Southern-Style BBQ Pulled Chicken Instant Pot Recipe
The recipe takes advantage of the hands-off nature of the Instant Pot to perfectly cook the chicken. This means you don't have to turn on the oven or even light the grill. The chicken is then tossed in a homemade southern-style BBQ sauce that's perfectly balanced: tangy, sweet, and salty.
Trim any large pieces of fat off the thighs. Cut chicken breasts in half so they are similar in size to the thighs.
Add the chicken pieces to the large bowl with the dry rub. Rub/mix to evenly coat the chicken with the spices.
Cook the Chicken:
Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot liner. Layer the chicken in the water.
Cut the onion into ½-inch half rounds and layer over the chicken.
Secure the lid and set the valve on top of the lid to Sealing. Set the Instant Pot to cook for 20 minutes at high pressure.
Make the Southern BBQ Sauce:
Meanwhile, add all the bbq sauce ingredients to a medium-size saucepan, whisk to combine, and let simmer over low heat while the chicken cooks.
Release Pressure from Instant Pot:
Once the cooking cycle for the chicken is completed, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then release the remaining pressure by turning the valve on top of the lid from sealing to venting (use a towel or hot pad holder).
Shred Chicken & Coat with BBQ Sauce:
Remove the cooked chicken and onions to a clean bowl and discard the cooking liquid in the Instant Pot.
Shred the chicken with two forks and stir in the barbecue sauce. Serve warm. I love to add the chicken to brioche buns and top with Greek yogurt coleslaw. See suggestions above (in the article) for different ways to serve.
Notes
*Slice the onion in half (root to tip) and then cut ½-inch half circles.Time-Saving BBQ Sauce Tip: Make the bbq sauce up to 5 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Or, freeze the sauce for up to 3 months. Making the sauce in advance saves a significant amount of prep time. If you're short on time, use your favorite store-bought bbq sauce (you'll need 2 cups). Warm it up in a saucepan before adding to the chicken.