Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken is a quick and simple dinner idea the entire family will love. My low carb Keto BBQ Chicken Instant Pot Recipe has only 5 ingredients and a 5-minute prep! Juicy chicken seasoned and smothered in barbecue sauce is a crowd-pleaser. You don’t have to worry about tons of carbs, because this is a keto-friendly meal. It also happens to be grain-free, gluten-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
Chicken is one of our go-to meats because you can get it reasonably inexpensive and can transform it into tons of different meals. If you crave something savory like chicken pot pie or want something tangy like creamy lemon chicken, you can make it, and it tastes great. I love all the freedom and options that come with cooking with chicken.
Plus, you can make all sorts of chicken dishes by cooking it in different ways. Slow-cooking, frying, roasting, and pressure cooking are methods that work so well. I could go on and on about all the reasons why I love chicken so much, but the biggest reason is that it’s good for you and my family will actually eat it.
In this free 5-day email series learn all my tips for incorporating a low-carb lifestyle into the life of your family.
That is the biggest thing to me, providing them meals that they will be happy to eat without a fight. This keto bbq chicken recipe is one of those meals that they actually ask me to make often, and I am more than happy to. Those busy weeknights can be filled with a tasty meal that keeps you satisfied.
How To Make Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken
If you’ve never eaten chicken made in your pressure, cooker, there is no time like the present. You’ll be pleased with how quickly it cooks, the simple cleanup, and how it tastes. The steps to make my BBQ keto chicken recipe are so simple:
First Step: Combine the chicken thighs and seasonings in the Instant Pot. Mix well, so the seasonings are incorporated throughout.
Second Step: Add the lid to the pressure cooker, turn it onto manual high and cook for 10 minutes.
Expert Tip: You DO NOT need to add liquid. The chicken releases natural juices.
Third Step: After the chicken has cooked, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Then carefully complete a quick release. Drizzle on your favorite barbecue sauce, serve, and enjoy!
As you can see, this easy keto diet meal comes together in minutes. Usually, while I am letting the bbq chicken cook, I make some side dishes and work on something else. It’s one of the easiest meals ever.
Can I Use Chicken Breasts Instead of Thighs?
Yes, of course, you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts when making this BBQ chicken Instant Pot recipe. Chicken thighs tend to be less expensive and give you a slice of much juicier meat. So that’s why we usually go with chicken thighs whenever possible.
So, keep in mind that if you opt to cook chicken breasts, you should reduce the cooking time by 3 minutes so they don't dry out. They will still be good, but possibly not as juicy even with reduced cooking time. If you don’t like dark meat or found a great deal on chicken breasts, there is no reason not to use them for this recipe.
What Barbecue Sauce Should I Use for Keto BBQ Chicken?
You can use any sugar free bbq sauce that you want. Now, if you eat low-carb, then you are going to want to only choose a sauce that is sugar-free. There are lots of yummy sugar-free sauces out there to choose from. So pick something you enjoy, and it will be perfect.
Or if you want to make a homemade sugar-free keto bbq sauce, then that’s fine too. Check out my recipe!
You can also skip the sauce entirely. The dry rub on these chicken thighs is flavorful enough!
What Do I Serve With This BBQ Chicken Instant Pot Recipe?
This chicken actually tastes incredible with all sorts of foods. Roasted veggies, salads, keto cauliflower mash, keto baked beans, low carb bread, cauliflower rice, and keto coleslaw are all great options. Make whatever you like to go with it, and you will have a fantastic meal.
Like what you see? Follow me on Facebook! Love this recipe? Leave a comment & 5-star rating right here! Make sure you don’t miss new recipes by getting email updates!
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Sugar-free BBQ sauce for serving
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to the instant pot and mix well.
- Cook on manual high for 10 min.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 5 min. Then release the pressure manually.
- Serve plain or with BBQ sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
If you love this Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken, be sure to try out some of these additional pressure cooker recipes. They are all simple to make and taste great too.
- Instant Pot Keto Carnitas
- Instant Pot Keto Beef Roast
- Instant Pot Mexican Chicken
- Instant Pot Keto Turkey Meatballs
Michele Kanda says
How many thighs per serving, 1?
Taryn says
That will depend on the size of the chicken thighs in your package. This has 8 servings. It will probably be 1.5 - 2 thighs per serving.
Marva says
Can I make this in an oven?
cindy Rey says
No liquid? I thought you needed at least 1 cup of liquid for it to cone to pressure
Taryn says
You do not. The chicken releases liquid. I use this method all the time.
Ann says
I have 3.4 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Should I still cook for 10 minutes?
Taryn says
Yes, 10 minutes should be fine.
Ashley says
This came out great. I love that I used my Instant Pot and will definitely make it again.
Claudia Lamascolo says
We love that addition of paprika and that this is sugar free great recipe!
Suzie Dyer says
Did you actually cook that in the Instant Pot? I have never gotten any browning, let alone crunchy bits on chicken cooked in the Instant Pot.
Taryn says
Yup! This was cooked in the instant pot. I do not put any liquid in or use a rack so the pieces that touch the bottom and sides can get browned.
Jenn says
I had no idea I could make bbq chicken thighs like this in the Instant Pot! So so so excited to give this a whirl for dinner tonight - thanks for the recipe and instructions!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
Love how easy and delicious this recipe is. It's perfect for a gathering or a party.