Valentina Ablaev
This is the best recipe for the BBQ Crockpot Pulled Chicken! Chicken breast is slow-cooked in a tangy barbecue sauce, making the juiciest chicken. This slow cooker recipe is the ultimate comfort food and perfect for busy weeknights!
Everyone loves a classic barbecue pulled pork sandwich, and we’ve found a way to recreate the incredible flavors using chicken. Barbecue sauce may also be added to an easy crockpot roast for slow-cooked BBQ beef. Our crockpot crack chicken recipe makes an incredible sandwich, all with the use of a crockpot!
This pulled chicken recipe is so easy to make. Just 5 minutes of prep time and the crockpot does the rest of the work! The chicken breast becomes tender and juicy, and the sweet and tangy BBQ sauce brings this recipe together. This chicken is BEST served between sandwich buns and creamy coleslaw just like our pulled pork bbq sandwich.
Check out our Instant Pot Pulled Chicken, where we make pulled chicken with a white sauce rather than BBQ sauce.
Ingredients:
With just a few basic ingredients, you can have this delicious dish slow cooking in no time!
Chicken – boneless, skinless chicken breast works best as it shreds perfectly.
Seasoning – a salt, paprika, and chili powder blend.
Brown sugar – adds a light sweetness to the chicken.
Hot sauce – add a spicy kick with your favorite hot sauce. BBQ – your favorite BBQ sauce makes this chicken saucy and delicious.
How to Make Crockpot Pulled Chicken:
- Sauce– Combine the onion, garlic, seasonings, brown sugar, hot sauce, and barbecue sauce in a bowl.
- Combine– Add the chicken breasts into the slow cooker and pour the barbecue mixture over the chicken breast.
- Cook– Close the lid and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4, or until the chicken breast is cooked.
- Shred- Remove the chicken from the crockpot, and, with two forks, shred apart the chicken. Add it back into the crockpot and mix it to combine with the BBQ sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions:
You can serve this bbq crockpot pulled chicken in several ways! Here are a few of our favorites:
- Pulled Chicken Sandwich– Traditional way on a bun with homemade coleslaw.
- Quesadillas– Add chicken to tortillas with cheese and make a spicy chicken quesadilla.
- Salad– Use as a topping for a cobb salad.
- Tacos– Make chicken tacos by adding other favorite toppings.
- Wraps– Make lettuce wraps with them.
- Pasta– Add to cooked pasta for a quick, easy dinner.
- Sliders– Make pull-apart cheesy sliders with the meat.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS-
The internal temperature of cooked chicken should read 165°F.
Refrigerate leftover chicken in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
To reheat, just add the chicken to a skillet and cook on low heat until warm (add more barbecue if needed). You can also reheat the chicken in the oven until warm.
Yes, you can substitute the chicken breast for boneless chicken thighs. You can also use both chicken breast and chicken thighs together.
Yes! Make the shredded chicken up to 2 days ahead of time and just reheat it in the oven before serving.
Yes! This chicken freezes great! Once the pulled chicken is cooled, add it to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat.
More Crock Pot Recipes
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BBQ Pulled Chicken in the Crockpot (Perfect for Sandwiches)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, boneless skinless
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp hot sauce
- 1 1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Add the chicken. Place the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot.
- Prepare the sauce. In a bowl, mix the garlic, onion, paprika, salt, chili powder, brown sugar, hot sauce, and barbecue sauce until smooth and well combined.
- Coat the chicken. Pour the barbecue mixture over the chicken, making sure it is evenly covered.
- Slow cook. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours, until the chicken is tender and shreds easily.
- Shred the chicken. Using two forks, pull the chicken into thin strands and stir it into the sauce until evenly coated.
- Serve. Serve the chicken as desired. We love it on toasted buns, making for the perfect BBQ chicken sandwich.
Notes
- Don’t overcook. Cook the chicken just until it’s done so it stays juicy and doesn’t dry out.
- Shred the chicken. Shred the chicken directly in the cooking liquid so it soaks up all that BBQ flavor.
- Use a thermometer. For best results, cook until the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Let it rest. Give the chicken a few minutes after cooking before shredding so it’s easier to handle.
- Storage. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Warm on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of BBQ sauce if needed.
- Freeze. Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
