bring on summer with this easy instant pot BBQ pulled chicken with spicy slaw

It may be February but I’m ready for BBQ season! If you make this recipe, please promise me you’ll take a bite with everything on your fork at once—the BBQ pulled chicken, sweet potato, slaw, and a little bit of dill pickle. You won’t be disappointed—the flavors go SO freakin’ well together!

I’ve become a huge fan of boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the instant pot, like my buffalo chicken tacos with lime ranch (instant pot)! It makes dinner so easy!

Basically, throw them in with some seasoning. That’s it. You don’t even have to sear them first. Often times I will finish the pulled chicken off under the broiler to get it nice & crispy!

how to make instant pot pulled chicken

I love how easy it is to make this chicken. Season boneless, skinless chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and BBQ rub. You can use any BBQ rub you like. I used Stubb’s.

Next lay the thighs in the instant pot and pour BBQ sauce on top. Depending on the size of your instant pot, you may need multiple layers so pour the sauce in between.

Cook high pressure for 15 mins. and then slow release for 5-10 minutes. Take it out of the instant pot, place it on a sheet tray and broil for 8-10 minutes until crispy.

spicy slaw

The slaw can be ahead of time and stored in the fridge. You can shred cabbage or pick up a bag of shredded coleslaw mix to make it even easier on yourself!

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix. The recipe recommends Primal Kitchen mayo because it’s made with avocado oil but you can use what you have on hand. You can substitute the mayo with a dairy or dairy-free plain greek yogurt.

sweet potato wedges

Cut the sweet potatoes into 3/4 to 1-inch wedges and place in a bowl. Add salt, chili powder, and avocado oil (or whatever oil you have) and mix well. Place on a sheet tray and make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan (use a 2nd tray if necessary).

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and then check them. Stir and put them back in for 10-15 minutes or until they’re crispy on the outside and fork-tender on the inside.

can I use chicken breasts for pulled chicken?

Stick to thighs if you can because the white meat from the breasts tends to dry out. I’ve done a mix of thighs and breasts before and that turned out well.

If you do use breasts, cook at high pressure for 10 minutes, instead of 15 minutes. Quick-release when time is up then shred chicken breasts with two forks and place under the broiler.

how to make pulled chicken in the crock pot

If you don’t have an instant pot, you can make these in the crockpot. Place your seasoned thighs and BBQ sauce in the crockpot and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Once it’s fork-tender, shred the chicken and then place it on a sheet tray to broil (see instructions).

how to serve these pulled chicken bowls

Take four bowls and add the BBQ pulled chicken, coleslaw, sweet potato wedges and slicked dill pickles. Add chopped fresh chives and a squeeze of lime to garnish. Make sure you include everything in your bowl because all of these flavors bring out the best in each other!

other easy chicken dinners you’ll enjoy

• better than takeout sesame chicken with “fried” cauliflower rice
• easy chicken bruschetta
• amazing chicken sausage pasta in easy tomato sauce
• the most flavorful ground chicken meatballs ever
• cozy butternut squash noodles with chicken and stunning cream sauce

make BBQ shredded chicken