ❤️
Nancylynn says
That’s AWESOME! Thank you so much, Abbie!
Britney B says
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?
Nancylynn says
Just a red 🙂
Meghan Lowery says
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.
Nancylynn says
YAY! This makes me SO happy! Thank you for taking the time to rate and review!
Jen says
Can I cook this for 8 hours on low in the slow cooker while at work?
Nancylynn says
Yes!
Heidi Huber says
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?
Nancylynn says
Tamari is awesome!
Julie says
Finally made this last night…and the leftovers tonight were equally as good!! ?????? Shared it with a bunch of friends, too.
Jessie says
Can I substitute honey for maple syrup?
Nancylynn says
I do and it’s SO GOOD!
Ally R says
Do you think the leftovers would be freezer-friendly?
Nancylynn says
Yup!
Elissa says
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 ?
Nancylynn says
Hi! You can do this in 4-6 hours on low, but frozen in the crock pot isn’t recommended.
Danielle says
I find that chicken breasts come out rubbery in the IP. Do chicken thighs have a better texture?
Nancylynn says
They absolutely do!
Ashley says
Does it have to be boneless thighs? Can i use Bone-in thighs?
Nancylynn says
That will work!
Jamie Graebe says
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.
Nancylynn says
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!
Theresa says
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!!
Nancylynn says
YAY!!! This is wonderful!!
Jess says
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!
Nancylynn says
I appreciate your feedback and just so happy that you liked it!! I do the same thing with the sauce…sooooo yummy!!
Amy C Anderson says
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!!!
Brooke says
how do you measure this out? Would you measure it in the red container of the portion fix containers?
Nancylynn says
Exactly!!
Brooke says
what side dishes would you recommend putting with this recipe?
Nancylynn says
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!
Megan Sprayberry says
Could I use frozen chicken breast in the Instant Pot?
Nancylynn says
Yes! I’m not the biggest fan of chicken breasts in the IP, but other people use them just fine!
Jennifer says
Hi there!! I think I found dinner for thursday night! One question, can I use chicken breast? Will it change the cook time?
Nancylynn says
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.