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!

BBQ pulled chicken made as a sandwich loaded with coleslaw.

CROCKPOT BBQ CHICKEN-

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, so good.

Check out our Instant Pot Pulled Chicken where we make pulled chicken with a white sauce rather than bbq sauce.

BBQ pulled chicken in a black slow cooker toppped with freshly chopped greens.

INGREDIENTS-

With just a few basic ingredients you can have this delicious dish slow cooking in no time!

  • Chicken– You want to use boneless skinless chicken breast.
  • Onion– We love adding finely chopped onion to the barbecue mixture for more flavor.
  • Garlic– You cannot go wrong with freshly minced garlic! You can also use garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand. 
  • Seasoning– For the seasoning, we use salt, paprika, and chili powder. You can also add your favorite seasonings.
  • Brown Sugar– We love adding brown sugar to this dish, giving the sauce a sweet yet tangy taste.
  • Hot Sauce– We add sriracha to this recipe for a slight kick, if you do not like spicy you can leave it out!
  • BBQ– Use your favorite barbecue sauce for this recipe. We love Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue sauce.
How to make slow cooker pulled chicken in a crock pot.

HOW TO MAKE PULLED CHICKEN-

  1. Sauce– In a bowl, combine the onion, garlic, seasonings, brown sugar, hot sauce, and barbecue sauce.
  2. Combine– Add the chicken breasts into the slow cooker and pour the barbecue mixture over the chicken breast.
  3. Cook– Close the lid and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4, or until the chicken breast is cooked.
  4. Shred– Remove the chicken from the crockpot and with two forks shred apart the chicken. Add back into the crockpot and mix to combine with the bbq sauce.
  5. Serve and enjoy!

HOW TO SERVE-

There are several different ways that you can serve this bbq pulled chicken! Here are a few of our favorites:

BBQ pulled chicken in a sandwich with coleslaw.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS-

When do I know my chicken is cooked?

The internal temperature of cooked chicken should read 165°F.

How do I store leftovers?

Refrigerate leftover chicken in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

How to reheat pulled chicken?

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.

Can I substitute the chicken breast?

Yes, you can substitute the chicken breast for boneless chicken thighs. You can also use both chicken breast and chicken thighs together.

Can I make the shredded chicken ahead of time?

Yes! Make the shredded chicken up to 2 days ahead of time and just reheat it in the oven before serving.

Can I freeze BBQ chicken?

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.

BBQ pulled chicken with a metal fork topped with fresh greens.

MORE CROCK POT RECIPES-

BBQ Crockpot Pulled Chicken

Author: Valentina
Print
5 from 3 votes
This is the best recipe for the BBQ Crockpot Pulled Chicken! Chicken breast 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!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

pulled chicken-

  • Place chicken into the slow cooker.
  • In a bowl, combine garlic, chopped onion, paprika, salt, brown sugar, chili powder, hot sauce, and barbecue.
  • Spread the barbecue mixture over the chicken.
  • Cook chicken for 3-4 hours on high, or 6-7 hours on low.
  • Once the chicken is cooked, with two forks pull apart the chicken into thin strands. Mix in with the barbecue.
  • Serve as desired and enjoy.

Nutrition

315kcal Calories32g Carbs25g Protein8g Fat1g Saturated Fat75mg Cholesterol1316mg Sodium647mg Potassium1g Fiber25g Sugar475IU Vitamin A11.8mg Vitamin C43mg Calcium1.1mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
BBQ Crockpot Pulled Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 315 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 75mg25%
Sodium 1316mg57%
Potassium 647mg18%
Carbohydrates 32g11%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 25g28%
Protein 25g50%
Vitamin A 475IU10%
Vitamin C 11.8mg14%
Calcium 43mg4%
Iron 1.1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
(The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)