Name: Instant Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken: Whole30, Paleo, Gluten-Free
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil; 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped; 1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped; 1 medium red onion, roughly chopped; Juice and pineapple from 1 (20 ounce) can of pineapple chunks, in 100% juice; 1/2 cup Primal Kitchen BBQ Sauce; 2 tablespoons coconut aminos; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 teaspoon ground ginger, or 2 teaspoons minced ginger; 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste; 1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste; Juice of 1/2 large lime, or 1 whole small lime; Optional: 1/2 tablespoon arrowroot flour, mixed into 2 tablespoons water, to thicken sauce; Optional, to garnish: chopped green onions, lime wedges, chopped cilantro, sliced jalapeño

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This Whole30 instant pot Hawaiian BBQ chicken recipe is so easy and quick and requires very little prep time. It all comes together in one pot in 30 minutes, and is also paleo, gluten-free and dairy-free. This Whole30 instant pot chicken breast recipe has a tangy sauce made from BBQ and pineapple that perfectly coats the bell peppers and onions and goes great mixed with rice or cauliflower rice.

This post is in partnership with Primal Kitchen. They’re giving you 10% off any of their products using the code “PALEOBAILEY” at checkout! I’m happy to work with a company I love, use and believe in so much. Thanks for your support here on the blog and your support for Primal Kitchen!

Related: 30 Whole30 Chicken Instant Pot Recipes

Whole Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Ingredients

This chicken instant pot recipe has a very simple and super easy ingredient list. With just a few simple ingredients, the result is surprisingly full of flavor! For the fresh items you’ll need a green bell pepper, a red bell pepper and a red onion. These should be roughly chopped in bite sized pieces.

You’ll also need a pound and a half of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which is about 2 large chicken breasts. The other fresh ingredient this recipe calls for is the juice of half of a large lime, or a whole lime if it’s on the smaller side.

The remaining ingredients include a 20 ounce jar of pineapple chunks, and you will need both the pineapple chunks and the pineapple juice. A small dash of coconut aminos, salt, pepper, garlic and ginger will also be added into your Hawaiian BBQ sauce, of course along with the BBQ. Adding arrowroot flour is an optional step used to thicken the sauce a bit at the very end.

For this recipe, you want to make sure you’re using a sugar-free BBQ sauce, and one that’s Whole30 compatible. We always use Primal Kitchen’s Whole30 Approved BBQ Sauce. The flavor is great, with the perfect amount of tang, and it’s smooth and thick. There’s no additives ever used, and it’s also Keto and Paleo Certified! You can grab it from their website, using the code PALEOBAILEY for a discount at checkout!

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Instant Pot Cooking Instructions

The instant pot already makes cooking easy, but this recipe takes that up a notch with how amazingly simple it is. You’ll start by putting your instant pot on sauté mode, and heating a bit of olive oil or avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, add in your diced chicken pieces and sauté them for about a minute per side.

They don’t need to be mostly browned or sautéed perfectly. This step helps to keep the chicken in whole pieces instead of shredding once they’re cooked. While the chicken is sautéing, combine the sauce ingredients in a small mixing dish. The BBQ sauce, coconut aminos, pineapple and lime juice and spices should be whisked until incorporated together.

Turn the instant pot off of sauté mode, and add the chopped peppers and onions over the chicken. Pour the sauce over top of the vegetables, and then dump in the pineapple. Do not stir it, and just place the lid on. You’ll set the valve to “sealing”, and program the cook time for 5 minutes on manual high pressure.

Just prior to the cook time being finished, you’ll want to combine your arrowroot flour with the water. A fork works best to whisk the flour into the water until it’s dissolved. Do a quick release on your instant pot to release the steam, and open up the lid.

Lastly, you will set the instant pot back onto sauté mode and pour in the flour dissolved in the water. This will be stirred into the sauce well, and it will start to bubble as it thickens. Turn off your instant pot and serve once it’s thickened to your preference.

Serving and Storing Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

For Whole30 Hawaiian BBQ chicken, you can serve it over cauliflower rice, broccoli rice, a cabbage slaw or just enjoy on it’s own with vegetable sides! If you’re not keeping it Whole30, this recipe is great over rice or quinoa. You can garnish your chicken with diced green onions, chopped cilantro, and fresh lime wedges.

Instant pot Hawaiian BBQ chicken stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days, and works great for meal prep. Before you store it in the refrigerator, ensure that it cools completely. Then you can portion it out into individual containers with air tight lids, or in one larger dish.

Substitutions and Additions

A few additions you can make to this instant pot Hawaiian BBQ chicken recipe include things like adding a teaspoon of liquid smoke, which really draws out the smoky BBQ flavor. If you’re not keeping this recipe Whole30, you can add a tablespoon of coconut sugar to make it a bit sweeter.

You can substitute out the green and red bell peppers for two of each, or any other color. If you want to add more vegetables, you can add broccoli florets or roughly chopped green onions (in about 1-inch pieces). Shredded carrots can also be added at the very end during the last sauté while the sauce is thickening.

Other Whole30 & Gluten Free Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love:

Instant Pot Cashew Chicken

Instant Pot Steak

5 Minute Chicken Meatballs and Marinara

Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli

Instant Pot Carnitas

Easy Instant Pot Taco Meat