Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Kalua Chicken
This tender, juicy, flavorful Pressure Cooker Kalua Chicken made with chicken thighs is a great alternative to Kalua Pork. You can have this easy Insta Pot meal on the table in 30 minutes.
Today’s recipe is adapted from a tasty new cookbook, The Easy 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Cookbook: 100 Delicious No-Fuss Meals for Busy People, written by my good friend and fellow food blogger Karen Petersen. Karen blogs at 365 days of Slow Cooking.
Karen loves both slow cooking and pressure cooking. You’ll find both Instant Pot (pressure cooker) recipes and slow cooker recipes on her site.
Her latest cookbook is filled with family friendly recipes. As I was looking through the cookbook, nearly every recipe in the cookbook I thought would make a great pressure cooker recipe as well.
So if you have the time and want to slow cook the recipes in your mult-cooker, that’s a great option as well. But if you are in a hurry, feel free to pressure cook the recipe instead.
Making Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Kalua Chicken
An Instant Pot is one of the most popular brands of electric pressure cookers. They are easy to use and your Instant Pot can help you create this Pressure Cooker Kalua Chicken!
My Kalua Pork recipe is super popular. It’s even in the Instant Pot Cookbook that comes with every Instant Pot purchased. I was attracted to this recipe in the cookbook because it’s similar to my Kalua Pork, but uses quicker cooking chicken thighs.
Chicken thighs are perfect for pressure cooking. Chicken thighs cooked in the pressure cooker (Instant Pot) are so tender and flavorful. The fat melts away from the meat and you’re left with the tender juicy meat.
Most grocery stores sell boneless, skinless chicken thighs that are recipe ready. I bought a big bag of frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs from Costco. I used frozen chicken thighs in the recipe, but if your chicken thighs are thawed, use the same cook time.
The day I was making this Kalua chicken recipe, I was running short on time, so I decided to pressure cook it instead of slow cooking it. It was easily converted, I add 1/2 cup of water so it wouldn’t have any trouble coming to pressure. But other than that, the recipe is very similar to the slow cooker version.
This recipe was a big hit with my family! I’m sure it will be with yours as well. Whether you slow cook it or pressure cook it. Enjoy!
Pressure Cooker Kalua Chicken
This tender, juicy, flavorful Pressure Cooker Kalua Chicken made with chicken thighs in a great alternative to Kalua Pork. You can have this easy pressure cooker meal on the table in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 slices of uncooked bacon
- 1/2 cup water (omit if slow cooking)
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 lbs. frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- Line the bottom of your pressure cooker with the bacon slices.
- Add water, salt and liquid smoke.
- Place frozen chicken thighs on top of the bacon.
- Lock lid in place. Select High Pressure and 12 minute cook time. When cook time ends, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then release any remaining pressure with a quick pressure release.
- Remove the chicken from the pressure cooking pot and shred with two forks (discard fat as you shredded). Transfer chicken to a bowl and add some of the juices from the pressure cooker to moisten the meat. Season the chicken with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve chicken as is or on slider buns or rolls.
Notes
Original Slow Cooker Directions:
- Line the bottom of the slow cooker with the bacon slices. Place the chicken thighs on top of the bacon. Sprinkle the salt and liquid smoke over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is very tender. (In the Instant Pot don't adjust the slow cooker setting to less.)
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Discard the bacon. Shred the chicken and place on a platter.
- Season the chicken with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the chicken with slider buns or rolls.
Other chicken recipes you might like:
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I’m surprised you don’t get a burn notice! I guess the bacon and chicken supply enough extra fluid to avoid that. And “discard bacon”??? I’d be SO temped to just chop it up and add to the chicken. I might try that…
Hi Bonnie – yes, the 1/2 cup of water and the liquid the chicken releases, is enough liquid to come to pressure.
Hi there! If I am using fresh chicken thighs, what would the cooking time be then?
Hi Delphina – you can reduce the cook time for fresh chicken thighs a couple of minutes. Enjoy!
How is this Kalua chicken WITHOUT any kalua?
Kālua means “to cook in an underground oven” not kahlua liquor – it’s a pressure cooker chicken version of this popular Hawaiian recipe https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-kalua-pork/ Enjoy!
is it me or is the ingredients not available?
Thanks for the heads up Devan. I’ve fixed the problem. Enjoy!
Hello, from a Native Hawaiian. I have decided that after I graduate college to eliminate red meat from my diet for health and ethic reasons. With all due respect, would it be possible to use turkey breast in this recipe?
Hi Elijah – generally chicken is not considered red meat.
Right, I just asked since I identify as a turkey-lover and kalua is typically made with pig, so would it be possible to use turkey instead of chicken breast in this recipe?
Gotcha – if you’re a turkey lover, then I think you’d love this recipe with turkey. What cut of turkey would you use?
Possibly the tenderloin
I love your Kalua Pork recipe, I can’t wait to try this one. Thank you for the fabulous dinners I have had.
That’s so nice – thanks Rose!
This was incredible! I had to tell my family it WASN’T pork. They said if I hadn’t they would not have known. Even the texture was the same. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thanks Jill – glad it was a hit!
Any changes to cook time if using chicken breast instead (frozen or thawed)?
Hi Tim – if you’re using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I would reduce the cook time to 8 minutes for thawed or frozen breasts. Enjoy!
Sorry I should have mentioned that I meant for slow cooker.
I think the cook time would be the same.
I made this today as part of my lunch/dinner weekly meal prep, and it is really good. I made three tweaks:
1. I used thawed thighs
2. I trimmed a lot of the fat off so the resulting liquid wouldn’t be as fatty, and I wouldn’t have to worry as much while shredding. [though if you let the liquid cool in the fridge, the fat would probably congeal on the top and be easy to remove, but I didn’t have time for that]
3. I cooked it for 6 minutes on high pressure, 10 minute NPR. It works just the same — the chicken is tender, cooked through and easy to shred. I did it this way because I did a PIP method. I put the thighs in the water on the bottom of the pot, put in the trivet, and then a bowl with basmati rice (1:1 ratio). This way I could get my rice and chicken cooked at the same time, in the same pot. I then sautéed a bunch of greens in garlic on my stove while waiting for it to cook. And no, my rice does not taste like liquid smoke 😉
Sounds like a great meal Stephanie. Thanks for sharing!
I can’t wait to give this a try. I have a ton of chicken breast in the refrigerator right now.
Hi Barbara,
Thanks so much for writing about my cookbook! I’m glad you like it. And I love how you made this in the pressure cooker. I love how slow cooker recipes and pressure cooker recipes can be easily interchangeable. I am going to try this soon in the instant pot. I have all the ingredients on hand!
Karen
I’ve never made Kalua pork OR chicken….I think it’s the liquid smoke that deters me. Is this very smoky tasting? Know what I mean? If not, I should give it a go. I always have boneless chicken thighs in the freezer and pressure cooking sure would make it quick and easy!
Carol,
I’m not fond of liquid smoke either but you might consider a couple of options. The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke. Try only 1/2 teaspoon or perhaps even 1/4 teaspoon of liquid smoke. Instead of liquid smoke, you might try applewood smoked sea salt or some other smoked salt for a lighter touch.
Thanks so much Razzy 7-I’ll give your suggestion a try. I was always afraid the dish would be too smoky tasting-same as everything else I guess….start with a little then add a touch more if you want. Gotta tell ya, I was the same way with fish sauce—so afraid to use it and the first time I did in a recipe I thought gee, why didn’t I just jump in and try this a long time ago? It adds great flavor without the dish tasting fishy like I thought it would.
Barbara, love your recipes, have your cookbook also! Thanks so much!
( want to tell you that I think I have the same silver ring with gold heart on it, I love it!
Robert Redford catolog. )
There were 10 ads before I got to the re pie. And several more after. I’m pretty sure I won’t open up posts like this again. There was more add space than post space. Please reconsider.
Hi Carol – sorry you don’t like the ads. Blogging is my full time job so they are necessary for me to continue to give free pressure cooker recipes and free pressure cooking advice.