A simple recipe that shows you how to make Crock Pot BBQ chicken (also known as BBQ Pulled Chicken!) at home in your slow cooker! This is a quick, easy, and so flavorful recipe that’s perfect for any party, potluck, or picnic!
My oven broke earlier this week and as I type this it is currently in pieces across the kitchen while Zach works on repairing it. If all goes as planned, we’ll be back in the baking business by the end of the day, but just in case it doesn’t I have a batch of Crock Pot BBQ Chicken simmering in my slow cooker and ready to go for dinner tonight.
This Crock Pot BBQ Chicken has come in handy a lot this week while I’ve been oven-less, but it’s actually been my go-to dinner option for the past few summers. It’s a great and simple dinner option any time of the year, but especially during the summer when the weather’s too hot and humid for me to feel like turning on the oven.
Preparation involves the following:
- Pour BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s) and spices in crockpot.
- Add Chicken and cover with sauce.
- Cook. Shred. Enjoy.
Boom, done. Delicious.
And yes, I do use a pre-made BBQ sauce as the base for this recipe, though I also add other seasonings and spices to really develop the flavor. This is how I’ve made this Crock Pot BBQ Chicken for years and it keeps it simple, something you can toss together in the morning before you go to work without a second thought and it’ll be ready to serve when you walk back through the door in the evening.
That said I may also be working on developing my own BBQ sauce, which I’ll definitely link to whenever I get that down 100%… stay tuned.
Until then I’m sharing this well-tested and well-loved pulled chicken recipe, It tastes great on a fresh roll but I also enjoy eating it by the forkful out of a bowl, no roll required.
This recipe is so simple that I don’t have many tips to include today — it’s essentially foolproof, there are just a few FAQ’s I’d like to cover.
Can you overcook chicken in a slow cooker?
Yes, overcooking your chicken will result in meat that is tougher and drier than desired. For best results, monitor your chicken for it to reach a temperature of 160F and it should be easy to shred. For this recipe that means cooking it around 3-4 hours on high, or 6-7 hours on low.
What goes well with pulled chicken?
Most salads and side dishes go well with pulled chicken. These are my personal favorites:
Alright, wish me luck with my oven because this is a pretty nerve-wracking ordeal for me, seeing it in 20 pieces across my kitchen!
Enjoy!
How do you make pulled chicken in a crock pot?
Crock Pot BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 3.5 lbs (1.5 kg) boneless skinless chicken breast¹
- 2 cups BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's)
- ¼ cup (60 g) light or dark brown sugar packed
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Combine BBQ sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper in the basin of a slow cooker2 cups BBQ sauce, ¼ cup (60 g) light or dark brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Place chicken breast in sauce and use a spoon to cover with sauce.3.5 lbs (1.5 kg) boneless skinless chicken breast¹
- Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high 3-4 hours. Chicken is done when it is easily shredded with a pair of forks.
- Shred chicken and stir well to coat with BBQ sauce. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Mike Atteberry
Love this very delish! Thanks for sharing!
Sam
So glad you enjoyed the pulled chicken, Mike! 🙂
Kyle
I tried it. It was very easy and tasted great.
However, the chicken didn’t pull apart. After 3 hrs on high, it was fully cooked (temp wise) and soft enough to cut with a fork into bite size portions, but it wouldn’t come apart (to be shredded).
Where did I go wrong? (It was mostly thawed meat, if that matters – 12 hrs thawing in fridge.)
Sam
Hmm, I’ve never had it not shred before. My best guess would be that it could’ve used a bit more time in the crock pot.
Jim
Great recipe Sam!!!! i absolutely loved it. On a side note, you are so cute, cutest Sam i ever saw. Ha Ha
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the chicken, Jim! 🙂
Carla
This sounds amazing! If I double this, will I need to adjust the cook time at all? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Carla! I am not quite sure how doubling the recipe will affect the cook time. It may need a little longer to cook. The important thing is that the chicken reaches a safe temperature. 🙂
Amanda Lara
The bomb dighath! Danks.
Sam
So glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Karen M.
I made this for our July 4th celebration and it was delicious! My kids and grandkids absolutely LOVED it!!!!! A definite keeper for our recipe file.
Sam
Yay! I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you for commenting, Karen! 🙂
Amanda
Can you use regular paprika?
Sam
Yup! Enjoy 🙂
Lane
Best bottled BBQ sauce add-ins: (start with one bottle of any inexpensive plain BBQ sauce then add…
Honey, brown sugar, Chipolata hot sauce and 2oz. “Good” Scotch or Bourbon
Don’t worry about the alcohol it will evaporate while cooking
Sam
Thank you for the tip, Lane! 🙂 I will have to try it. 🙂
Lc
This recipe is amazing! It tastes just like pulled pork, but better! I tried making it for the first time yesterday and am currently making more. I can’t get enough.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the pulled chicken! 🙂
Cynthis
How much is a serving?
Sam
This recipe makes 8 servings. 🙂
Cristine King
Can this be frozen?
Sam
Hi Christine! I haven’t frozen it myself, but I don’t see any problems doing so. Enjoy! 🙂
Stacy
Have you used frozen chicken breasts?
Sam
Hi Stacy! I have not used frozen chicken breasts. It would probably just need a little longer cook time. Let me know how it goes if you try it out. 🙂
Rachel Van Iten
Can I cook it without the apple cider vinegar? I don’t have any and sometimes I have company that is allergic to apples.
Sam
Do you have any other type of vinegar on hand, like white vinegar by chance? I’m not sure how it would do without any vinegar at all, unfortunately.
Stacey Pratt
If I halve the recipe would it still work? Should I shorten the cook time?
Sam
Hi Stacey! The recipe would still work, but I can’t comment on the cook time since i haven’t tried it. Enjoy! 🙂
Katie
If I wanted to halve the amount of chicken, should I also halve the amount of sauce? Or will it be too dry?
Sam
Hi Katie! You could halve the sauce as well if you halve the amount of chicken. If you don’t halve the sauce, you will just have extra sauce. 🙂