Skip to Content

Instant Pot Honey BBQ Chicken Tacos + Pineapple Avocado Salsa

OK y’all, I promise I’m going to get to this Instant Pot Honey BBQ Chicken Tacos recipe ASAP, but first I need to address the elephant in the room.

I KNOW I haven’t been writing regularly.

I’m not gonna lie to you. Parenting a toddler and a baby is no joke. It has pushed me right up to the edge of my sanity, and consumed every second of every day. (But in a good way… for the most part.)

The Instant Pot has been the ONLY thing keeping my family fed. Nearly every meal has come out of it. Thank the LORD for this device that offers endless dump-and-go possibilities for those nights when you just can’t be tied to the kitchen all evening.

I’ve been sticking to our old standbys, like Italian Sausage Pasta and Crack Chicken. I can practically make them in my sleep, and they require minimal effort and mess. (Uh, not to mention… my family LOVES them.) No brainer.

Creating unique and fun new meals just hasn’t been a priority this past year – surviving has been.

But, we celebrated the baby’s first birthday last week (cue breakdown here 😭), and I’m actually starting to feel like I’m getting my feet back under me again. Which means: back to writing and cooking and being an almost-fully-functioning member of society again!

Since my 3-year-old has decided his ideal flavor palette consists only of chicken fingers, microwave mac ‘n cheese, and fruit, and my baby has a dairy intolerance, I’ve struggled to find new meals that can make the entire family happy.

Enter… Instant Pot Honey BBQ Chicken Tacos: family-friendly AND flavorful!

I’m still all about that Instant Pot life, so of course, that’s where I started when on this quest for the perfect family-pleasing meal.

Instant Pot Honey BBQ Chicken Tacos + Pineapple Avocado Salsa

I knew I needed this mythical perfect meal to be flavorful, quick, with simple ingredients, and most importantly, limited clean up. If there’s anything to turn me away from a meal, it’s the prospect of a sink full of dishes looming at the end of it.

These sweet and savory Honey BBQ Chicken Tacos fit the bill. They’re packed with flavor, so the adults (and food-loving babies) in your family will actually get to enjoy it, but nothing overpowering that the persnickety toddler in the house will – ahem – decline the meal (read: throw a massive tantrum and refuse to anything but Goldfish for the remainder of the night).

Pineapple Avocado Salsa

These Honey BBQ Chicken Tacos are made even better with a surprisingly delicious Pineapple & Avocado Salsa. It’s the perfect addition to push the meal over the top – even for the toddler, who was ecstatic that he got to put fruit on TOP of his chicken. What a world!

Instant Pot Honey BBQ Chicken Tacos + Pineapple Avocado Salsa

In fact, when I was mixing the ingredients for the salsa together, my husband looked over and said, “this looks weird.”

After I clocked him in the jaw for critiquing the first meal I’d taken a risk on in 12 months, I told him to just trust me and try it. He knew better than to try and argue at that point.

Once he tried it, he was sold – he professed his love for me and declared his undying trust in all my future decision-making. OK, fine, maybe not, but he did declare his undying trust in all my future salsa making, because this stuff is LEGIT.

Instant Pot Honey BBQ Chicken Tacos + Pineapple Avocado Salsa

So don’t let this somewhat unconventional combination of ingredients scare you away. Just put your undying trust in my salsa skills and TRY IT.

Can I make this in a slow cooker instead of a pressure cooker?

Of course! To make this in a slow cooker instead of a pressure cooker, simply combine the first 5 ingredients in the slow cooker, and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until chicken is fully cooked and easy to shred. Then follow the rest of the recipe as written!

Can I use frozen chicken in the Instant Pot?

You sure can! You should be able to use the exact same cook time; it will just take a little bit longer for the IP to reach pressure. It doesn’t always shred as easily when the chicken cooks from frozen, so I prefer already thawed chicken, buuuut we’ve all forgotten to take chicken out of the freezer a time or two, so do whatcha gotta do!

What kind of barbecue sauce works best for these Honey Barbecue Chicken Tacos?

Any will work – choose your family’s favorite! I typically use Sweet Baby Ray’s original flavor.

Do I need to add water to the Instant Pot?

Nope – no water needed for this recipe. The Instant Pot usually requires about 1 cup of liquid to reach pressure, so the barbecue sauce and honey mixture is enough for this one.

Leave me a comment if you have any other questions when you make these Instant Pot Honey BBQ Chicken Tacos for your family!

Instant Pot Honey BBQ Chicken Tacos + Pineapple Avocado Salsa
Instant Pot Honey BBQ Chicken Tacos + Pineapple Avocado Salsa

Instant Pot Honey BBQ Chicken Tacos + Pineapple Avocado Salsa

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 39 minutes

Instant Pot Honey BBQ Chicken Tacos + Pineapple Avocado Salsa is the perfect weeknight meal -- easy, fast, and limited clean-up.

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 red peppers, sliced
  • 1 18 oz bottle bbq sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 16 oz pineapple, chopped
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 pkg taco sized tortillas, corn or flour

Instructions

  1. Place chicken, onions, and peppers in the liner of the Instant Pot.
  2. Top with BBQ sauce and honey, and stir gently to coat everything.
  3. Seal the Instant Pot, press "manual" (or high pressure, depending on your model), and set the timer to 14 minutes.
  4. While the Instant Pot cooks, make the salsa: mix together the pineapple, avocado, cilantro, and lime juice in a medium bowl.
  5. When the Instant Pot timer goes off, allow the pot to naturally release pressure for 8-10 minutes, then manually release anything that's left.
  6. Remove chicken from the pot, shred, and place back in the pot, gently stirring to evenly coat everything.
  7. Serve chicken on flour or corn tortillas, rice, or lettuce, top with salsa, and enjoy!

Notes

To make this in a slow cooker instead of a pressure cooker, simply combine the first 5 ingredients in the slow cooker, and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until chicken is fully cooked and easy to shred. Then follow the rest of the recipe as written!

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Did you try this recipe?

Let me know what you think! Leave me a comment on this post, or share a photo of your culinary masterpiece on Instagram (and be sure to tag me - @onehangrymama).

These Instant Pot Honey BBQ Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Avocado Salsa will blow your mind! Super easy, fast, and kid-friendly. TRY THEM!

Emily

Wednesday 23rd of June 2021

I’ve never had anything burn so badly in the instant pot before. Turned dinner into a disaster that was about an hour late...

Kalyn Denny

Sunday 18th of August 2019

I am planning to feature this recipe in a mini round-up of Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Barbecued Chicken Tacos on my site Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker. It will just be your photo plus a description and link to get the recipe. I always assume bloggers are okay with being featured in that way, but let me know if you have any problem with it. (And no need to publish this comment, thanks!)

Nicole Hood

Friday 3rd of May 2019

I want tacos so badly now! These looks ah-mazing!

Peachy

Thursday 2nd of May 2019

Oh this looks good and totally made me crave tacos!!

Michelle Jolene

Wednesday 1st of May 2019

This looks so good! I'm a sucker for anything mexican and anything with pineapple!

Skip to Recipe