This Instant Pot Apple Cider BBQ Chicken is not just sweet, tangy, and delicious, but it's also protein-packed, gluten-free, and picky-kid approved!
Table of Contents
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Equipment
- Step-By-Step Guide with Photos
- Storage
- Side Dish Pairing Ideas
If you've been around here a while, maybe you're already familiar with my apple cider bbq sauce (which is also SO GOOD in this pulled chicken sammie), and if not, I truly hope that changes asap!
The cider, maple syrup, vinegar, liquid smoke, and warm spices come together to make such a sweet, tangy, flavorful sauce. It's kind of glorious, honestly.
My youngest, who is one of THE pickiest eaters I know, will only eat this barbecue sauce. Literally.
In fact, the last time I made this 6-serving recipe for my 4-serving fam, (hoping to have some leftovers), she said, "Well, you shouldn't have made such good chicken if you wanted to have leftovers then, bro." And who could argue with that, I guess?
Anyway, let's get to it, eh? Here's a little Q&A, then I'll show you how to make it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't the bbq sauce just cook with the chicken in the Instant Pot at the same time?
I did test it this way originally, but something about the savoriness of the liquid that cooks out of the chicken really toned down the bright flavors in the sauce, and it just wasn't nearly as good!
Can I use chicken breasts or tenders instead of thighs in the Instant Pot?
Yes! I recommend tenders over breasts, but either will work. Just change the cook time to 15 minutes, and you'll be good to go. 😊
Can I make this apple cider bbq chicken in a slow-cooker?
Yes! Add your seasoned thighs and the broth to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours. Then just make the sauce on the stovetop.
What kind of apple cider is used in this recipe?
American-style, non-alcoholic, not-bubbly, cloudy apple cider.
Is this Instant Pot Apple Cider BBQ Chicken nutritious?
Yes! Chicken thighs are packed with protein (⅙th of this recipe has 34.5 grams).
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Substitutions:
- 2 ¼ - 2 ½ lbs of chicken breasts or chicken tenders (I would pick tenders over breasts but either will work. Instead of the 10 minute pressure cook time, for these cuts, you'll pressure cook for 15 minutes. You can quick release or naturally release, either is fine.
*Note that you'll have the best texture/juiciness using the thighs, but I know some of you prefer white meat, so do your thing!
Substitutions:
- Any broth will work here, even water will work in a pinch!
Substitutions:
- Simply apple juice (or any apple juice) will work if you can't get your hands on a good cloudy apple cider.
Substitutions:
- In an absolute pinch, you could use a little plain, no-salt-added tomato sauce. Though this will change the acidity of the sauce, and you may need to adjust your seasonings some to allow for it.
Substitutions:
- Any vinegar you have on hand will work.
Substitutions:
- Brown sugar, white sugar, coconut sugar, maple sugar, or honey (I would not use pancake syrup).
Substitutions:
- Low-sodium tamari
- Coconut aminos - note that it has a significantly lower sodium content than low-sodium soy sauce, so you will want to add some salt to compensate.
Substitutions:
- You can use some smoked paprika in here instead, but you won't get quite the same flavor as with liquid smoke and in my opinion it's worth getting and having on hand. Hot Tip: whisk a little liquid smoke into some honey and use it for a charcuterie board, and thank me later.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
This recipe was tested in a 6-quart Instant Pot, though there should be no issues with it being made in an 8-qt Instant Pot instead (or other brands of electric pressure cookers in either size), just be sure your chicken is fully covered in liquid.
How to make Instant Pot Apple Cider BBQ Chicken
*Note that for these photos, I made the sauce first using my Instant Pot saute function; you may prefer (and I normally do) to actually cook the sauce on the stovetop while the chicken is cooking to save time.
In an Instant Pot, whisk together all sauce ingredients except for the cider and cayenne. Next, whisk in the apple cider.
Turn on the saute function and cook, whisking occasionally until reduced by half. Remove the sauce from the Instant Pot.
To your Instant Pot (no need to clean it, you can see I didn't!), add the seasoned chicken thighs, then cover with broth, and pressure cook for 10 minutes with a quick pressure release.
Remove the cooked chicken thighs with a slotted spoon and remove the broth (you can discard it, or better yet, save it to make some soup!).
Put the Instant Pot back on saute mode, then add the cooked chicken and 1 cup of bbq sauce. Heat together, stirring gently, until everything is heated through and the chicken is nice and saucy!
Storage
If you manage to have any leftovers left, refrigerate them immediately. They'll last for 3-4 days.
This recipe freezes well, too!
Pairings
These are some of my favorite dishes to serve with Apple BBQ Chicken:
Don't forget to save this Instant Pot Apple Cider BBQ Chicken recipe to Pinterest ⇓
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Apple Cider BBQ Chicken
These Instant Pot Apple BBQ Chicken thighs come out SO juicy and tender! The super-flavorful barbecue sauce puts it over the top!
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, well-trimmed (I ended up with about 2 ⅓ lbs after trimming) *see notes for other cuts
- salt, black pepper, and chili powder for seasoning
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
Sauce (FYI, this will make more than you need!):
- 2 cups apple cider (if cider is out of season you can always sub a refrigerated apple juice like Simply Apple!)
- 6 oz can of tomato paste
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 6 Tbs - ½ cup pure maple syrup (depending on sweetness of cider, start with 6 and go from there)
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari if you're GF!)
- 2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- black pepper, to taste
- cayenne pepper, to taste (optional, but I love a good pinch in this!)
Instructions
Chicken:
- Season the chicken lightly with salt, then season with as much black pepper and chili powder as you like.
- Put your seasoned chicken in your Instant Pot, cover with broth. Cook on manual (or pressure cook) for 10 minutes with a quick release when finished.
Make the Apple BBQ Sauce**:
- Put all ingredients except cayenne into a medium saucepan and bring to a bubble. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by half to about 2 cups (this takes about 25 minutes).
- After it has cooked down, give it a taste to see if you want to add the extra maple syrup, cayenne, or a pinch of salt. (you will only need 1 cup for this recipe, so you can put the remaining sauce in the fridge to use it for something else or throw it in the freezer to make this recipe again another day!)
When the chicken has finished cooking:
- Remove the lid, then remove the chicken with a slotted spoon. You can either discard the liquid or, better yet, save it to make some soup!
- Put the pot on sauté, then put the chicken back into the pot along with 1 cup of the sauce. Sauté for a few minutes to coat the chicken well and to heat everything through. Enjoy!
Notes
*You can substitute chicken tenders or breasts (around 2 ½ lbs) for the 3 lbs of chicken thighs if you prefer, just change the cook time to 15 minutes.
**If you prefer to make the BBQ sauce in the Instant Pot, you'll make it first, by cooking it using the saute function, then cover it with foil to keep warm. No need to clean your pot before cooking the chicken (this is what I did for the photos).
21 Day Fix Container Counts per Serving: 1 Red, 1 ½ sweetener teaspoon
Weight Watchers Points: Instant Pot Apple BBQ Chicken
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: ⅙th of the saucy chickenAmount Per Serving: Calories: 293Total Fat: 9.3gCarbohydrates: 14.3gFiber: .7gProtein: 34.5g
Nutritional information provided is approximate and for informational purposes only.
If you guys give this Instant Pot Apple BBQ Chicken recipe a try, let me know what you think! You can leave a comment below or tag me on Insta @thefoodieandthefix. Or if you’re in my private Facebook group, I’d love to see a photo of your creation in there! I hope you enjoy ♥
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