This sweet potato and bbq chicken quesadilla uses an instant pot to make easily shreddable pulled chicken. The sweet potato pairs perfectly with the hot and smokey bbq sauce, and it’s so easy to make!
I have long known that sweet potato and bbq chicken go together like Regis and Kelly…well, before the falling out. I think it all started for me when I tried a baked sweet potato stuffed with slow-cooked pulled bbq chicken at a county fair a few years ago.
It must have been really good because I remember it to this day! The sweetness of the bbq sauce lends a hand to the mild sweetness of the sweet potato. The sweet potato was grilled and the bbq chicken must have been smoked and slow-cooked for DAYS.
Thankfully, this sweet potato and bbq chicken quesadilla recipe takes under an hour to make!
Who has time to slow cook their chicken for 8-10 hours anyway?! Also, I don’t know about you, but I have a difficult time keeping the bbq sauce from overcooking when slow cooking bbq chicken.
INSERT INSTANT POT.
The instant pot completely takes away from this fear of getting burnt, over-evaporated sauce by pressure cooking the bbq chicken in a little bit of chicken broth. The pressure cooker needs liquid to build pressure in the pot, and this also prevents the chicken and sauce from drying out!
Ohh, and the best part?… It only takes 18 minutes.
Tips:
If you are in need of an instant pot, this is the model I use! Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saute, Yogurt Maker, and Warmer, 6 Quart
Sweet Potato And BBQ Chicken Quesadilla
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
- 3/4 cup bbq sauce (I used 1/2 sweet baby Ray's and 1/2 guchujang bbq sauce)
- 2 large raw chicken breasts, cut into large strips
- 1 cup guacamole, home made or store bought
- 1 avocado, sliced very thin
- 4 large tortilla wraps (I used whole wheat, but you can use whatever kind you want)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (or veggie broth or water)
- 1 tsp onion powder or dried onion
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 tsp light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp butter (or coconut oil or olive oil)
- Optional: 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
- Optional: dollop of sour cream or plain greek yogurt
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water, and season with salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil.
- In your pressure cooker, add these ingredients in this order: Chicken broth, chicken breasts, onion powder, paprika, brown sugar and bbq sauce. This is so the bbq sauce does not burn on the bottom of the pressure cooker. Do not stir.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker in the sealed position, and pressure cook on high for 18 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes after done to allow the pressure to decrease.
- While the chicken is cooking, carefully toss the chopped sweet potato into the boiling water. Cook until a fork goes easily through the sweet potato, about 15 minutes.
- Once the sweet potato is cooked, drain the water and mash the sweet potatoes using a hand masher.
- When the chicken is done and the pressure safely released, open the lid and carefully pull the chicken using 2 forks.
- Now build your quesadilla: On one tortilla, smear a layer of mashed sweet potato. On the other tortilla, smear a layer of guacamole. Place half of the thin sliced avocados over the guacamole. Now top the guacamole with the pulled bbq chicken. If you are choosing to use cheese, sprinkle the cheese over the bbq chicken. Now place the tortilla with the sweet potato on top, and repeat steps with the second set of tortillas.
- Heat 1/2 a tbsp of butter in a large skillet (large enough to fit the quesadilla). Once hot enough, safely place one quesadilla in the skillet. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes depending on heat. Now flip to cook the other side, making sure to add 1/2 tbsp butter to the pan. To do this, I placed a large baking sheet over the pan and flipped the pan quickly. I then transferred the quesadilla back to the pan.
- Cook until done, another 4-5 minutes, then transfer to a plate using 2 spatulas. Repeat the process with the second quesadilla.
- Cut each quesadilla into 6 equal pieces! Option to place a dollop of sour cream or plain greek yogurt on top.
Notes
- The most difficult part of this recipe is flipping the quesadilla without losing all of the filling. Since my pan was so large, I placed a baking sheet over the top of the pan and CAREFULLY flipped the pan, keeping the sheet in contact with the pan the entire time. If you have a plate large enough to cover the pan, this would be much easier. You can also try to flip it using 2 spatulas, however I find this to yield a much larger mess.
- If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can absolutely slow cook the chicken with the bbq sauce. I recommend adding a small amount of chicken broth or water to the slow cooker so the bbq sauce does not burn.
Purple Rice