Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken combines sweet barbecue sauce and ranch seasonings for a creamy and sweet barbecue chicken chop salad on a bun. Easily and quickly made in a pressure cooker.
Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken
King’s Hawaiian Bakery makes a great BBQ Chicken Chop salad.
It is one of my favorite things to eat at the restaurant (well, truth be told, the paradise cake is what keeps us going back), as I love the taste of Ranch dressing mixed with sweet barbecue sauce.
This Instant Pot BBQ Chicken recipe was inspired by the salad at King’s Hawaiian and is the second in my Instant Pot Pulled Chicken Collection series.
Cast of Ingredients for Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken
In keeping with my barbecue pulled chicken series, this recipe is also a “dump and push start” recipe using limited and basic ingredients.
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Can Frozen Chicken be used for Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken?
- Frozen chicken can be used in many recipes, but, keep in mind that the end result will never be as good as using fresh or thawed chicken.
- Because the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker will take longer to come to pressure, reducing the cook time a bit is recommended.
Special Ingredients for Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken
- Barbecue Sauce – Sweet Baby Ray’s works the best.
- Ranch Seasoning Dry Mix
Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken Is A Dump & Push Start Recipe
How to Make Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken.
- Boneless and skinless chicken thighs and breasts are trimmed of fat and cut in half.
- Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken is simple to make using an Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker.
- Use a good knife to cut and trim the chicken.
- Seasonings can be adjusted to cut the sweetness and add more tang.
- The three ingredients, which make up the creamy sauce are whisked together very well.
- This Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken cooks quickly and is easily shredded.
Can Only Chicken Breast or Thighs be Used for Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken?
- If your preference is all white meat chicken or all dark meat chicken, make sure to adjust the time accordingly.
- Remember that dark meat is much juicer than white meat chicken and is more forgiving when cooked in an Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker.
- White meat chicken is drier and less fatty than dark meat chicken. To compensate, more of the creamy homemade dressing can be used.
Barbecue Sauce and Ranch Dressing
Why is No Water Used in Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken?
- The chicken will give off plenty of liquid, so that the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker can come up to pressure.
- Homemade dressing and barbecue sauce are spread over the chicken with a spatula, so that is mainly stays away from the bottom of the cooking pot.
- Once the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker begins to heat, water from the chicken is released and steam will form and then the thick sauces will mix with the chicken and the liquid.
BBQ Ranch Chicken Being Shred
How to Shred Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken.
- For a quick and easy way to quickly shred Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken, grab an electric hand held mixer and start with the lowest setting.
- A splatter guard should help to prevent the BBQ Ranch sauce from splattering our of the cooking pot.
- To see the electric mixer in action, check the video on my Instant Pot Shredded Buffalo Chicken recipe page.
- A product that I often use for shredding meat when I cook in a smaller Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker are a set of pulled pork claws.
- Two forks will work too. They take more time and don’t incorporate the liquid into the meat as well as an electric mixer.
Tips and Tricks for Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken.
- Chicken breasts cook faster than chicken thighs, so leave them in large pieces.
- Using both white and dark chicken balance the flavor and juiciness for Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken.
- Dark meat chicken is juicier than white meat chicken and will let off more liquid. If only chicken thighs are used, simmering is recommended to help to reduce the liquid.
- The sauce will sink into the chicken while using the electric hand held mixer to shred the chicken.
Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken
Make sure to mix my Easy Coleslaw recipe and then pile it high on top of your Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken sandwich.
More Instant Pot Pulled Chicken Recipes to Make.
- Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
- Instant Pot Zesty BBQ Chicken
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken
- Instant Pot Spicy Crack Chicken
There are at least six more pulled chicken recipes coming up. If you have an idea for another pulled chicken sandwich, let me know in the comments below and I will try to accommodate your request.
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot DUO Mini Plus 3 Quart Pressure Cooker
- Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
- J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- di Oro Living Silicone Spatulas Set
- Sweet Baby Ray’s or your favorite sweet BBQ Sauce
- Ranch Seasoning Dry Mix
- Cuisinart Electric Hand Mixer – for baking and shredding chicken!
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Here is the handy printable recipe:
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs trimmed and cut in half
- 1 pound Chicken Breasts Boneless/Skinless trimmed and cut in half
- 3 Tablespoons Ranch Seasoning Mix
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
- 12 ounces Barbecue Sauce Sweet Baby Ray's is Best
Instructions
- Place chicken into Instant Pot cooking pot and sprinkle on Ranch seasoning mix.
- Whisk together mayonnaise, heavy cream and vinegar and pour over chicken.
- Pour barbecue sauce into cooking pot and gently mix the sauce over the top of the chicken.
- Lock on lid and close pressure valve. Cook at high pressure for 4 minutes. When beep sounds, wait 5 minutes and then carefully release the rest of the pressure.
- Use an electric hand held mixer, pulled meat claws or two forks and shred the chicken. The liquid will absorb into the chicken as it is being shredded.
- Pile Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken onto hamburger buns and top with Easy Coleslaw.
Notes
What Side Dishes To Serve with Instant Pot BBQ Chicken.
Nutrition
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Instant Pot Pressure Cooker BBQ Ranch Chicken
I am buying an Instapot this week and I’ve decided this is going to be the first recipe I make! I see your site is the place to go for all my Instapot recipe questions. All your recipes look so good! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Millican. Jill
This was so delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thank you, Rebecca. Jill
If I wanted to use just one lb. of boneless skinless chicken breast, should I cut the rest of the ingredients in half? Thank you, all of your recipes sounds amazing!