These Instant Pot Jerk Chicken Sandwiches have a deliciously spicy blend of Jerk seasonings dry-rubbed & marinated in flavorful juices.

The chicken is shredded after cooking & served with Pepper jack cheese on slider buns.

Ingredients in Jerk Chicken Rub

It takes a lot of seasoning to create a delicious dry rub for pulled chicken sandwiches. It’s worth it and this dry rub creates a flavorful and memorable sandwich.

• Ground Cinnamon
• Ground Allspice
• Salt
• Ground Nutmeg
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Cayenne Pepper
• Black Pepper
• Brown Sugar
• Parsley
• Paprika
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Cumin
• Thyme

Ingredients in Chicken Marinade

There is plenty of thin liquid in this marinade for these Instant Pot Jerk Chicken Sandwiches so there is no need for water or chicken broth during pressure cooking. The lemon juice and the orange juice is more than enough to allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure.

• Lemon juice
• Molasses
• White distilled vinegar
• Orange Juice
• Soy sauce
• Garlic cloves
• Ground ginger
• Scotch Bonnet or Serrano peppers

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How to Make Shredded Instant Pot Jerk Chicken Sandwiches

It’s simple to make Instant Pot jerk chicken sandwiches in the Instant Pot all it takes are a few simple steps.

Create the jerk chicken dry rub- In a small bowl, combine the ground cinnamon, ground allspice, salt, nutmeg, garlic powder, onion, powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, brown sugar, paprika, parsley, red pepper flakes, cumin, and thyme together. Stir to combine well.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and if needed, slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise if too thick. This will not affect your pressure cooking time, it is just to ensure that you get as much flavor and seasoning on your chicken as possible.

Sprinkle and rub the seasonings into the chicken generously on all sides.

Sear the chicken- Set the Instant Pot to sauté and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chicken and sear on one side, flip, and sear on the other side. You may need to do this in batches. Press cancel, remove the seared chicken from the inner liner and scrape the bottom of the inner liner to remove any stuck-on bits. This step is very important as it will prevent a burn notice from occurring.

Make the marinade- Combine the lemon juice, molasses, white vinegar, orange juice, soy sauce, garlic cloves, ground ginger, and a sliced Serrano pepper. Stir to combine the ingredients well.

TIP: A garlic press is a great kitchen tool to mince fresh garlic.

Prepare the chicken for pressure cooking by replacing the chicken back into the inner liner and pouring the marinade on top of the chicken.

RELATED: Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken Chili

Pressure cook the jerk chicken- Close the lid and ensure the vent is closed as well. Set the timer to 12 minutes. Once the Instant Pot is done pressure cooking, allow it to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure. If you perform a quick release, it will result in dry and not juicy chicken.

Shred the chicken- Usually, I would recommend shredding the chicken using a hand mixer but two forks work great to shred the chicken into thicker strips than a hand mixer.

Transfer the shredded chicken to a plate and discard the liquid in the Instant Pot.

Prepare the Instant Pot Jerk Chicken Sandwiches – I like to put pepper jack cheese on my jerk pulled chicken sandwiches and serve them on slider buns but can choose to omit the pepper jack cheese or top with something else. Serve with your favorite side.