This Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken is the easiest barbecue recipe!
Easy dinners just make life more simple. Instant pot barbeque chicken is definitely one of them! The chicken cooks down easy and quick in the pressure cooker, coming out juicy, delicious and smothered in a savory barbecue sauce!
Instant pot chicken breast recipes are by far some of the easiest meals ever. Fresh or frozen pressure cooker chicken breast always comes out tender and juicy!
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I am totally game for chicken straight off the grill but this pressure cooker barbeque chicken breast is one of the best barbeque chicken recipes ever! You can get more of my instant pot recipes for beginners here. So if you want crowd pleasing, simple, and oh so flavorful this inst pot bbq chicken is it!
Instant Pot Recipes Chicken
This deliciously easy instant pot barbeque chicken recipe uses chicken thighs coated in a house blend seasoning and cooked in an Instant Pot in a savory barbeque sauce. Only 3 ingredients to make the best barbeque chicken recipe and the style of barbeque sauce is totally up to you.
This chicken recipe is absolutely wonderful and perfect for any night of the week. You just can’t go wrong with instant pot barbeque chicken. It is hands down a family favorite and there won’t be one piece left! I can not tell you enough just how many times I have heard this is the best barbeque chicken recipe ever, and you don’t have to be a barbeque master to make it.
Using the pressure cooker gets the recipe done in no time and using the Stack and Cook Insert allows you to cook for a crowd. So no matter the family size this recipe fits great.
Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipes
Making instant pot chicken breast recipes is so super easy! Without a doubt this instant pot barbeque chicken recipe is certainly my favorite. I love how easy it is and there is no skimping on the flavor.
Cooking in the Instant Pot is beyond simple because there is no babysitting, no heating up the kitchen, and the pressure cooker chicken breast always comes out tender. If you are hesitant on cooking in the pressure cooker try my instant pot recipe beginners that include some amazingly easy dishes.
How to Make Pressure Cooker Barbeque Chicken
Begin by seasoning the chicken on both sides with the house blend seasoning. Season them really well as this adds to that amazing flavor. Then place the chicken into the Instant Pot. Pour 1/2 cup of the barbeque sauce on top. We like a sweeter version of sauce but you could definitely use a sauce that is spicy too.
The chicken is cooked for a short period of time and then switched over to saute in the instant pot with a little more barbeque sauce. This adds even more flair and makes the instant pot barbeque chicken nice and sticky! True barbeque style!
Pressure Cooker Chicken Breast Recipe
This instant pot barbecue chicken recipe uses a unique blend of house seasonings that give the chicken a kick. The chicken is then slathered in your favorite babeque sauce and cooked in the Instant Pot. So easy!
The flavors of the house rub and barbeque sauce make the chicken breast seasoned to perfection and sticky. You get all the flavors of a backyard barbeque during the week without all the work.
Tips for Making Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken
The chicken is beyond simple to make, here are some tips that make sure that come out irresistible.
- You can use chicken breasts or thighs, whichever you prefer.
- You can use bottled barbeque sauce or homemade sauce, sweet or spicy.
- Double the batch for a quick dinner fix on a busy night.
Looking for More Delicious Chicken Recipes
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
- BBQ Chicken Melts
- Instant Pot Asian Chicken with Honey
- Instant Pot Peri Peri Chicken
- Instant Pot Sticky Chicken
Looking for more? Check out all of the best pressure cooker recipes on It Is a Keeper.
Recommended Tools for Making Instant Pot Barbeque Chicken
- Instant Pot <= This one is my favorite!
- Stack and Cook Insert
- Steam Release Attachment <= Protect your cabinets!
- Extra Sealing Rings
- Ultimate Instant Pot Cook Book
Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless - skinless chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons House Seasoning Blend
- 1 cup barbecue sauce - divided
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken with House Seasoning Blend.
- Place chicken in Instant Pot.
- Pour the water and 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce into the Instant Pot.
- Cook on manual setting/high pressure for 13 minutes.
- Allow to naturally release for 5 minutes then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Remove chicken from Instant Pot and drain any liquid.
- Set Instant Pot to saute setting.
- Add cooked chicken and remaining 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce.
- Saute for 2-3 minutes until sauce is sticky.
Notes
- You can use chicken breasts or thighs, whichever you prefer.
- You can use bottled barbeque sauce or homemade sauce, sweet or spicy.
- Double the batch for a quick dinner fix on a busy night.
Nutrition
- Want to scale a recipe up or down? Simply type in a new serving amount and the recipe will automatically adjust!
- When a recipe call for House Seasoning Blend, you can use this recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- I always use unsalted butter in my recipes.
- I always use a meat thermometor to test for doneness when cooking meat. This one is my favorite.
- When a recipe is made in the oven, it should be pre-heated to the temperature in the recipe, unless otherwise noted.
- The nutritional information provided in this recipe is an estimate. Learn more on how I calculate nutritional information for my recipes.
TaMerra says
Tried this today and it turned out great. Not a piece of chicken left on the plate 😊 definitely a repeat!
Donna M. says
Perfect, followed the recipe exactly and had no problem at all. We loved it!
Christina Hitchcock says
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Shari L. says
This was a huge hit at our house. The recipe was very easy. In previous replies some people had issues with the chicken giving a burning warning. I personally didn’t experience that. I used 1/2 c Sweet Baby Ray bbq sauce, added garlic powder, basil clippings, pepper, parsley, and chili powder for a little spice, with a chicken bbq rub. In the bottom of the pot I put 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil, with 1/2 cup of water. I set the pressure cooker button for 13 minutes, released the steam, let it sit for 5 minutes, added another 1/2 c of the Sweet Baby Sauce, then set the Sauté for 4 minutes. Thank you for a great recipe.
Carolyn says
Hi! Thank you for a quick and simply delicious recipe. I used chicken tenders for this recipe and cut the time down to 5 minutes. Also, when I make bbq chicken for the fam, I use Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, and add a little honey, black pepper, onion powder, Italian seasoning (or oregano), and about cap full of vinegar (for a little tangy taste). Usually, I would place the chicken back in the oven to get the sauce sticky, but doing it in the IP makes it a whole lot easier. This recipe is DEFINITELY A KEEPER.
Christina Hitchcock says
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Bob says
How much longer if l double it?
Christina Hitchcock says
Here is a great post that should answer your question: https://amindfullmom.com/instant-pot-chicken-breasts/
It depends more on the size of the individual pieces of chicken than the total amount of chicken.
Amber says
Hello, what time would you recommend cooking it for, for frozen chicken breasts?
Thanks!
Christina Hitchcock says
Four (7-8 oz) frozen chicken breasts should take about 10-12 minutes at high pressure. Always double check the finished chicken to make sure the internal temp is 165 degrees.
Odeete says
I wish you would of added the instruction to add the trivia . I only learnt this by watching the video .
Let’s hope it s still works. wish me luck.
Christina Hitchcock says
Let me know how it turned out. Sorry for the confusion.
Pat says
This recipe is a keeper! I’m a new instant pot user so I’m quite unsure about my skills; however, my husband and daughter loved how flavorful and tender the chicken thighs were. I’ll certainly be trying more of your recipes.
Christina Hitchcock says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Mary Gurrola says
It was a great recipe. I used frozen chicken thighs in my Instant Pot. I had no problem with burning. Maybe because the chicken was frozen the barbecue sauce stay on the chicken.
So thank you.♥️
Christina Hitchcock says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Samantha says
This recipe has been a total winner in my family! I even used sugar free bbq sauce for the first time for my keto diet needs, and it turned out great! I have used breast for this recipe.
Christina Hitchcock says
I’m so glad you like it!
Cindy says
I want to double up the amount of chicken from one pound to two do I also need to double up the time or is 13 minutes still good
Evan says
Wonder why she ignored this question the 2 times it was asked?
Christina Hitchcock says
Here is a great post that should answer your question: https://amindfullmom.com/instant-pot-chicken-breasts/
It depends more on the size of the individual pieces of chicken than the total amount of chicken.
Grace says
This is my favorite bbq chicken recipe! It’s on rotation for weekly dinner. I use the big container of Sonny’s bbq sauce and then a splash of Tabasco when I pressure cook (the hubby like his bbq sauce with a little heat) and it is delicious!
Question, if I double the recipe do I change the cook time when it’s on the pressure cook?
Thank you!
Mary Gurrola says
It was a great recipe. I used frozen chicken thighs in my Instant Pot. I had no problem with burning. Maybe because the chicken was frozen the barbecue sauce stay on the chicken.
So thank you.♥️
Evan says
Wonder why she ignored this question the 2 times it was asked? I have the same question.
Christina Hitchcock says
The question was not “ignored”, it was overlooked. I get hundreds of comments and I try to respond to each and every one. The response you are looking for is posted in one of the previous questions.
Jordan Taylor says
Hi! Great recipe.
Mainly leaving a comment regarding your site for phones– I tried to read this recipe on my iphone but had to eventually exit out and look it up on my computer because the page was overtaken by a video ad first, then a cooking video of yours. I don’t mind ads at all, even video ones, but it made reading your recipe impossible. 🙁
Christina Hitchcock says
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll definitely look into that – they shouldn’t be that aggressive.
Jamie says
I have found with tomato based sauces especially sweet ones like BBQ will get the burn notifications. Also with creamed based sauces or onset that have cream of soups
You can add a little water.
You can try low pressure instead of high pressure settings.
You can add the bbq sauce only to the top of the chicken, allowing as little as possible to touch the bottom of the pot.
You can add the bbq sauce after pressure cooking then broil.
Those are just a few tips I have found that work for me.
Christina Hitchcock says
Thank you for sharing these great tips! 🙂
Christa says
I also have an 8qt ip and it continues to say burn while making this recipe. I put it on low pressure thinking this might help, but it did not help. Any suggestions?
Christina Hitchcock says
I’m not sure why this happening. Maybe check in some of the Instant Pot online forums?
Angela says
I added about a half cup of water with the barbecue sauce and didn’t have any issues with the burn notice. Maybe try that next time. I figured just the sauce alone wasn’t enough liquid so I added water.
Christina Hitchcock says
Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Luckey says
Add cup of water not enough moisture to bring pot to pressure
Shari says
Hi- I made this tonight with burning problems. I followed the directions and before it came to pressure it beeped ‘burn’. So I thought maybe because the chicken was directly on the dry pot. I took them out, made sure there was nothing else stuck and then laid the chicken on top of the sauce. It came to pressure but then turned to ‘burn’. I moved them all around again and added a little bit of water to the pot. After the 3rd ‘burn’ try, they were cooked. Some of the pieces got a teeny bit burnt but overall they came out really tasty. We all liked the chicken as the sauce came out thicker and gooey. I would love to make it again properly! Have you had any issue with this? I let me chicken come to room temperature before cooking and used Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce. I also have an 8 qt IP. Any suggestions? Thanks
Christina Hitchcock says
I’m sorry you had those troubles. I’ve never experienced a “burn” alert with my Instant Pot. I’ve made this recipe many times just as the recipe indicates with no troubles at all. I’m not sure what it could be. Maybe add a little chicken stock or water like you did.