Instant Pot Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
By Lawman JohnsonPublished on January 2, 2024
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Slaw
1½ tablespoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon table salt 2 cups shredded green cabbage 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into thin matchsticks1 shallot, halved and sliced thinChicken
¾ cup ketchup 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 1½ tablespoons cider vinegar 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons hot sauce 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ½ cup finely chopped onion 2 teaspoons granulated garlic 2 teaspoons chili powder ¾ teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed6 brioche hamburger buns, toasted if desiredBefore You Begin
To make sliders, substitute eight to 12 slider buns for the hamburger buns.
Instructions
- Whisk vinegar, mayonnaise, sugar, and salt in large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add cabbage, apple, and shallot and toss until evenly combined; set aside.
- Combine ketchup, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, and hot sauce in small bowl; set aside.
- Using highest sauté function, heat oil in Instant Pot until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in granulated garlic, chili powder, salt, and cayenne. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ½ cup ketchup mixture and chicken, stir until chicken is evenly coated with ketchup mixture and onion, and arrange chicken in even layer.
- Lock lid into place and close pressure-release valve. Select high pressure-cook function and cook for 6 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you. Remove ½ cup cooking liquid; reserve ¼ cup and discard remainder. Using potato masher, mash chicken in pot into bite-size pieces.
- Using highest sauté function, bring chicken and cooking liquid remaining in pot to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pot, until liquid evaporates and some fond develops on bottom of pot, 6 to 8 minutes. Off heat, stir in reserved cooking liquid and ¼ cup ketchup mixture.
- Divide chicken evenly over bun bottoms. Spoon remaining ketchup mixture over chicken. Divide slaw among sandwiches and top with bun tops. Serve.
for the slaw
for the chicken
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 6Ingredients
Slaw
Chicken
Ingredients
Slaw
Chicken
Ingredients
Slaw
Chicken
Why This Recipe Works
The Instant Pot can create tender, tangy barbecued pulled chicken in minutes. For our version, we chose boneless chicken thighs over breasts for their meatier flavor and silkier texture. To make a sweet and tangy sauce, we whisked together ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and hot sauce. Then we cooked finely chopped onion in the Instant Pot using the sauté function and added granulated garlic, chili powder, and cayenne for a flavorful backbone. Adding some of the ketchup mixture before pressure cooking helped build flavor in the Instant Pot. After 6 minutes under pressure, the chicken was fully cooked, infused with great flavor, and tender enough to turn to shreds with a potato masher right in the pot. We used the sauté function again to dry out the exterior of the chicken, giving it a slow-roasted texture. Off the heat, we added some reserved cooking liquid and more of the ketchup mixture for the ideal saucy consistency. To finish, we created a simple slaw of Granny Smith apple, green cabbage, shallot, a hint of mayonnaise, a little cider vinegar, and brown sugar for a fresh, bright, subtly sweet topping.
Before You Begin
To make sliders, substitute eight to 12 slider buns for the hamburger buns.
Instructions
- Whisk vinegar, mayonnaise, sugar, and salt in large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add cabbage, apple, and shallot and toss until evenly combined; set aside.
- Combine ketchup, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, and hot sauce in small bowl; set aside.
- Using highest sauté function, heat oil in Instant Pot until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in granulated garlic, chili powder, salt, and cayenne. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ½ cup ketchup mixture and chicken, stir until chicken is evenly coated with ketchup mixture and onion, and arrange chicken in even layer.
- Lock lid into place and close pressure-release valve. Select high pressure-cook function and cook for 6 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you. Remove ½ cup cooking liquid; reserve ¼ cup and discard remainder. Using potato masher, mash chicken in pot into bite-size pieces.
- Using highest sauté function, bring chicken and cooking liquid remaining in pot to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pot, until liquid evaporates and some fond develops on bottom of pot, 6 to 8 minutes. Off heat, stir in reserved cooking liquid and ¼ cup ketchup mixture.
- Divide chicken evenly over bun bottoms. Spoon remaining ketchup mixture over chicken. Divide slaw among sandwiches and top with bun tops. Serve.
for the slaw
for the chicken
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