Instant Pot BBQ Shredded Chicken
Description
Juicy, sweet-and-tangy BBQ shredded chicken made in the Instant Pot in about 40 minutes. Perfect for sandwiches, tacos, salads, and meal prep.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or thighs
- 1 cup BBQ sauce, your favorite brand or homemade
- 1/2 cup chicken broth, or water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey, optional
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Trim excess fat from chicken; season both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté. Add olive oil and brown chicken 2–3 minutes per side. Press Cancel.
- Pour in chicken broth and scrape up all browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Pour BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and honey over the chicken without stirring it into the broth below.
- Lock the lid, set valve to Sealing, and pressure cook on High: 10 minutes for breasts, 15 minutes for thighs.
- Natural release 5–10 minutes, then quick-release remaining pressure.
- Shred the chicken in the pot with two forks and stir to coat in sauce.
- Optional: Sauté 3–5 minutes to thicken the sauce. Serve on buns, over rice, or with your favorite sides.
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker
- Two forks (or hand mixer for shredding)
Notes
- Frozen chicken: skip the sear and add 3–5 minutes to the cook time.
- Store 3–4 days refrigerated or freeze up to 3 months.
- Doubling doesn't change the cook time — only time to pressure.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 207kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 26gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 1064mgPotassium: 466mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 37IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 1mg