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    Home » Pressure Cooker » Sticky, Fall off the Bone Instant Pot Bone-In Chicken

    Published: Mar 22, 2022 · Modified: Oct 1, 2022 by Desarae

    Sticky, Fall off the Bone Instant Pot Bone-In Chicken

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    instant pot barbecue chicken
    instant pot barbecue chicken
    instant pot bone in chicken
    instant pot chicken pin

    This is the OG instant pot meat technique. I created this technique for instant pot bone-in chicken and it has blown up. Everyone now has copied this post and for good reasons. Literally the best sticky, fall-off-the-bone instant pot chicken you will ever try! It's tender, moist and full of flavor. It cooks up fast and easy but the last step is what takes this pressure cooker bone-in chicken up another level!

    bone in chicken with stick bbq sauce and side of ranch.

    This meal is over the top amazing!! Seriously good. It's one of those simple meals that I come back to time and again for busy weeknights! Pressure cooking chicken means I can easily make one of our family's comfort food classics any day of the week.

    Add on a few easy sides and you've got a great meal everyone will love! It tastes amazing with mashed potatoes and apple gorgonzola salad.

    If you love this recipe, I think you will also enjoy this smoked turkey breast, another one of my family's favorites. If you find pressure cooking an easy way to prepare meals, try cooking frozen roast beef or bbq ribs.

    Why Make Pressure Cooker Bone-in Chicken?

    Bone-in bbq chicken is seriously my childrens' favorite meal. Here are some reasons why it is the best.

    • Bone-in chicken breast, legs and thighs are very inexpensive!
    • Bone-in chicken has so much more flavor.
    • It's fast and easy to make.
    • Requires only a few ingredients.
    sticky crispy bone-in chicken on platter

    Ingredients

    It doesn't get any easier than this 3-ingredient recipe for chicken pieces in the pressure cooker!! Here's what you need:

    • BBQ sauce: Pick your favorite bottle at the store or make your own to make this recipe.
    • Bone-in chicken: Chicken legs, thighs, and breasts work just great! You can even do a mix of chicken parts if everyone in the family likes something?
    • Water: Just a bit to help the pressure cooker function properly.

    What Kind of Bone-in Chicken Do I Use?

    For this recipe, you can use any of your favorite bone-in chicken cuts. I love making it with a combination of bone in chicken breast, chicken thighs, and my kids LOVE chicken legs.

    I always grab a packet of legs and thighs, bone-in. You definitely need bone-in chicken to create this recipe and chicken with this sticky bbq flavor and texture.

    Bone-in chicken is so inexpensive but undeniably the best kind of chicken meat.

    crispy sticky bone in chicken on pan with side of ranch

    Do I Leave the Chicken Skin On Bone-In Chicken?

    I like to leave the skin on to pressure cook chicken because it helps hold the juicy, tender meat together, but sometimes the chicken comes with way too much skin.

    Feel free to trim down the skin. If you prefer it trimmed all off that's ok! Just be delicate pulling them out of the pressure cooker.

    It will crisp up in the final step of the cooking process making it incredibly tasty!

    two photos of extra skin on chicken thigh and trimming off skin,.

    How to Cook Bone-in Chicken in the Pressure Cooker

    It's so easy! You will do this in layers.

    1. Add 1 cup of water to your instant pot. You can also use chicken broth or stock for a little extra flavor.
    pouring one cup of water into instant pot pan.
    1. Lay down 3-4 chicken pieces. Top with your favorite BBQ sauce.
    2. Lay down 3-4 more bone-in chicken thighs, legs or breasts. Add BBQ sauce
    3. Continue layering this way. I can fit about 10-12 pieces in my 6-qt instant pot.
    4. Seal and cook on poultry setting, or high pressure for 20 minutes. I always use natural release when cooking my meat to ensure that it will be nice and tender.
    Raw chicken in instant pot with bbq sauce.

    How to Get the Sticky Melt in Your Mouth Flavor

    The trick to making the bone in chicken breasts, legs, and thighs cooked in a pressure cooker taste amazing is in this next step!

    Step 1. Pull the bone-in chicken out of the pressure cooker and place it on a lined cookie sheet.

    Step 2. Slather a thick coat of more BBQ sauce.

    Step 3. Broil it high in the oven for about 5 minutes.

    Pressure cooked chicken on cookie sheet and brushing on the bbq sauce.

    Hint: The second layer of BBQ sauce and Broil step is a MUST. It creates a beautiful sticky crust with moist, tender pull apart chicken underneath. As long as you don't broil the chicken for too long it will not dry out.

    Bone in chicken covered in bbq sauce after broiled.

    Plate these bad boys and serve immediately while they are still piping hot! Serve pressure cooker chicken with any of these delicious sides.

    • instant pot mashed potatoes
    • potato salad
    • creamy shrimp risotto

    Like making meat in the instant pot too? Try these recipes!

    • pressure cooker ham
    • country rib
    • full rack of ribs
    • beef barbacoa
    Closeup of bone-in pressure cooker chicken served up on to eat.

    Expert Tips and FAQs

    • Don't skip the final step of finishing the bone-in chicken breast, thigh, and leg pieces in the oven. It's what makes this dish so incredibly delicious!
    • Layer the chicken and sauce in the pot. This ensures that all the chicken gets cooked with the bbq sauce infusing it with more flavor.
    • Use bone-in chicken. The cut doesn't matter but don't skip bone-in chicken because It has more flavor and cooks up juicier and tastier than boneless.
    • Don't skip the one cup of liquid. The instant pot or electric pressure cooker needs it to function.
    Can I save leftovers?

    Yes, just pop any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container.

    My store is out of bone-in chicken can I still use thighs and the same cuts of meat?

    Yes, follow the same steps!

    Is this recipe good for a group?

    Absolutely! You can place many many pieces of chicken in an instant pot, depending on the cut. Just remember even though you will still cook for 20 minutes it will take longer for your instant pot to come to pressure.

    Chicken on sheet pan with sticky bbq sauce and green onions.

    Don't Be Shy!

    If you tried this instant pot bone-in chicken recipe or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave us a comment below. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest to see what else we’re getting up to.

    Bone in pressure cooker chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

    Pressure Cooker Bone-In Chicken

    This pressure cooker bone-in chicken recipe is the ultimate instant pot recipe. The chicken has a smokey flavory, sticky firm outside, tender, pull-apart moist inside. The best meat you'll ever taste!
    4.82 from 33 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 64kcal
    Author: Kadee & Desarae

    Ingredients

    • 1 bottle favorite BBQ sauce
    • bone-in chicken
    • 1 cup water

    Instructions

    • In your pressure cooker add 1 cup water. Layer 3-4 pieces of bone-in chicken. Brush BBQ sauce over chicken. 
    • Add another 3-4 pieces of chicken and brush sauce over. Continue layering until your chicken is done or pot is full. I can fit about 10-12 drumsticks and thighs.
    • Cook on poultry setting and slow release. (or high for 20 minutes slow release)
    • Once chicken is done, remove from instant pot to a foil lined sheet pan. 
    • Remove skins (if desired). Brush a thick layer BBQ sauce over chicken. Place in pre-heated oven on broil for about 5 minutes. Serve immediately. 

    Video

    Notes

    Use foil on your sheet pan to protect it from the barbecue sauce that drips off and burns. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 64kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Sodium: 388mg | Potassium: 87mg | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @OhSoDelicioso or tag #ohsodelicioso!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katie Lane says

      October 28, 2022 at 2:21 pm

      Hi, I’m trying this tonight and I’m very new to instapot, do I need to put the rack in the bottom before layering the chicken?

      Reply
      • Desarae says

        October 31, 2022 at 8:42 am

        Hi Katie! yes! honestly lately I dont even use the rack!!

        Reply
    2. Pam O says

      July 20, 2022 at 3:42 pm

      5 stars
      Found this recipe this afternoon while looking for ways to cook some leg quarters. Turned out great. I extended the time because they were frozen and seasoned the chicken but followed everything as directed. Will definitely be making again.

      Reply
    3. Soul says

      June 26, 2022 at 8:33 am

      2 stars
      Where. Is. The. Seasoning?

      Reply
      • Desarae says

        June 30, 2022 at 3:59 pm

        It's the BBQ sauce. You add the thick layer of sauce and broil- it caramelizes and adds loads of flavor.

        Reply
    4. Diane says

      June 20, 2022 at 6:08 am

      5 stars
      Haven't tried it yet but I will for dinner tonight. Sounds so good.

      Reply
    5. Tania says

      June 13, 2022 at 6:55 pm

      5 stars
      I loved it. But my chicken didn’t come out crispy after the boiler. How much longer should I put it in the boiler for?

      Reply
      • Desarae says

        June 15, 2022 at 8:15 pm

        Your chicken probably needs to be closer to the broiler and make sure your oven is on a high broil. If the chicken has a lot of liquid on the pan from the instant pot it might take a little longer. But not too much longer.

        Reply
    6. BJ says

      May 02, 2022 at 2:54 pm

      hello, this chicken is awesome. If I add more then 12 pieces of chicken do I have to add more water?
      Thank you

      Reply
      • Desarae says

        May 03, 2022 at 1:22 pm

        No, you only need one cup of liquid regardless of how much meat you are cooking :)

        Reply
    7. Joy says

      January 04, 2022 at 2:11 pm

      5 stars
      This is my go-to instant pot barbecue recipe! Simple and delicious. Two things I do a bit differently - (1) season the chicken before it goes into the pot and (2) I brush the bbq sauce on after the pot and broil on both sides. The skin comes out a bit crispy, but the meat is still falling off the phone.

      Reply
    8. Queenie says

      September 26, 2021 at 6:03 pm

      5 stars
      The chicken turned out so tender and I did put it under the broiler for 5 mins too. Soooo good. I added a little mango habanero sauce along with the BBQ sauce. Ill be making this again for sure .thank you so for this wonderful recipe.

      Reply
    9. Courtney says

      August 06, 2021 at 2:00 pm

      Hi! I’m thinking of making this recipe tonight, but I only have three bone-in breasts. Twenty minutes seems like a long time for this amount of chicken, should I reduce the time? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Desarae says

        August 10, 2021 at 11:42 pm

        Hi Courtney, the pressure cooer will cook faster with less chicken because it will come to pressure faster, cook for 20 minutes, if there were several breasts in the cooker it would take longer to come to pressure... If your pressure cooker has a "poultry" setting or button on it you can use that as a gauge for how long your pressure cooker needs to cook chicken. And really, one thing we have noticed is not all pressure cookers cook the same so if you feel yours cooks hot and fast you are welcome to adjust the time!

        Reply
    10. Anna Provost says

      January 27, 2021 at 6:03 am

      5 stars
      Prepared this last night and the chicken was falling off the bone. Don’t skip the broil and don’t worry about having lots of liquid left over in the IP (saw that mentioned in a review earlier) I simply took them out, placed on foil, added the last bit of sauce and set on broil for 5-6 min. Thinking about trying that Jerk chicken mentioned in the reviews too.

      Reply
    11. Amy says

      March 07, 2020 at 5:16 pm

      4 stars
      I has some issues with the recipe and I’m not sure why. I did everything according to recipe, but when the IP was trying to come to pressure lots of water was spraying out of the venting knob. Eventually the pin went up but the timer never started. I ended up just estimating 20 minutes from that point and doing a quick release to check on the chicken(at that time I finally got a burn notice). The bottom of the pot was burned but the chicken ended up being cooked and then I broiled it and it was really tasty. My kids loved it. Has this ever happened to you? Any ideas what went wrong? I would love to give it a second try. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Desarae says

        March 16, 2020 at 3:46 pm

        Hey Amy, It sounds like there is an issue with your instant pot seal. It wasn't able to seal when the pot had enough to heat so it cooked all the water out and then burned. I would look at the rubber ring, and the pin. I've had to replaces a few different parts over time of different brands of pressure cookers. Is your an instant pot brand or another brand. My mom has this happen often with her pressure cooker XL. We have had to replace the pin several times.

        Reply
        • Mikal says

          January 11, 2023 at 10:15 pm

          5 stars
          I loved it! Came out perfect.
          Ps. To all the users: Don’t give this recipe a lower than 5 rating if the problem is YOU or your pressure cooker is the problem. And if this is speaking to you then go back and correct your rating.

    12. Doris Dominguez says

      March 04, 2020 at 3:57 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious chicken I served it with red toasted potatoes. I followed the recipe, but before I put in the broiler I mix some honey, ginger and barbecue sauce and brush it on top , and after 5 minutes turned it over and repeated . It was so good and sticky. I put about a cup of the extra liquid in a pan and let it reduce, then poured it over the chicken and the roasted red potatoes. My family asked for seconds.

      Reply
    13. rod says

      February 27, 2020 at 1:11 pm

      4 stars
      a cup of water i found to bee too much i put in 6 leg/quarters and covers with bbq sauce and had about 3 cups of fluid after it cooked and maybe set the chicken on a trivet so it isnt swimming in water

      Reply
      • Desarae says

        April 15, 2020 at 3:00 pm

        Hi Rod, there MUST be 1 cup of liquid in the instant pot or pressure cooker in order for the pressure cooker to come to pressure. If there is not that fluid in there it will burn.

        Reply
    14. Kelsey Ellis says

      January 30, 2020 at 7:11 pm

      5 stars
      Incredibly delicious!!! And I love how easy it was!

      Reply
    15. Carolyn Nickle says

      November 03, 2019 at 7:26 pm

      5 stars
      very tasty - will for sure make again

      Reply
    16. Cathy says

      November 02, 2019 at 12:35 pm

      5 stars
      Making this tonight; does the chicken need to be thawed or could I cook from frozen? (I know; you’d think the pressure cooker would speed the recipe up enough for me, but not the case... Ha!)

      Reply
      • Desarae says

        November 06, 2019 at 12:58 pm

        Hi Cathy! Yes you can make them from frozen! Add a few minutes to the cooking time when they are frozen!

        Reply
    17. Mary says

      July 11, 2019 at 7:22 am

      Does it have to be bone in? Anything change if boneless?

      Reply
      • Desarae says

        July 12, 2019 at 1:30 pm

        I have had good success with still using dark meat and boneless- especially thighs! The type of meat is really what will help your recipe- it has a hight fat content so by pressure cooking and then broiling for a few minutes it'll stay nice and moist and not dry out. Chicken breasts don't work well with this type of cooking process, and they tend to shred too.

        Reply
    18. Jana says

      May 03, 2019 at 1:24 pm

      5 stars
      I just made these for the first time. They were so good I thought my husband was going to eat them all. I loved how easy they are to make too.

      Reply
      • Desarae says

        May 04, 2019 at 7:46 am

        Thank you so much!!!

        Reply
    19. christina says

      March 08, 2019 at 10:26 pm

      5 stars
      EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    20. Barbara Wittick says

      January 28, 2019 at 3:08 pm

      5 stars
      I improvised and replaced the BBQ sauce with a Jerk glaze and it turned out perfect! Rave reviews all around. adding sauce and putting it under the broiler at the end was a great touch. I also made the cilantro lime rice which was also delicious. I made the slaw but it was too acidic and citrus as a side dish. I might add a tad more mayo and perhaps a touch of honey. I will, however, be making it for our fish tacos.

      Reply
      • Desarae says

        January 29, 2019 at 3:51 pm

        Thank you Barbara!!

        Reply
    21. Keith says

      July 09, 2018 at 7:38 pm

      Do You use the trivet to keep bottom layer of chicken out of the water?

      Reply
      • Desarae says

        September 20, 2018 at 9:31 pm

        I dont use a trivet, because of the steam a lot of the BBQ sauce melts off anyway, which is why I re-apply the BBQ sauce before putting it under the broiler.

        Reply
    22. Brooke says

      April 30, 2018 at 5:53 pm

      5 stars
      Try making curtido (that "light coleslaw" you mention. It is a central american MUST and an old salvadoran neighbor taught me how to do it. It's one part vinegar to one part water, with mexican oregano and salt, and tossed with shredded cabbage and jalapenos. AMAZING.Let is sit in the dressing for a couple hours before eating.

      Reply
      • Desarae says

        September 20, 2018 at 9:31 pm

        that sounds incredible!!! I'm going to try it!

        Reply
    23. Jeannie says

      April 17, 2018 at 10:12 pm

      5 stars
      my kids beg for this weekly!! The best!

      Reply
      • Sandy Coleman says

        July 02, 2022 at 11:54 am

        Nice 👍

        Reply

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