This post is brought to you by Driscoll’s and TheFeedFeed, though all opinions and recipes are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support A Simple Pantry!
When it comes to quick meals, chicken isn’t usually at the top of my list. There’s the browning, and baking, and if you want it done faster you still have to spend some considerable minutes cutting your chicken into bites before cooking.
I’m tired just thinking about it!
But fear not my fellow foodies; whether you are preparing for Mother’s Day or Memorial Day, I’ve got the perfect recipe for you.
We’re breaking out of the bland zone and into flavortown with these super easy Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Sliders.
I know, I know. You’re sitting there thinking, “Karly, have you lost your mind? There is nothing spectacular about plain ol’ BBQ chicken sliders. Pssssssh.”
And I hear that, fo sho. Which is why these sliders are anything but your plain Jane slider.
We’re making a blackberry jalapeño BBQ sauce!
If you know me as well as I know me, then you know I had to tap Driscoll’s and their amazing blackberries for this recipe. As you may know from my pulled pork quesadillas, each Driscoll’s berry is naturally bred through cross-pollination, which is a technique that has been used for thousands of years!
Driscoll’s picks the top 1% of berry varieties to sell under their name, so you know you are getting the best berries for your recipes.
There are two ways to approach making the sauce for this recipe. One, using less berries and running it through a high-powered blender to pulverize the seeds, or; two, using more berries and pressing the sauce through a sieve to remove the seeds completely.
I went with option one.
Once the blackberries are turned into liquid gold, you can finish the sauce with the remaining ingredients and then slather them all over that waiting chicken.
To make quick meals like this one, you’re going to skip the stove, the oven, and the slow cooker and reach straight for the Instant Pot.
Throw the chicken right on in there, slather it with your blackberry BBQ sauce, then pile on some onion, garlic, and of course, some jalapeño. Add a little water as necessary for sealing, then you’re on your way to moist, shred-able chicken in just minutes.
I like to shred the chicken right inside the Instant Pot with my handheld mixer. That way it just sits in the noms and soaks up all the extra flavorful juices.
Pile that chicken up high on a hearty bun, layer it with your favorite additions like bacon, some sliced jalapeño, and Monterey jack cheese! Sometimes I even slather on some honey mustard.
Yum.
Make yo mama proud this Mother’s Day, or be the life of the party on Memorial Day, with quick meals, chicken, and all the Driscoll’s berries you can get your hands on!
Let’s eat!
Instant Pot Blackberry Jalapeño BBQ Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
For the Blackberry Sauce
- 18 oz Driscoll’s Blackberries, (3) 6 oz. containers
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For the Chicken Sliders
- 10 ounces blackberry sauce
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 ½ tablespoon molasses
- ¾ tablespoon dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½-1 cup water
- 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 jalapeños, sliced thin
- 6 slices monterey jack cheese
- 6 slices cooked bacon, optional
- 6 sturdy buns
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the blackberry sauce ingredients and stir gently. Bring the heat up to medium-low and allow the berries to gently cook until they release their juices, breaking the berries apart as they cook, until thickened, around 20-25 minutes. Let cool, then blend or puree in a high-powered blender or food processor until smooth, around 3 minutes. Sauce can be prepared in advance and stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Next, Iin a medium-sized bowl, add the blackberry sauce, balsamic vinegar, ketchup, molasses, dijon, and salt, and whisk to combine.
- In the bottom of a 6-qt Instant Pot, add ½-1 cup water as needed for sealing, then layer the chicken in the bottom. Top the chicken with the blackberry BBQ sauce, then pile on the onion, garlic, and jalapeños. Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 15 minutes, then allow to naturally release for 10 minutes before venting and opening the Instant Pot. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees, then use a hand-mixer or two forks to shred the chicken inside the Instant Pot.
- Pile the shredded chicken onto sturdy buns and add your favorite toppings such as bacon and monterey jack cheese, and serve!
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