Chicken with Barbecue Sauce (Instant Pot)

Juicy and tender BBQ Chicken bursting with sticky-smoky-sweet flavours. Delicious family recipe for busy nights.

6-8 (2.5-3 lbs) chicken thighs or drumsticks (1230 g)
barbecue sauce
kosher or sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 cup cold water (250 mL)

Optional:
3 drops liquid smoke
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
½ Tbsp. white vinegar

Add Water and Steamer Basket:
Add 1 cup (250 mL) cold water and (optional) 3 drops of liquid smoke in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker. Then, place a steamer basket in the pot.

Pressure Cook Chicken:
Generously season both sides of chicken with salt and black pepper, then layer chicken on stainless steel steamer basket. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 8 minutes, then 10 minutes Natural Release.

Spice Up BBQ Sauce:
If you are using store-bought BBQ sauce, add more depth of flavour with some garlic powder, onion powder, and white vinegar. For reference: we added ½ tsp. garlic powder, ½ tsp. onion powder, and ½ Tbsp. white vinegar to ⅓ cup Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. Please taste and adjust accordingly.

Apply BBQ Sauce to Chicken:
Pat dry chicken and place them on an oven tray. Generously coat both sides of chicken with barbecue sauce.

Caramelize Instant Pot BBQ Chicken:
Place BBQ Chicken under the broiler for 4-8 minutes until the BBQ chicken is browned and caramelized.

Makes 4 servings.