4 Ingredient Instant Pot (Or Slow Cooker!) Pulled BBQ Sandwich w/ Coleslaw (Gluten, Dairy & Egg Free Options!)

Couldn’t be easier, 4 ingredient pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches. Perfect for last minute suppers–since you can start with frozen chicken in the instant pot. (Slow cooker directions too!) Scalable to feed a crowd for a game day, or just for a family supper, this will be on repeat due to the sheer laziness factor! Naturally allergy-friendly, with an added bonus: egg-free coleslaw for extra crunch. All the details below on how to make it gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut, tree nut and even a vegan option below so all can be included! 

None of the links are sponsored, but they are often affiliate links.

We have this easy chicken dinner on constant rotation all year long because it’s so dang simple. I almost always have BBQ sauce in my pantry because my husband puts it on everything, and I always have frozen chicken in my freezer. All I have to do is make sure to buy buns at the grocery store, and WHAM-O…we have a dinner. With only one pot to clean up, and hardly any effort this makes mom happy and the kids happy as well!

Let me answer ALL THE THINGS below. You will be ready to make this dinner like a pro with all my FAQs. If you don’t have questions, or don’t need this to be allergy friendly, feel free to go straight to the recipe. 

How long do you cook chicken breasts in instant pot?

You’ll see times ranging from a few minutes to much longer. The real question is: how thick is it? Since the pressure has to cook the chicken, it can do it faster if it’s already chopped into bite sized pieces, or it will take much longer if you have a solid, thick, frozen breast. 

I hate it when I see recipes that only call for about ten minutes, because to me–it may be cooked, but it’s still tough. And, the point to BBQ meat is to have it fall-apart-tender. So, I always say:

• 30 minutes for two normal sized, frozen chicken breasts
• 20 minutes for two normal sized, thawed chicken breasts

As long as you have enough liquid (if not, it will scorch in your instant pot) there really isn’t a limit on how long it can cook. The longer it’s in there, the more tender it will be. I’ve done it for as long as 40 minutes when I knew I’d be gone that long running errands. The more breasts you have, or the thicker, the more time it will need. I’d increase the cook time by about five minutes for every additional breast. Remember–you can always open it, and try shredding it. If it’s not as tender (or cooked all the way, remember 165 degrees F!) simply slap the lid back on and cook it a bit longer. It’s not an exact science.

How much chicken should I use if I’m feeding a crowd?

A pulled chicken sandwich is perfect for feeding a crowd! I’ve definitely made it for family gatherings. My rule of thumb (and granted, this depends on what size of buns you get) but I plan:

two people to one chicken breast

Scale up from there. I’ve always had leftovers when I’ve done this, because I always want to have too much (and hello yummy leftovers for me!) instead of not having enough. If you’re worried that will be too much, you can always do three people per chicken breast, just make sure there are plenty of sides.

What model and size of pressure cooker should I use?

I’ve had the Instant Pot Duo 60 321 Electric Pressure Cooker, 6 Quart since 2016 and loved it. I also won another, later model and found that it burns/scorches much easier.

I don’t feel an 8 quart is necessary and may take more time to come up to pressure (more space to fill). We are a family of 6 and almost always have leftovers with this size.

I’ve also had a friend buy a non-brand electric pressure cooker and had no problems, so buy what works for you. It doesn’t have to be name brand, that is just the one I’ve personally tested (and wrote my entire cookbook with!)

How do you store leftover pulled BBQ chicken?

If you make too much, simply put the pulled BBQ chicken into an air tight container and it keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days. Store it separately from the buns, coleslaw (recipe below!) or any other sides you might put on it. 

You can also freeze leftover pulled BBQ chicken, by placing it in an air tight freezer container or bag. Thaw when ready to eat and heat thoroughly.

What pickles go best with BBQ chicken sliders?

This is not sponsored, but I seriously drive to the one store in town that sells them! I just cannot find a better pickle. The kind my family is obsessed with is Famous Dave’s Signature Spicy Chips. My friend had me try them and there’s been no looking back since. For those who also have food allergies like us, and need to be careful with what ingredients are in it, here are the ingredients for Famous Dave’s Spicy Signature Pickle Chips taken from their website:

• Fresh Cucumbers
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Water
• Vinegar
• Salt
• Spices
• Dehydrated Onion
• Dehydrated Red Bell Pepper
• Calcium Chloride
• Natural & Artificial Flavors
• Polysorbate 80
• Yellow 5

What mayo do I use if I need it to be egg free and allergy friendly?

Not everyone does this but I love to slather some mayo on one bun, for extra sauciness. If you’re like us and have an egg allergy, or you just need a vegan mayo, we like both the JUST brand, and the Best Food’s Vegan Mayo. I have both of their ingredients listed out (in case you also need to avoid soy or pea protein) in my scalloped potatoes recipe.

Should I add the BBQ sauce while my chicken is pressure cooking?

Some people do add the BBQ sauce when pressure cooking their BBQ chicken, but the way they’re able to without it scorching is to add water. If you don’t add water, the sugar and tomato in the sauce will scorch and burn on the bottom.

No thank you. I love my BBQ sauce and don’t want it watered down at all. Which is why I love my solution:

• Cook the chicken in 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 cup water and generous salt and pepper
• When finished cooking, drain the liquid and THEN add your BBQ sauce

The heat from the cooked chicken will warm the BBQ sauce up plenty, and no one will ever know you didn’t cook the BBQ sauce with the meat. Plus, that way you can do a bunch of chicken at once, and not add BBQ sauce to it all, in case you need plain chicken for your meal prepping the rest of the week!

What’s the easiest way to shred chicken?

Do you get carpal tunnel from taking two forks to a bunch of meat? Me too. It takes awhile and it’s a pain. So, the best way to shred chicken is to take electric beaters to it. It’s tender enough from pressure cooking that the turning of the electric beaters shreds the chicken quickly and effortlessly for you. I prefer to do it in the instant pot, with the instant pot turned off, so that way the tall sides help keep the pieces from flying everywhere.

If you don’t have hand held electric beaters, you can also put the shredded chicken in your Kitchen Aid with the paddle attachment and it will shred the chicken easily in no time as well!

What BBQ sauce do you use for a pulled chicken sandwich?

Of course you can make your own, but since the name of the game in this entire recipe is to be quick and easy, I leave it to the pros: Sweet Baby Ray’s. You’re welcome to use whatever sauce you like, and add it to your desired consistency.

We like Sweet Baby Ray’s because we have multiple food allergies and their sauce is free of the top 8 allergens. According to their website their sauce ingredients are:

• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Distilled Vinegar
• Tomato Paste
• Modified Corn Starch
• Contains Less Than 2% Of:
  • Salt
  • Pineapple Juice Concentrate
  • Natural Smoke Flavor
  • Spice
  • Caramel Color
  • Molasses
  • Sodium Benzoate (Preservative)
  • Garlic, dried
  • Mustard Flour
  • Corn Syrup
  • Sugar
  • Tamarind
  • Natural Flavor
  • Celery Seed

What buns should you use if you need the pulled chicken sandwich to be gluten-free?

There are lots of gluten free buns out there, thank heavens for options! The ones in the picture, and the ones we buy most due to my family liking them, their small size (feels more like a slider) and the ease of finding them (thanks Walmart!) is Schar Ciabatta Rolls (has soy).

We also like the brands Canyon Bakehouse (has eggs) & Little Northern Bakehouse (gluten free vegan).

**If you don’t need it to be gluten free, feel free to use whatever buns you prefer.

What do you do if you need a vegan pulled BBQ sandwich?

Jackfruit is a highly popular plant based option for meat replacement. It tears like meat and can take the place of pulled pork or chicken. Since our allergies are: wheat, dairy, egg, soy, peanut and tree nuts–all of my baking has to be vegan, but we do eat meat, so I haven’t had to experiment with it. Here’s a jackfruit BBQ sandwich recipe I found for you or a guest you might have that needs it to not only be gluten and dairy free, but vegan as well.

How do I make egg-free & vegan coleslaw?

If you have egg allergies like us, you probably thought you could no longer enjoy the nice crunch coleslaw adds to a pulled BBQ sandwich. Well, thankfully vegan mayos have come a long way and can now make a delightful coleslaw! These are the ingredients you need for an egg free coleslaw:

• One 10-oz package of shredded coleslaw mix
• 3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise 
• 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar 
• 1.5 Tablespoons sugar 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Simply wait to assemble until right before serving, as it will become runny if made too far in advance. Stir all of the ingredients and taste and adjust sugar, salt or pepper as needed. See above for which vegan mayonnaise I recommend.

**If you don’t need it to be egg free and vegan, simply use regular mayo at the same amount!

If you have extra coleslaw leftover, you can try this Cabbage Salad from Sunkissed Kitchen. (Omit the almonds and sesame seeds if needed.)

What fries go well with a pulled chicken sandwich, that are also allergy-friendly?

We love to have some sweet potato fries with our BBQ chicken sandwiches. Since BBQ is a southern thing, it feels right to have sweet potatoes incorporated somehow. Plus, sweet potato fries are more nutritious than their Russet cousins.

Again, you could make your own, but since I want this to be a totally store-bought meal, we really enjoy Alexia Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato Fries with Sea Salt and Black Pepper. Those are the fries featured in the photos.

These are great because they’re allergy friendly, but also a “regular” food to serve to anyone whether they have food allergies or not.

What sides go best with instant pot pulled BBQ chicken?

Here are our favorite sides that go well with instant pot pulled BBQ chicken:

• Instant Pot Bacon & Brown Sugar Baked Beans (from my instant pot cookbook)
• Sweet potato fries (see above)
• Potato chips (we like plain Lays if you need an allergy friendly variety)
• Sliced watermelon
• Corn on the cob (I have a way to do this in the instant pot in my cookbook!)
• Gluten Free Dairy Free Cornbread
• Roasted Cauliflower Pasta Salad
• Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake

And, if you can do beef (my son is allergic) I would totally recommend throwing in some brisket in your instant pot too (man I miss it!). My friend Running to the Kitchen has an instant pot brisket recipe for you to check out for another night. Or, if you’d rather use your air fryer, check out this Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast by Food Doodles.

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