This quick and easy BBQ pulled chicken will keep your family coming back for more, and more, and more- it’s THAT GOOD! And the use of an Insta Pot or multicooker makes the clean up as simple as the cooking, making this the recipe that you’ll keep coming back to!
To Instant Pot or not…
Quite frankly, I was always put off by Instant Pots and multicookers because I had heard horror stories about steam burns (from the internet, no one I knew personally). That was until I took a class at The Farm Cooking School in Titusville, NJ with Chef Ian, who basically said that it was next to impossible to get burned if you simply remember the one important rule, ALWAYS REMEMBER TO RELEASE THE STEAM FROM THE STEAM VALVE BEFORE OPENING THE LID. After watching him work with a multicooker (and tasting the delicious chicken that it made), I set out to conquer the multicooker.
Some people swear by their Instant Pots, which is just a brand of multicooker that has become synonymous with all multicookers but after reading reviews on-line, I wasn’t sold. I tend to rely on my mother and America’s Test Kitchens for their expertise in all areas of “the best”. Both recommended Zavor’s 8-QT Lux LCD Multicooker. It is very easy to use and cooks beautifully.
Some quick notes…
- Most recipes give a cooking time and not a PREP and cooking time. I always find that the prep takes longer than the actual cooking (and let’s not even mention the clean-up!!) so expect this to take a bit longer than approximate cooking time. A way to forgo this added time is to make the BBQ sauce ahead of time or use a store bought brand. If you are doing paleo or Whole30, be sure to read those ingredients and use a compliant sauce. Otherwise, you can make this BBQ sauce several days ahead of time and use as you need.
2. To keep this BBQ pulled chicken Whole30, I suggest serving this over some mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower. Both will give you a perfect base to counter the tang of the chicken. Mashed cauliflower is a bit lighter and forgiving on the waist.
3. If you aren’t into carb and gluten avoidance, simply serve this BBQ pulled chicken on your favorite roll. Since rolls are getting harder to find during the covid-19 pandemic, we learned how to make our own. See our easy to follow post and video so you can make your own homemade rolls!
Combine 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp pepper to make BBQ rub. Season chicken with the BBQ rub so that it is covered completely. Set aside. Prepare the sauce by soaking pitted dates in a 1/2 cup of almost boiling of water until softened, about 2 minutes. Poor softened dates and water in high speed blender or food processor. Add additional sauce ingredients; tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt. Blend until smooth and set aside. Add avocado oil to Insta Pot or mulitcooker and set to sauté for Insta Pot or 350° F for multicooker (mine has a FLEX setting). Add sliced onions and sauté about 1 minute. Add garlic and sauté for additional 1 minute. Turn off sauté or FLEX setting. Add seasoned chicken to pot and stir into onions and garlic. Add BBQ sauce to pot and stir to cover. Close lid and be sure that the steam release valve is closed. Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, release the steam valve and allow steam to escape fully. Once steam has all escaped, open lid and take out the chicken and place on a cutting board. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. In the meantime, you can further cook and reduce the sauce by turning on the sauté setting and allowing the sauce to cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring very frequently to avoid burning. Turn off Insta Pot or multicooker and give sauce a final stir. After the chicken has time to rest (about 10 minutes), begin to shred using 2 forks. Return shredded chicken to pot and stir to fully incorporate chicken into sauce. Serve warm. It has been difficult to find ingredients during this pandemic so simply use what you have to make any substitutes.Insta Pot and Multicooker BBQ Pulled Chicken
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5 Comments
lucycampion
May 21, 2020 at 11:54 amThere’s few dishes I love as much as pulled chicken! I will definitely be trying this recipe ASAP. Thanks for sharing.
egrant.salvi
May 21, 2020 at 9:23 pmHope you enjoy! Thanks for stopping by and dropping a comment😀
Amanda
May 21, 2020 at 12:21 pmThis looks delicious and it looks like it has a lot of flavour! I eat chicken a lot because it has high protein, but it can get boring. Thanks for this! I will be sure to try it. 🙂
bberry43214
May 21, 2020 at 1:02 pmThis looks delicious. I’m telling my husband about it. I know what we’ll be cooking tonight! Thanks.
egrant.salvi
May 21, 2020 at 9:24 pmYay! Hope you both enjoy! I love how fast and easy it is to make. Be well!