Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Thighs made in the pressure cooker are one of our favorite ways to make chicken! They are always moist, juicy, and tender, and the flavors are amazing. Made with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, BBQ sauce, and the perfect blend of seasonings to give this BBQ chicken a little extra kick your whole family will rave over.
If you love these, you’re also going to love these Crock Pot Chicken Thighs. They have the perfect blend of spice and Asian zing that will make you want to like your plate.
Using your Instant Pot is about to get even better. These tasty Instant Pot Chicken Thighs will never make you dread cooking chicken ever again. Use your favorite BBQ sauce and really add some fun flavor, too! Trust me on this one…these BBQ Chicken Thighs made in the pressure cooker are literally the easiest way to cook up chicken!
Make certain to use your Instant Pot and give this Instant Pot Chicken Chili a try, too. I’m pretty much obsessed with the versatility of my Instant Pot!
While I know that most people tend to eat BBQ during the summer months, we actually enjoy it all year long in our house. This is because it’s simple to use my Instant Pot to give me and the family that BBQ flavor that we love.
Join our Instant Pot Facebook group for more recipes, and click here to download our beginner’s Instant Pot Cheatsheet.
One way that I like to change up this recipe so that it tastes new and different is to use a different kind of BBQ sauce each time I make it. I prefer a spicier sauce while the kids like one that is sweet. When I put the BBQ sauces on rotation, we all eventually get what we love!
EASY INSTANT POT BBQ CHICKEN THIGHS
There’s really nothing hard about this recipe. As long as you gather up the simple ingredients listed below and follow the directions, you’ll be chowing down in no time at all.
You can also use this main chicken entree as the star of the show and pair it up with some delicious veggies or mashed potatoes, too. The great part about chicken is that it goes perfectly with so many foods.
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED
- water
- trivet
- chicken thighs
- pepper
- onion powder
- BBQ sauce
- minced garlic
- brown sugar
If you have any questions about this Instant Pot Chicken Thighs, these photos should help clear them up!
STEP BY STEP PHOTOS
How to Make BBQ Chicken in the pressure cooker.
- Add water to the bottom of the instant pot. Place the trivet and then place the chicken around the trivet. Top the chicken with garlic.
- Cook on manual high for 8 minutes and then 10 minutes natural release.
- Add seasonings and brown sugar to BBQ sauce and smother the cooked chicken thighs.
- Place in the broiler for 4-6 minutes to make a BBQ glaze over the chicken.
- Serve with a side of garlic butter parmesan noodles.
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Always make sure your chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure its fully cooked. You can find that and more info on recommended cooking temperatures here.
Instant Pot BBQ Chicken FAQS
Do I have to add in the brown sugar for this chicken recipe?
You don’t. If you don’t want your chicken to have a sweet taste, just leave that part of the recipe out. In fact, you can really add in anything that you want to alter the taste. Spicy additions like crushed red pepper paired up with a spicy BBQ sauce just might make for the perfect dish!
It’s important to note though that if you don’t add in the brown sugar, there might not be enough sugar content in your BBQ sauce to actually get it to have that nice, sticky glaze.
How do you store leftover chicken?
You have a couple of options. You can store the leftover chicken on the bone in the fridge and reheat and eat as is or you can peel off the chicken and have it boneless to snack on for later. It’s totally up to you. Make sure you store the chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
If you have any other fun recipe ideas for this Instant Pot BBQ chicken recipe, leave it below in the comments. We’re always looking for feedback or great ideas for all of you!
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:
If you love this simple chicken entree as much as our family does, you might also enjoy these other recipes, too!
- Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Meatloaf
- Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
- Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
If you love chicken as much as I do, you can find all of my chicken recipes here.
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Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 5 chicken thighs
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (Your favorite!)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Add water to the bottom of the instant pot. Place the trivet and then place the chicken around the trivet. Top the chicken with garlic
- Cook on manual high for 8 minutes and then 10 minutes natural release.
- Add seasonings and brown sugar to BBQ sauce and smother the chicken thighs.
- Place in the broiler for 4-6 minutes to make a delicious glaze.
- Serve with a garlic butter parmesan noodles.
Notes
- Store leftover chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Serve with buttered garlic noodles, mashed potatoes, and more.
- Use your favorite BBQ sauce, we like to use Sweet Baby Rays.
