Instant Pot Pulled Chicken

This recipe for Instant Pot Pulled Chicken will help you get dinner on the table in minutes. Make it ahead and use it in countless recipes.

Don’t be fooled by the title of this recipe, it’s nothing like pulled pork. It’s one of those recipes that you look at and think, well, there really isn’t anything special about this. You’re right, this is about as simple as you can get. Chicken, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. But, the options to pull a quick meal together are almost endless.

Just last night I pulled out 4 servings of the pulled chicken. I made a salad of kale, cabbage, carrots, sliced almonds, and orange segments dressed with an orange-sesame dressing, and served the chicken over the salad drizzled with Sriracha. Supper solved!

How about mixing in a BBQ sauce like this one? Toast up some rolls, grab a slaw mix from the grocery store and voila, pulled chicken sandwiches. Stir in some salsa and serve shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, and tortillas alongside for a quick Taco Tuesday. Or how about a Thai Chicken Lettuce Wrap? See what I mean? So many options!

Chicken can be unforgiving when it comes to doneness. It can go from perfect to perfectly horrible in a manner of minutes. That’s why my preference for this recipe is thighs. They are a little more forgiving than the breasts and I feel like they have more flavor. If thighs are not your thing, you can use breasts, you’ll just need to adjust the cooking time to 8 minutes.

I like to cook up a batch of pulled chicken early in the week to use for quick meals or freeze to have on hand. The chicken will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for 3 months.

Instant Pot Pulled Chicken

• Author: Allie McDonald
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 13 minutes + time to come up to pressure
• Total Time: about 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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This recipe for Instant Pot Pulled Chicken will help you get dinner on the table in minutes. Make it ahead and use it in countless recipes.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 and 1/2 lbs. chicken thighs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 cup water

Instructions

1. Season the thighs with salt, garlic powder, and pepper
2. Put the trivet in the inner pot of the Instant Pot and pour in the water.
3. Place the thighs on the trivet.
4. Close and lock the lid. Make sure the steam release handle is in the sealed position.
5. Select PRESSURE COOK and cook on high. Adjust the [+] or [-] button to set 13 minutes of pressure cooking time.
6. When time is up, turn the steam release handle to the venting position and allow steam to escape. When the valve has dropped, unlock the lid and open carefully.
7. Remove the thighs to a plate and shred with two forks.