Welcome to Instant Pot Thursday here at How to Feed a Loon! Every Thursday, we’ll be presenting you with a new and super delicious Instant Pot recipe. And Wow! Are we starting with an amazing one: This Italian Pulled Chicken Sandwiches recipe is nothing short of amazing. And it comes together in about 40 minutes! The Loon literally devoured this sandwich. And when he was done, he looked at me and said: “When we open the How to Feed a Loon Cafe…these are a MUST on the menu!”
Just look at these sandwiches!!
I just love using my Instant Pot to make over-the-top tender and delicious meals..in a fraction of the time it would take slow cooking in the oven or in a slow cooker.
I tweaked this recipe until it was perfect. Wow, these are so yummy.
The ingredients are simple but distinctly Italian.
The pancetta adds a wonderful depth to the flavor. If you can’t find pancetta, you can easily substitute good-quality thick-cut bacon.
The red wine, garlic, onion, tomatoes, stock, and Italian seasonings round out the flavor profile perfectly.
And in a matter of minutes, you will have the most tender chicken you could possibly imagine.
We’re not kidding when we tell you this chicken is fork-tender. I’m telling you, these Italian Pulled Chicken Sandwiches give my Pulled Pork Sandwiches a run for their money!
So deeply flavorful and so easy to prepare!
And just look at this Instant Pot Italian Pulled Chicken Sandwiches recipe!
This is one you will want to make over and over again.
You can also forgo shredding the chicken, and serve it over rice or pasta. Simply amazing!
Now, let’s make this amazing Instant Pot Italian Pulled Chicken sandwich!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of the dish, post it on Instagram, and tag @howtofeedaloon and hashtag #howtofeedaloon!
Instant Pot Italian Pulled Chicken Sandwich
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 oz diced pancetta
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup red wine
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 lbs chicken thighs skinless, boneless
- 8 slices mozzarella
- 1 18 oz. jar roasted red peppers sliced
- 8 Italian rolls
- 4 tablespoon butter softened
Instructions
- Select the Saute setting on your Instant Pot and heat the oil.
- Add the pancetta and cook until starting to become <g class="gr_ gr_113 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="113" data-gr-id="113">crisp,</g> about 3 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic to the pot and saute for another 3 minutes, until onions are soft.
- Add the tomatoes with their liquid, wine, stock tomato paste, salt and pepper, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf, and stir with a wooden spoon.
- Add the chicken to the pot and nestle the chicken into the sauce.
- Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing.
- Press the Cancel button to reset the cooking program, then select the Poultry (or Meat/Stew) setting and set the cooking time for 12 minutes at high pressure.
- Perform a quick release by moving the Pressure Release to Venting, or let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the pot. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a cutting board.
- To reduce the sauce, press the Cancel button and then select Saute and cook the sauce for about 12 minutes longer.
- Meanwhile, use two forks to shred the cooked chicken.
- Once the sauce has thickened somewhat, removed the bay leaf and add the shredded chicken back to the sauce.
- Butter the buns and toast them under the broiler for about 1 minute, until lightly toasted.
- Place a couple strips of roasted red pepper on each bottom half of the buns.
- Use tongs to place about 1 cup of the pulled chicken onto the red pepper.
- Top with cheese. At this point, you can return to the broiler to quickly melt the cheese, if desired.
- Top with remaining bun tops.
Nutrition
Shannon says
Oh My Goodness! These are fabulous and I am SO GLAD I found your website! I wanted a healthy chicken sandwich we could have using the Instant Pot and this was it! Not only was it healthy and easy it was delicious! I have two boys, 14 and 8 and along with my husband they all went nuts with the first bite! That doesn’t always happen!! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
krislongwell says
Hi Shannon! Oh, that is so wonderful to hear! That was our first Instant Pot recipe to post, and I have to say, it’s still one of our all-time favorites. And that is GREAT news that you boys and hubby liked it, too! Win!! Thanks so much for letting us know, and please stay in touch. All the best, Kris & Wesley