BBQ Pulled Chicken

3.87 from 22 votes

Sitting down to a meal of BBQ Pulled Chicken any time of year is to embrace the taste of summer. Use your favorite BBQ sauce to make this super easy dinner that can be made in the slow-cooker or Instant Pot.

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy freezer meal, make-ahead meal, summer entertaining

Servings: people

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $7.00

Equipment

Slow-Cooker or Instant Pot

Ingredients

2 pounds Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs
3/4 cup Water
1 1/4 cup BBQ Sauce, divided (see note)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Hamburger or Brioche Buns, Coleslaw, and Extra BBQ Sauce, for serving

Instructions

Instant Pot:

Combine water and ¼ cup BBQ sauce in the bowl of an Instant Pot.
Add chicken thighs on top and season the tops generously with salt and pepper.
Close and lock the lid.
Set the pressure cook / manual setting on high for 8 minutes.
Use quick / manual release to release the pressure.
Remove chicken from the Instant Pot and drain liquid out of the bowl (if planning to freeze the chicken, save the liquid - see notes below).
Shred or chop chicken and return it to the bowl of the Instant Pot with the remaining 1 cup BBQ sauce.
Put the lid on the Instant Pot (just set it on the top to keep the chicken warm; no need to seal it) and leave the chicken, covered, for 5 minutes to soak up the flavor of the sauce.

Slow Cooker:

Combine water and ¼ cup BBQ sauce in the bowl of a slow-cooker.
Add chicken thighs on top and season the tops generously with salt and pepper.
Cook until chicken is cooked through, 2 hours on high / 3 to 4 hours on low.
Remove chicken from the slow-cooker and drain liquid out of the bowl (if planning to freeze the chicken, save the liquid - see notes below).
Shred or chop chicken and return it to the bowl of the slow-cooker with the remaining 1 cup BBQ sauce.
Turn slow-cooker to warm function and cover with the lid.
Leave chicken for 15 minutes to let the chicken soak up the flavor of the sauce.
Serve chicken in hamburger or brioche buns with coleslaw.

Notes

This recipe is so simple because the chicken gets all of the flavor from the BBQ sauce. There’s no need for extra seasoning or spices, but the BBQ sauce you choose makes all the difference in the finished product. Be sure to choose a high-quality sauce that has the flavors you prefer - sweet, tangy, spicy, etc.

Nutrition