Name: Instant Pot BBQ Chicken [Crock Pot Option]
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup tomato paste; 1/4 cup of coconut aminos (can sub low sodium soy sauce if not gluten-free); 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup; 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar; ½ Tbsp yellow mustard; 1/4 tsp garlic powder; 1/4 tsp onion powder; sprinkle of sea or Himalayan salt and black pepper; 1/4 tsp garlic powder; ¼ tsp salt; ¼ tsp paprika; sprinkle of pepper; 1 -2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, or chicken breasts cut into smaller strips or chunks; 3 T cilantro; 4 cups of coleslaw mix (or chop your own cabbage); 1/4 of a red onion cut into skinny strips; ½-1 jalapeno, diced and seeds removed; 4 tsp maple syrup or honey; Juice from 2 limes; 1 tsp olive oil; Sprinkle of salt

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This Instant Pot BBQ Chicken is juicy, tender, and oh so saucy thanks to my Pot-in-Pot cooking hack! No need to water down the sauce, this BBQ Chicken comes out perfectly pulled and full of yummy BBQ flavor without the dreaded burn message. No instant pot? I have slow cooker directions for you, too! Serve with my yummy no mayo cilantro lime coleslaw! This post contains affiliate links for products I’m obsessed with.

It’s summer and that makes me crave all things BBQ…especially BBQ chicken. But with my kids home, sometimes grilling out for dinner just doesn’t happen. That’s why I love making BBQ chicken, or any shredded chicken, in my Instant Pot. I can set it and forget it…and even make it with frozen chicken if I forget to thaw it out beforehand!

This recipe for shredded chicken in the Instant Pot uses my favorite homemade Maple BBQ Sauce and I love serving it with my favorite, no mayo cilantro lime coleslaw. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you might know it from my Flank Steak Tacos!

BBQ Chicken in the Instant Pot and the Burn Message

BBQ sauce is one of those ingredients that can trigger the Instant Pot Burn Message because of how thick it is…the sauce isn’t thin enough to build the pressure properly and can burn at the bottom of the pot. One solution is to add water to BBQ Chicken recipes like this one. Except, when I add even a little bit of water, my sauce gets thin.

I like a nice, thick BBQ sauce for my pulled chicken and I wanted this dinner to be quick and easy for those busy summer days. I didn’t want to have to thicken the sauce after.

So, my solution? Use the Pot-in-Pot method for cooking the chicken right in the sauce!

What is the Pot in Pot Cooking in the Instant Pot?

Pot-in-Pot method of Instant Pot cooking means you put an instant pot safe dish, like my favorite porcelain casserole dish, on your trivet inside your instant pot and cook your food in the dish instead of in the main pot.

First, add water to the bottom of the inner cooking pot. This water is used to build the pressure in the pot.
Then place the trivet inside to keep the dish off the bottom of the pot. I also love this handy sling– makes it even easier to remove while hot!
Finally, place the instant pot safe dish containing your food on top of the trivet or sling.

I have used the Pot-in-Pot Instant Pot Cooking to make Instant Pot Baked Oatmeal, desserts like Healthy Instant Pot Peach Crisp, and for cooking rice in meals like this 21 Day Fix Instant Pot Asian Chicken and rice.

I wasn’t sure how it would work with chicken.

This Instant Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken was a success in Pot-in-Pot! It came out perfectly shreddable!

Take a look at this how perfect this saucy it is! No need to thicken the sauce afterwards -just plate your instant pot shredded chicken and go!

Tips for Making BBQ Shredded Chicken in the Instant Pot

This recipe is for pulled chicken breast, but you can also use chicken thighs. For all instant pot chicken breast recipes, especially shredded chicken in the instant pot, I prefer to use chicken tenderloins because I feel like they come out more tender, but you could also use chicken breasts just cut into strips or cut a little smaller.
Naturally releasing your chicken will also help it to not dry out. Wait at least ten minutes after cook time for more tender chicken.
For pot-in-pot cooking, any oven safe baking dish that can fit in your instant pot will work fine. I bought this dish and love it, but check your kitchen to see what you have! If you don’t have a sling, you can make handles with foil to help you get your hot dish out.
Make your homemade BBQ sauce first and mix it well before placing over the chicken. This would also work with store bought sauce. If you want to use a store bought BBQ sauce, look for one very low in sugar like this one.
After cook time, shred your chicken with a fork (my go-to), or use this handy hack to shred your chicken using a mixer!
No Instant Pot? That’s ok! You can use a Slow Cooker or Crock Pot to make this chicken!

What if my Chicken is Frozen?

One of the best things about the Instant Pot is you can cook chicken from frozen, which is a lifesaver for busy people everywhere.

For this Pulled BBQ Chicken, you can definitely use frozen chicken. If your chicken is just slightly frozen, follow the same cook time but be sure to do a full natural release.

If your chicken is a frozen solid block, add an additional 5-10 minutes depending on your thickness. Thicker chicken, add 10 minutes. Thinner chicken or tenderloins, you should be good just adding 5 minutes.

What can I serve this Instant Pot BBQ Chicken with?

I love serving it without a bun and with some cilantro lime coleslaw and corn on the cob on the side, but you could make it with lots of different delicious sides like:

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salad

Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Mash

21 Day Fix Cauliflower Rice with Lime and Cilantro

It’s also awesome for meal prep and delicious in wraps, on a salad, in a pizza…the options are endless!

Love BBQ recipes? Check out these posts:

21 Day Fix Instant Pot Maple BBQ Chicken (Slow Cooker Option)

21 Day Fix Pulled Pork with Maple BBQ Sauce {Crock Pot/Instant Pot}