Instant Pot BBQ Chicken is juicy, tender, and perfectly flavored and comes together quickly using fresh or frozen chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Use it for sandwiches, pizza, quesadillas, and more!
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne together in a small bowl until everything is well combined.
For Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Pat the chicken breasts or chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and sprinkle the rub evenly over the chicken on both sides, rubbing the spice mixture into the chicken to coat. NOTE: If your chicken is frozen, skip this step and simply sprinkle the dry rub mixture over the chicken once it is in the Instant Pot.
Add the pineapple juice and water to the inner pot. Add the seasoned chicken (or frozen chicken) to the inner pot. It is okay if your chicken is overlapping slightly. If needed, sprinkle the dry rub mixture over the chicken inside the inner pot.
Place the lid on the inner pot and be sure the vent knob is sealed and/or the lid is locked. Set to cook on High Pressure by hitting the manual or pressure cook button and use the +/- buttons to adjust the cooking time. For Thawed/Fresh Chicken: 7 Minutes on High Pressure*For Frozen Chicken: 11 Minutes on High Pressure**If your chicken is really thick or large, increase the cooking time by 1 minute.
Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 10 minutes before doing a quick release of any remaining pressure. Once pressure has been released, remove the lid from the pressure cooker.
Remove the cooked chicken from the inner pot and place it into a large mixing bowl, along with ¼ cup of the cooking liquid from inside the inner pot. Use two forks or a handheld mixer on low speed to shred the chicken, adding more liquid as needed to keep the meat nice and moist.
Once the chicken has been shredded, add ½ cup of prepared BBQ sauce into the bowl and stir to combine, adding additional sauce as desired.
Serve the shredded BBQ chicken as desired.
Notes
Note on Pineapple Juice: Canned pineapple juice often comes in 6-ounce cans. You can opt to use 2 cans, which will total 1-½ cups of liquid OR one 6-ounce can along with ¾ cup of water. Either way, the recipe will be delicious. I often drain off the juice from canned pineapple slices (in 100% juice) and then add water to total 1-½ cups of liquid to use for this recipe. Note on Using Frozen Chicken: Be sure the chicken breasts or thighs are not frozen together in a solid lump, as this will result in uneven cooking. If your chicken is frozen together, run it under cold water to separate the chicken into individual pieces. Doubling the Recipe: To double the recipe, double the chicken and double the spice rub. There is no need to double the liquid. The cooking time will remain the same. Storage: Allow the shredded chicken to cool slightly and then transfer it to an airtight container, along with an additional ¼ cup of the cooking liquid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheating Instructions: Allow the chicken to thaw overnight in the refrigerator if needed. Heat the thawed chicken in a heat-safe bowl covered with a damp paper towel in the microwave and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until warmed through.