These BBQ chicken bowls are loaded with so much goodness: shredded BBQ chicken, seasoned cubed sweet potatoes roasted until crisp, a simple coleslaw, and quick homemade dill pickles. They’re healthy and filling and surprisingly quick and easy. Whole30 and paleo, too.
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Why This Whole30 BBQ Chicken Bowl Is So Good!
- These paleo and Whole30 BBQ bowls are incredibly flavorful with seasoned sweet potatoes, cool and crunchy coleslaw, and tangy dill pickles. So filling and healthy and an amazing flavor combo!
- The homemade dill pickles are surprisingly simple, fast, and absolutely elevate this bowl to the next level!
- These BBQ chicken bowls with sweet potatoes and coleslaw are super easy to make thanks to an Instant Pot or slow cooker, but can easily be made without either one.
How To Make Whole30 BBQ Chicken Bowls With Sweet Potatoes And Coleslaw:
- Preheat the oven to 425º F.
- For the sweet potatoes, toss the potatoes, chili powder, cinnamon, and avocado or refined coconut oils on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Stir them well before returning to the oven. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until they are browning on edges, but not too crunchy or crisp.
- Make BBQ chicken by combining all the ingredients in an Instant Pot (see notes for regular shredded chicken or if using a slow cooker). Seal and cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes. Quick-release when the time is up. Shred the chicken breasts with two forks or use a hand mixer on low speed. Turn on Sauté mode and heat for 5 minutes until the chicken is coated in sauce.
- While the sweet potatoes roast, combine all the pickle ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- To make the coleslaw, mix all ingredients other than the coleslaw mix in a small bowl. Place the coleslaw mix in a medium bowl and pour the dressing over. Combine well, using your hands if desired.
- Assemble the bowls by dividing the sweet potatoes, BBQ chicken, and coleslaw evenly among 4 bowls. Top with a couple of pickle slices, and garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
How To Make BBQ Chicken Without An Instant Pot
- To make your chicken in a Crockpot, combine all your BBQ chicken ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook covered on High for 3 hours or Low for 5 hours.
- To make BBQ chicken without a slow cooker or Instant Pot, shred the chicken breasts with two forks, then place in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cover with 3/4 cup of BBQ sauce and stir until chicken is heated through and the sauce is absorbed. Add more sauce if desired.
Top Tips For Making BBQ Chicken With Sweet Potatoes And Coleslaw
- Make sure to use Whole30-compliant barbecue sauce if you want true Whole30 BBQ bowls. My recipe is a great option if you want to make your own!
- When making the BBQ chicken, if you do not have Italian dressing, substitute 1 1/2 tablespoon oil, 1/2 tablespoon white or white wine vinegar, and a small pinch of Italian seasoning.
- You can substitute pickles bought from the store for the homemade ones (but I really, really recommend the homemade version). If you’re using store-bought pickles, use high-quality cold pickles, not the bright yellow sort from the aisles.
- You can store any leftover coleslaw mix to use in other dishes besides these Whole30 BBQ bowls. Drain excess liquid and save for another use in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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BBQ Chicken Bowls with Sweet Potatoes, Coleslaw, and Pickles
A healthy and filling bowl of BBQ chicken, sweet potatoes, coleslaw, and homemade dill pickles. Surprisingly simple and quick to make but packed full of flavor. Whole30 and paleo.
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Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
For the BBQ Chicken
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1 ¼ pounds
- ¾ cup Whole30 BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons Italian dressing see Notes
- salt to taste
- or about 2 1/2 cups shredded BBQ chicken or pork
For the Sweet Potatoes
- 2 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- dash of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon avocado or refined coconut oil
For the Quick Dill Pickles
- Sprig of fresh dill
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ English cucumber sliced thin
- Pinch yellow mustard seeds
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup white or white wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon salt
- OR use ¼ cup sliced cold dill pickles See Notes
For the Coleslaw
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 14-ounce bag shredded coleslaw mix see Notes
To Garnish
- Fresh chopped parsley
- Dry BBQ seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º F. Make sweet potatoes: On a baking sheet, toss all ingredients and roast for 20 m. After 20 minutes, stir well, then return to oven. Bake another 10-15 minutes or until browning on edges but not too crunchy or crisp.
- Make the pickles: While sweet potatoes roast, combine all pickle ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Make BBQ chicken: Next, combine all ingredients in an Instant Pot. Seal and cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes. Quick release when time is up then shred chicken breasts with two forks or use a hand mixer on low speed. Turn on Sauté mode and heat for 5 minutes until chicken is coated in sauce. If you do not have an Instant Pot, see Note for regular shredded chicken or slow cooker directions.
- Make coleslaw: Mix all ingredients besides coleslaw mix in a small bowl. Place coleslaw mix in a medium bowl and pour dressing over. Combine well, using hands if desired.
- Assemble bowls: Divide sweet potatoes, BBQ chicken, and coleslaw evenly among 4 bowls. Top with a couple pickle slices. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
- Cooking chicken in a Crockpot: Combine all your BBQ chicken ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook covered on High for 3 hours or Low for 5 hours.
- To make without a slow cooker or Instant Pot: Shred 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts with two forks, then place in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cover with 3/4 cup of BBQ sauce and stir until chicken is heated through and sauce is absorbed. Add more sauce if desired.
- Whole30: Make sure you are using Whole30-compliant BBQ sauce.
- If you don’t have Italian dressing for BBQ chicken: Substitute 1 1/2 tablespoon oil, 1/2 tablespoon white or white wine vinegar, and a small pinch of Italian seasoning.
- Using store-bought pickles instead of homemade: Use high-quality cold pickles, not the bright yellow sort from the aisles.
- To save extra coleslaw: Drain excess liquid and save for another use in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 503kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 15gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 2500mgPotassium: 780mgFiber: 6gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 9797IUVitamin C: 42mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 2mgNet Carbs: 40g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.
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Natasha says
So yummy! This was so easy and I did cheat a little and bought fresh dills from deli. But will definitely make this again. Perfect for summer.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
You can never go wrong with fresh dills! Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Natasha!
Cheryl Mckenna says
Great meal and amazing combination but the prep time is so much longer than listed. Plan accordingly!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Cheryl, and sorry you experienced some difficulty with the meal prep side of it! We strive to create recipes that are easy to follow and to make at home, but we understand meal prepping can be tedious. Thanks for your honest review!
Kristina says
My whole family enjoyed this! Thank you so much. We’ll have this on repeat now!
Megan | 40 Aprons Team says
LOVE to hear that! Thanks, Kristina!
Emily Workman says
really yummy and easy to make. love the mix of flavors. the cole slaw was very wet so id eyeball it a bit more next time instead of just following the measurements listed.
Cheryl Malik says
Glad you enjoyed the mix of flavors!
Mona Zaitooni says
This was good, but the first time we put it in the instant pot we got a burned food warning. We added a bit of water and it cooked fine after that. Wonder what we did wrong?
Amanda says
I have made this recipe atleast 6 times already. It is so good! The flavors all go together so well. I’m not a huge coleslaw person and this coleslaw recipe is perfect – not too much dressing and has the perfect flavor. My hubby prefers white potatoes only bc he doesn’t like the sweet potatoes while I make the sweet potatoes for myself. Either way you make it is delicious! Can’t rave abt this enough as it is now part of our regular meal rotation. Thank you!!!
Cheryl Malik says
Thank you for the wonderful review! So glad you loved this recipe.
Karen says
DELICIOUS!!! The whole family loved this, including my picky 86-year old father. It tastes good served cold too.
Cheryl Malik says
Thank you! So happy to hear your family enjoyed it.
Hannah says
Just made this for dinner! Delicious!! The flavors go so well together!! Will definitely be making this again!
Kim says
So delicious!! Will def be making again!
Anna says
This is such a great recipe! Our whole family loves it so much we have it a few time a month!
Elena Forschino says
So easy to make and my family loves it! Definitely adding it into our meal rotation!
Heidi says
I did the chicken in the crockpot and it turned out so good. I even accidentally added too much cumin to the bbq sauce and it was still awesome. I’m glad it made extra bbq sauce! Coleslaw on bbq chicken is a match made in heaven.
Alana says
Thanks for the great recipe! My husband and I have been trying the Whole30 diet for awhile now and this is one of our favorite recipes we’ve tried so far! I was wondering if this recipe is good frozen? Thanks again!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
We would honestly probably freeze only the chicken mixture and the sweet potatoes. Save everything else for when it’s thawed!
AW says
So good. It’s going to be a regular at my house.
Cynthia C. says
So tasty. Will be making again!!
Laura says
This recipe is fantastic! A quick and easy meal to throw together on a busy weeknight and no shortage of flavor. My boyfriend loved it too and said it tasted like a meal he would get at a BBQ joint. I will definitely be making this again!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Glad y’all liked it!
Caroline says
I’m not doing whole 30 so I used the Sweet Baby Ray’s sugar free BBQ sauce and skipped the pickles.
DELICIOUS! I will make this again and again. Thank you!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
That sounds awesome!
Twyla says
Fantastic recipe, thank you! This will now be one of my favorite Paleo recipes!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Great to hear!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Glad you enjoyed it!