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Instant Pot Pepsi Barbecue Chicken

Oh My Word!  This was such a yummy meal and all of my family raved about the Instant Pot Pepsi Barbecue Chicken for the next few days! We had it the next night for leftovers and it reheated so well!  YUM!

I have never made my own barbecue sauce before, so this was a fun little challenge that I put on myself.  This was so easy to make and create, that I think anyone can do it!

When you cook with an Instant Pot, you will need to have plenty of liquid to cook your meats thoroughly & bring the pot to pressure.  The sauce that you will create for this Instant Pot Pepsi Barbecue Chicken will be the perfect amount of liquid that is super flavorful, really delicious, and so easy to make! Speaking of the liquids used, did you see that this has Pepsi in it?  Don’t worry, it isn’t super sweet!  It is just a little bit sweet and there is an added benefit of the soda too. as it will tenderize the meat even more.  In fact, this chicken just fell apart when I pulled it out to shred.

While many like to do a one-pot version for this type of recipe, I prefer to do my saute component on the stove top, so that I ensure no burn notices while I am cooking my chicken.  That is a personal preference, but know that you can do this basically as a one-pot meal.  Once you see how super easy & fast it is for this delicious meal, I am sure that you will add it in to your weeknight meal rotation!

What You Need:

  • 2 Tbsp Melted Butter
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
  • 1 Small Finely Chopped Onion
  • 1 Can/Bottle Pepsi (12 oz.)
  • 2 Cups Ketchup
  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Water
  • 1/4 Cup Worchestershire Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp Yellow Mustard
  • 1/2 Tsp Pepper
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 3 lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
  • 1/2 Tsp Hot Sauce (optional)

Instructions:

1, Saute the minced garlic & chopped onion with the melted butter.
***This can be done in your Instant Pot (will need to clean off any burnt pieces before moving forward, so you don’t get any burn notices while cooking),  but I prefer to do this on the stove.***

2. Put the trivet into your Instant Pot, then add your chicken breasts.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix together.

4. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the Instant Pot.

5. Cook on Manual/High Pressure for 15 minutes.

6. Do a natural release (or at least 20 minutes & then quick release).

7. Remove the chicken and shred.
***The chicken may fall apart easily, so be careful when removing.***

8. After the chicken is shred, put it back in the pot and stir well.
***You can put on saute mode for a few minutes to help get it fully heated again.***

9.  Scoop the chicken onto your favorite bun and serve with your favorite barbecue sides.
***I prefer the Hawaiian Slider Buns for this flavor!***

10. Enjoy!

For more delicious recipe ideas (and deals!) on your favorite PEPSI products, click here!

Jennifer