Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Thighs

Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Thighs are a quick & easy dinner recipe that can be made in under 30 minutes using just a handful of ingredients. You can’t go wrong!

Who loves super easy dinner recipes? I’d be shocked if someone said they didn’t, because who wants to slave away in the kitchen all night? Right?

I’m all about getting in there & keeping it quick, but it has to still be delicious. Which I why I love this recipe for Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Thighs that is packed with flavor & still ready in less than 30 minutes.

How about our Instant Pot White Chicken Chili too?

Growing up I remember my grandmother spending a decent amount of time making dinner. From the prep to the dishes afterward, she was in there all night. I really appreciated all she did to make sure we had a great dinner.

These days we all have so much going on that I am grateful we have ways to make dinner prep quick without compromising flavor. I know there were pressure cookers back in the day, but we all know they had their issues. Which is why they weren’t so popular for a long time.

instant pot bbq chicken recipe

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Fortunately, the Instant Pot came around & really revolutionized how we do dinner. Those nights when we have a small window between picking up the kids from work & then taking them to their evening classes, I need dinner quick & I don’t want the drive-thru.

I really love this recipe for making bbq chicken thighs in the pressure cooker. Not only can I make dinner quickly, but I can get bbq chicken even when it is way too cold outside to fire up the Traeger.

Now, I know there are a lot of pressure cooker recipes out there that require a lot of steps. I like to be a bit more hands-off when it comes to mine.

I just love dump & go recipes. Whether they are for the slow cooker or the pressure cooker, I feel the point of them is to simplify things. So if I can just toss it all in the pot & let the pot do the work, that is a huge WIN in my book.

So that is what you have here. Just toss all the ingredients in the pot & turn it on. The hardest part is waiting.

But this recipe is so quick that by the time you are done setting the table & getting the side dishes pulled together this is ready to enjoy.

Here are some commonly asked questions

Can I make this recipe with bone-in chicken thighs?

Yes- of course you can make this with bone-in chicken thighs. You will just need to reduce the number of thighs to about 4, so that you can set them on the trivet before cooking.

Then set the cooker to manual high for 12 minutes, then natural release for 5 minutes before quick release. At that time you can brush the chicken with bbq sauce. It isn’t as easy as dump & go, but still easy.

What is the best way to store leftover BBQ Chicken Thighs?

After serving, place leftover chicken thighs in an airtight container. Be sure to label with the date before refrigerating. This recipe should keep for up to 3 days if not left out for too long.

As with most things, it is important to get food into the refrigerator within 1 hour after serving to prevent bacteria growth.

How many can this serve?

This will depend greatly on portion sizes & the appetites of your crowd. This recipe feeds our family of 5 with enough for leftovers.

We have 3 young adult children, so we usually don’t have a ton of leftovers of most things, but this was perfect for us all. I like that this is just enough & keeps portions in check, because when it comes to tasty dinners, we almost always over-do it.

Can this recipe be doubled?

This recipe already makes approx 16 -20 pieces of chicken, so it fills the pressure cooker pot pretty well, even if they are tiny little boneless thighs. I can’t see being able to really fit double the amount in there & or having good results if you were able to fit it in. So I would recommend against trying to double this recipe.

Can I change up the sauce?

Sure, you can change the sauce if you would like something other than bbq sauce. These would be great with a teriyaki glaze or Italian dressing too.

HOW DO YOU MAKE Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Thighs?

1. Place the chicken in the bottom of the pot.
2. Sprinkle the chicken with seasonings.
3. Add the bbq sauce & water.
4. Cover & cook on manual high for 15 minutes & then natural release for 5 minutes.
5. Remove the chicken & turn the cooker on sautee.
6. Once it has heated, whisk the bbq sauce liquid remaining in the pot on the sautee function for 2-3 minutes to thicken the sauce.
7. Ladle the thickened sauce over the chicken when serving.

Here are my favorite Instant Pot Tools and Accessories!

1. Instant Pot
2. 5-Piece Accessory Set
3. 3-Piece Bundt Pan Bundle Set
4. Stackable Stainless Steal Insert Steamer Pans
5. Glass Lid and Sealing Rings

Can you make instant pot bbq chicken thighs with frozen chicken?

Yes you can. This is one of the best things about the pressure cooker, is that you can still make a great dinner, even if that dinner was frozen when you get started.

Just increase the time by 5 minutes & remember that because they are frozen, it will take longer for the cooker to come to pressure. So you will set the time for 20 minutes & don’t forget to do the slow release too.

Can I make my own bbq sauce?

Yes, if you have a favorite homemade sauce, by all means, use your favorite. I have yet to make one that can beat out the ones we already love & it saves me time by sticking to those.

Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Ingredients

• boneless, (skinless *opt) chicken thighs
• bbq sauce
• granulated garlic
• onion powder
• salt
• pepper
• fresh parsley for garnish
• water

Products I love when making pressure cooker bbq chicken…

This bbq chicken thigh recipe is so EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you probably already have many of these items on hand!

OR maybe you have never made chicken in the pressure cooker before, so you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love the how delicious this dinner is. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this awesome dinner.

• Instant Pot
• this BBQ sauce
• granulated garlic
• onion powder
• table salt
• pepper
• whisk
• wet ingredient measuring cup
• measuring spoons

If you love this pressure cooker bbq chicken thigh recipe, you’re going to love these other delicious dinner recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

Spinach & Sausage One-Pan Alfredo

Rotisserie Chicken Bacon Ranch Tacos

Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin

Better than Take Out Instant Pot Beef Broccoli

30-minute meal – Skillet Lasagna

Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells

Cheesy Broccoli Sausage Skillet Dinner

Crazy Easy Instant Pot Bacon Mac and Cheese

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Casserole

Instant Pot Crack Chicken

Oven Fried Chicken

If you love this BBQ Chicken Thigh recipe as much as I do, please write a five star review, and be sure to help me share on facebook and pinterest!

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