This quick homemade barbecue sauce is simmered with shredded cabbage, which becomes almost undetectable when paired with shredded chicken. It’s a nice way to increase your vegetable intake without much effort. Serve this tangy chicken with the crunchy slaw on top for a nice contrast of flavors and textures.
SERVES 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Pressurize: 6 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Quick Release
Total: 36 minutes
BARBECUED CHICKEN
½ yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar
¼ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
¼ head green cabbage, shredded (about 8 ounces)
SIMPLE SLAW
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ head green cabbage, shredded (about 8 ounces)
1 cup shredded carrot (about 1 large carrot)
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Butter lettuce or buns, for serving

1 To make the barbecued chicken, add the onion, garlic, vinegar, maple syrup, water, and soy sauce to the Instant Pot and stir to combine. Arrange the handled trivet in the bottom of the pot and place the chicken breasts on top. Season the breasts with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and several grinds of black pepper. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing. Select Manual/Pressure Cook to cook on high pressure for 12 minutes.
2 While the chicken is cooking, prepare the slaw. In a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, maple syrup, olive oil, salt, and several grinds of pepper and stir well. Add the cabbage, carrot, and parsley and toss to coat. Refrigerate the slaw to let the flavors meld while you finish preparing the chicken.
3 When the cooking cycle is complete, quickly release the pressure by moving the steam release valve to Venting . When the floating valve drops, remove the lid. Press Cancel and use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest. Use oven mitts to remove the trivet.
4 Press Sauté and add the tomato paste, molasses, mustard, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, and the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt to the sauce. Stir well, then add the cabbage. Simmer the cabbage in the sauce until very tender, about 8 minutes.
5 Once the cabbage is tender, use two forks to shred the chicken. Add it to the pot and stir well. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed; add more cayenne if you like it spicy.
6 To serve, scoop the barbecued chicken into lettuce cups or onto your favorite buns, with the chilled slaw on top. Serve any additional slaw on the side. Store leftovers in two separate airtight containers in the fridge.

The chicken will keep for 3 or 4 days, but the slaw is best used within 1 day.
MAKE IT VEGAN Omit the chicken and use green jackfruit instead. Jackfruit is a large tropical fruit with a green outer skin and a tender inside with a similar texture to artichoke hearts. It’s commonly sold in cans, so you just drain and rinse it to use in recipes that require a shredded texture, such as replacing pulled pork or shredded chicken.
Drain and rinse one 20-ounce can green jackfruit to remove the salty brine, then use your hands or two forks to shred it as you would cooked chicken. Add the jackfruit to the pot along with the rest of the sauce ingredients, and use only ½ teaspoon salt. Select Manual/Pressure Cook to cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, immediately move the steam release valve to Venting to quickly release the steam pressure. When the floating valve drops, remove the lid, stir in the cabbage, and simmer as instructed. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed, adding more salt or maple syrup.
MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE Use tamari instead of soy sauce.