Hawaiian BBQ chicken is an easy dump and cook Instant Pot meal that’s perfect as a sandwich filling or a topping for rice!

This easy Instant Pot Hawaiian BBQ chicken cooks quickly so you can enjoy a delicious BBQ dinner in under 30 minutes.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase, this site may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Are you ready for one of the easiest dinner recipes you will ever make? This Hawaiian barbecue chicken recipe is less complicated than doing the hula dance. In fact, it’s so easy you’ll be doing the hula in celebration!
This dump and start Hawaiian BBQ chicken recipe is perfect for celebrating long weekends, serving at a summer pool party, or making on a weeknight when you want an effortless and tasty, smoky-sweet chicken dish.
The crushed pineapple gives this easy Instant Pot chicken its Hawaiian flare. You can make it sweet or spicy depending on the BBQ sauce that you choose. I like to use Sweet Baby Ray’s Original sauce but the possibilities are endless.
And the best part is that you only need three ingredients; chicken, pineapple and barbecue sauce. You probably already have everything you need in your pantry.
This is sure to become one of your favorite Instant Pot chicken dinner recipes!
More BBQ and Hawaiian-style Meals You’ll Love:
- Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken and Rice Bowls
- Instant Pot BBQ Country Style Ribs
- Instant Pot Hawaiian Meatballs
- Instant Pot Hawaiian Boiled Peanuts
- Instant Pot Hawaiian Sloppy Joes

How to Serve Instant Pot BBQ Chicken with Pineapple
One of my favorite ways to serve this BBQ Hawaiian chicken is as a sandwich filling.
Grab a bun, pile on some of the pulled chicken and top it with your favorite toppings–a scoop of coleslaw, some sliced pepperoncini peppers, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, or a slice of provolone cheese are all great options.
When serving as a sandwich, you can serve this on regular-sized buns, but sliders are fun too, especially for little hands. And the sweet Hawaiian-style rolls are a great match for the flavors in this chicken sandwich.
Alternatively, you can scoop the chicken mixture over rice (I’m partial to this Instant Pot yellow rice) and serve it as a heartier main dish. Top it off with thinly sliced green onion and serve it with a side salad.
How to Make Pressure Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Chicken
It’s really easy to make this simple dump and start pineapple BBQ chicken.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Prepared BBQ sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray’s, but use whatever kind you like!)
- Canned crushed pineapple in juice
- Buns or sandwich rolls (optional)
- Rice (optional)

How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
Dump in the ingredients. First, you’ll place the chicken in the Instant Pot and pour over the BBQ sauce and the crushed pineapple. Give everything a gentle stir.

Cook the BBQ Chicken. Next, you’ll seal the instant pot and select 4 minutes at high pressure. When the cooking time is finished, allow for a natural pressure release.

Shred and serve. Last, you’ll remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Return it to the sauce and combine well before serving.

Notes and Adaptations:
- You can use frozen boneless chicken breasts! Simply increase the cook time to 15 minutes.
Recommended Equipment:
- Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker
Instant Pot Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken

This easy Hawaiian BBQ chicken cooks quickly in the Instant Pot, making a perfect sandwich filling or topping for rice!
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, each cut into three pieces of fairly uniform size
- 18-oz BBQ sauce of choice (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
- 2 8-oz cans crushed pineapple in juice
- For Serving: Buns or sandwich rolls, toppings as desired (cole slaw, provolone cheese, etc.), or cooked rice.
Instructions
- Place chicken breast pieces in the insert pot of the Instant Pot. Pour in BBQ sauce and pineapple, along with the juice from the cans.
- Stir gently to combine, so the juice will thin the BBQ sauce a bit. This helps it to not scorch during cooking.
- Close the lid and set the vent to the sealed position. Select a cook time of 4 minutes at high pressure.
- After the cook time is complete, allow a natural release of pressure. Once the pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully remove the lid.
- Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks, then return to the sauce, stirring to combine.
- Serve on buns and top with provolone cheese or cole slaw, if desired. You can also serve over rice.
Notes
If you are using frozen chicken breasts that haven't been cut into thirds, I recommend increasing the cook time to 15 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 337Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 1014mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 2gSugar: 40gProtein: 16g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

Get the Instant Pot Meal Plan Jumpstart

Join the free community and you'll learn simple ways to easily create tasty food for your family, as well as immediate access to the FREE Instant Pot Meal Plan Jumpstart to help you get a tasty dinner on the table in a flash!
"Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience in such a friendly and delightful way!!! So far, I'm very impressed with the results...thanks again for your guidance into this new realm of cooking!" -Margaret
Enter my free resource library for my latest printables and resources! Password is 'IHEARTMARGIN' -- please copy and paste that in at the link above. Thanks for being a subscriber!!
Leave a Reply