Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Recipe
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This crockpot pulled chicken is so easy to make – everything just goes into the slow cooker without any special prep. It’s fall-apart tender, juicy and delicious. We put it on rolls with our coconut coleslaw and crisp dill pickle chips.
It was sweet, salty, savory and so satisfying. I invited my family over for crockpot bbq chicken sliders and everyone loved them. My son even asked for refills on the chicken (which is a big deal). l’m pretty sure all of the adults had seconds. Great reviews all around on this one! If the picture above hasn’t convinced you yet, the next one will! ♥♥♥
This is a great way to make meat for company or your family when you don’t have time to stand over the stove. You can throw everything in your slow cooker before church and it’s ready when you come home. Such a treat! PS. the coleslaw can be made when you start the chicken – just refrigerate it until ready to serve..
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken:
3 lbs (about 5-6 count) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
1 1/2 cups BBQ Sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ)
1/2 medium onion, grated (with juice)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
How to Make Crockpot BBQ Chicken:
1. Stir together all sauce ingredients in a 5-6 qt slow cooker.
2. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 – 7 hours. Chicken is done when cooked through and easy to shred
3. Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred each breast using two forks. Place shredded chicken back in the crock pot and stir to coat with the yummy sauce
↑↑↑ Wishing I had leftovers…
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs about 5-6 count boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 cups BBQ Sauce I used Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ
- 1/2 medium onion grated (with juice)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
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Stir together all sauce ingredients in a 5-6 qt slow cooker.
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Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours. Chicken is done when cooked through and easy to shred.
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Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred each breast using two forks. Place shredded chicken back in the crock pot and stir to coat with the yummy sauce.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Serve in buns with the best coconut coleslaw and dill pickle chips. Yum!!
natashaskitchen
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Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Thank’s for your’s recipe i love so much
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
I totally botched this recipe! I used some frozen chicken and not frozen chicken. The sauce ended up being a watery soup (I’m guessing due to using frozen chicken.) I’m so disappointed. But, I will def. make again just not using frozen chicken. So, I highly recommend not using frozen chicken.
That is more than likely that culprit Sherry! Thank you fro sharing that feedback with me!
Well, I really like most of the recipes of Natasha’s that I’ve tried but I this crock pot chicken Barbecue was not what I thought it would be. It just wasn’t for us. Will be trying more recipes from Natasha for sure!
Sorry hear that, Darlene. Could you be more specific as to what it is that you didn’t like about the recipe? Curious to know.
Absolutely amazing flavour and so simple to make.
We ended up serving it over rice with a side of green beans instead of in a burger bun. It absolutely works like that too!
That’s nice! I’m so glad that your version was yummy too. Thank you for the great review!
Would the recipe change at all if I use bonelsss skinless thighs instead of breasts?
Hi MaryBeth, I haven’t tested that but I imagine that should be alright if that’s what you have available. Please update us and let us know how it goes!
I have bone in chicken breast. Do you think that would work? #shelterinplacecookwhatugot
Hi, I haven’t tried this with bone-in chicken breast but that should work fine.
My family Loves when I make this recipe! They only way we make crock pot chicken anymore! And my daughter has started making it for her family as well!
Super Easy and super delicious!
So great to hear that this recipe has become a favorite! Thank you for sharing that with us and I hope you love every recipe that you try.
The BBQ pulled chicken is awesome! I have tried different recipes but my sons said this was the best! Thank you Natasha!
Yay your good feedback really makes me happy! Thanks for sharing that with us.
Made this recipe. Was delicious! Looking forward to making it again
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Larissa!
I dont have the brown sugar, do you think it will make a difference if I make this recipe without it?
Hi Larissa, several of our readers have reported enjoying this recipe without brown sugar. Here is what one of our readers wrote “Super easy and delicious! We leave the brown sugar out because we don’t like things too sweet”
Hi Natasha, can we put frozen chicken or does it have to be defrosted? Thanks!
Hi Dominique, I haven’t tried this particular recipe with frozen chicken but have experimented with other recipes. You should be able to keep to the same timings – probably on the higher side of the timings (i.e. 7 hours on low). Once the chicken pulls apart easily with forks, it’s ready. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Just made this recipe in my slow cooker and my whole family enjoyed it for several days . Love this so much and will always make this. ThankYou so much for all your recipes. I enjoy them.
That’s so great Carla! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I LOVE this recipe! I don’t eat pork but my boyfriend loves pulled pork, and this was a fantastic compromise. We both love it! We’ve had it 3 times and it never gets old. I was wondering if you knew the nutrition info? I cannot find it on this site.
Hi Krustelle, I’m glad you enjoy the recipe! Due to time constraints, I don’t typically include nutritional info but we are working on adding it to all of our recipes, but check out this nutrition analyzer – you can plug in the ingredients from any recipe, select the serving size and it will give you nutritional info, calories, etc. I hope that is helpful to you
Hi! Soooo yummy I have made this several times. It’s a really good cheap recipe. I like to pour this all over a plate of mashed potatoes. Sooooo good.
Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Anita!
By far the easiest and most delicious slow cooker bbq chicken I have come across! This is a great recipe and I have made it several times, it is in our monthly rotation now. This and some homemade coleslaw and veggie side dish are absolute heaven. Thank you!
You are very welcome Sonya. I’m happy to know that this is a monthly favorite now. Thank you for sharing your experience regarding this recipe!
Hi! I have made this several times. It’s a really good cheap recipe. I like to pour this all over a plate of mashed potatoes. Sooooo good.
Thanks for sharing.
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi, Natasha, can I make this in my Instant pot using the Slow cook (No-pressure cooking) program? Would I have to adjust the time?
Thank you, I am so looking forward to preparing this!!
Hi Ginka, I have not tested that on that setting to advise. If you experiment, please let me know how you like the recipe.
This was so easy. The Chicken BBQ recipe made a lot for just one, but I was able to share it with two friends and still have enough for several meals for me. I will definitely do this again.
That’s just awesome, Susan! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I made this recipe today. It’s insanely good!! Not extra liquid at all!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Ruth! Thank you for that wonderful review.
what would the cooking time be on high if i double this?
Hi Tara, that should work fine to double it as long as your slow cooker is large enough to fit everything. It will probably require a longer cook time though – I would aim for the higher end of the cook times (i.e. 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low) to check for doneness.
Tasted great just using Sweet Baby Rays Hickory and brown sugar sauce. The cooking times listed seem to be way off, I cooked 3 boneless chicken breasts on low in the crockpot and they were perfect 3 hours later
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, John! It may take less or more time depending on your crockpot. I’m glad to hear it went quicker for you, that’s so great!
My friend served this at a party and sent me here when I asked for the recipe. I didn’t see any reviews of people cooking it in an electric pressure cooker but I was short on time to make dinner so I went ahead and tried it anyway and it worked great!! I was low on ingredients (I made about 2/3 the recipe) and my chicken breasts were frozen so I cooked it 12 minutes and that worked for me but you may need to adjust if you make a full recipe and/or have defrosted chicken.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Brady!
I do not own a crock pot, can I make this in the oven?
I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
Hi Denise, I haven’t tried freezing it but I do think it would work well. The ingredients are freezer friendly.
Should I follow the same directions for boneless skinless chicken thighs?
Hi Kathy, I would suggest boneless skinless thighs.
Hi! I’d like to try this in an instant pot, any idea about the cooking time? Thank you!
Hi Robby, I think that would be a great experiment but without testing it, I really can’t provide specific instructions. I love my instant pot, but things don’t always translate the way I hope they would to the instant pot. I will add it to my list, but if you experiment before I do, let me know how it goes.
Can the chicken breasts layer on top of each other or do they have to be one layer and not overlap?
Thankyou
Hi Kylie, They are fine in more than one layer.
I made this last night, and it was delicious. The only small change I made was dicing up the onion very small instead of grating. For those that got watery/soupy results, blame the chicken, not the recipe. Chicken breasts can be injected with up to 20%+ of a salt water solution. So, not only is that solution being released into the sauce as it cooks, the actual chicken breasts shrink because of it, as well. I’ve learned to pay attention to how much of a solution is added to the chicken I buy, and purchase accordingly to what I plan on using it for. It really does affect recipe outcomes. Ever wonder why your breading or batter comes off during frying? It’s because of a high solution content.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Chris! How interesting!
How would you do it with leftover, cold rotisserie chicken?
Hi Christy, we took a look at the recipe comments and haven’t found that. We haven’t tried that with cooked chicken either. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Wonderful recipe! Tasted even better the next day. Already making it again to freeze for an easy meal. My family gave this a big thumbs up.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Beth!
Making this again today. Freezing portions for future quick meals.
That’s so great!
Made this for my family this evening, and we loved it so much that I want to make it for our little one’s upcoming birthday party. Problem is I’ve only got one crock pot and it has been requisitioned for another dish. Suggestions as to how to prepare this using the oven or stovetop?
Hi Anna, You can bake or cook it on the stovetop. I think it’s a little easier (hands off) and less time consuming in the oven.
This is such an easy recipe and it was great! Everyone loved it.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
How does the cooking time change if using frozen chicken breasts?
Hi Paige, haven’t tried this particular recipe with frozen chicken but have experimented with other recipes. You should be able to keep to the same timings – probably on the higher side of the timings (i.e. 7 hours on low). Once the chicken pulls apart easily with forks, it’s ready
Can you double this recipe in the crockpot? Planning on making this weekend! Thanks!
Hi Haylie, that should work fine to double it as long as your slow cooker is large enough to fit everything. It will probably require a longer cook time though – I would aim for the higher end of the cook times (i.e. 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low) to check for doneness.
Delicious. I made this for myself and my husband. He is super picky and he really enjoyed it and went for seconds (so did I). I use 2 large chicken breast and half of a normal size chicken breast (all we had left or I would’ve done more). My husband does not like super sweet so I did 1 cup of Bbq sauce and 1 Tbs of brown sugar. Turned out great!! My only question-what can I do to help eliminate or limit the liquid in the crockpot. I believe it’s just all the broth from the chicken breasts. Oh also my husband is taking left overs to work tomorrow (again big deal as he doesn’t like to eat the same thing two days in a row typically).
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Jami! If you shred the chicken, it soaks up most of the juice and makes the chicken really moist. It might be a good idea to remove some of the liquid if using less chicken and you can always add it back to taste and preference
Hi folks, I need to bring this recipe to a party on sat. Can I cook this on Friday and then back in crock pot and leave on warm for Sat?
Any suggestions are welcome. Can’t wait to try this
Hi Margaret, I wouldn’t suggest leaving it on warm overnight or it will over cook and dry out. It’s best made the morning of but you can make it a day ahead and refrigerate then reheat the next day adding a splash of water if needed. It will reheat well since it’s a moist chicken.
Thank you so much for the recipe. My company does crock pot Wednesdays. It was a surprise for my turn this week. We feed about 25-30 people each week. Hope this comes out awesome. Additions coleslaw, potato salad, rolls, and cookies. Thanks again!
That’s amazing Eileen! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Very good! We had this for traditional ferragosto (Italian commemoration on August 15) it gas been a pleasure!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious ,we put ours on toasted Brioche buns topped with homemade Cole slaw.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Margie!
I have a bunch of chicken breasts that need to be cooked up so I found this recipe and decided to make it tonight for me and my 3 year old son. We are using Guy Feiri’s sweet mesquite BBQ sauce (double pack found at costco). We’re putting it on leftover hot dog buns with leftover coleslaw to use up what’s in the fridge and making a peach, feta mixed green salad with it! It’s so helpful to have the rough cost of the dish included for meal planning however I would recommend to add if that’s in US or Canadian $ as 6 breasts of chicken where I live costs $26 so the cost to make this dish is double of what the recipe states. Just a thought. 🙂 Thanks for this, we look forward to trying it soon!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Tara!
Delicious! I made this yesterday when the temp was 95 outside. I had 4 large chicken breasts I cut in half. I set it on high for 3 hours, shredded the chicken, and turned it to low for 1 hour. I used a whole bottle of sugar free BBQ. Served with coleslaw and watermelon! Great for a hot summer day!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
If I wanted to add liquid smoke, how much would I add and how would I go about doing that?
Hi Courtney, I haven’t experimented with that so I can’t advise but here is what one of our readers wrote “Made a batch for a pot luck, everyone loved it. I did add a tiny bit of liquid smoke to the cooking liquid to start, otherwise followed recipe exactly. I also blended the onion with the oil, worst. sauce, and a little bbq sauce because I don’t have a grater, and it worked great!” If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
This is amazing… Every time I’ve made it and let friends try it they love it! My son likes it too. The best part is that there are left overs too and it’s even amazing reheated 😋
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
This is a great recipe! Exactly what I was looking for: Delicious & Easy. I made a double batch. Loaded the crock pot up to the top…and opted for 8 hours on low. This made a full “half pan” for a party…plus two extra sandwiches for my taste testers😋
That’s amazing! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe & thank you for sharing that awesome review with us Jennifer!
Can I make this with chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
Hi Karol, I think that would work just fine. Let me know how you like it with chicken thighs!
Big hit for the kids and adults. I recently made a commitment to eating as healthy as possible so I used organic chicken/onion and sauce. it was so ridiculously easy and tasty. We put it in sandwiches, tacos and baked potatoes. YUM! Thank you for this recipe.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review
Love, love, love this recipe!! Came upon your website while looking for a pulled chicken recipe. ill be visiting here often!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I don’t usually comment on recipes but I just want to say this is amazing! I love this recipe very much and intend on making it a lot more frequently now!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I mean, it is delicious. I like mine a little tangier, so added some more BBQ sauce after shredding the chicken. I thought it was going to be a process to shred the chicken, but it was so tender and it took like 20 seconds per breast. We haven’t been big BBQ fans at our house but everyone loved it and this will become a frequent addition to our meals.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Mike!
I am planning on making this today for myself, my husband and my two year old. If I only use 2-3 chicken breasts should I put less of everything else in there as well I should I just keep the sauce portions the same
Great question Sarah, I recommend clicking “Jump to recipe” at the top of the post, it will take you to our printable recipe where you’ll have the option to change the number of servings. Hover over the number of servings highlighted in red and slide it to how many servings you would like to make. I hope that helps!
My cousin made your recipe and served to us on Monday, along with the coleslaw! It was incredible! I actually ate 2 sandwiches, filled with overflowing chicken. 😀 The more meat the better!!
Aww that’s the best Olga! Thank you for sharing that with me! I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Yes more meat is definitely better 🙂
My husband and I love this recipe. So simple and delicious.
Thank you for sharing that with me, I’m so happy you enjoyed that Rose!
I am making This for dinner tonight. I have made it once before and my whole family loved it. It’s a great recipe for when you have a lot to do and you don’t want to take an hour or more break to cook dinner. It’s amazingly delicious, especially for being so easy and simple. Thank you. This recipe will get used in my house at least once or twice a month!
That’s so great, Jody! It sounds like you have a new favorite! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I just love this recipe. I making it all the time for my dad and daughter. There just never seems to be enough. I made it while my daughter’s friend was over for the weekend.(very picky eater) and she loved it. Making again this weekend…..again thank you for this recipe.
Aww that’s the best! Thank you for sharing that with me, Heather! I’m so happy you all enjoyed this recipe! I hope you have an awesome Friday! 🙂
Hey! This looks awesome. Would it be okay to use chicken that is still slightly frozen?
Hi Jessica, yes that will work but it may take slightly longer for the chicken to cook. Check it at the time stated in the recipe and add another 30 minutes if needed.
Hi Natasha,
I am wondering if this could be frozen when completed and thawed/reheated right before a party. Thanks!
Hi Amira, I haven’t tried freezing it but I do think it would work well. The ingredients are freezer friendly.
Very disappointed! We were all excited to eat this tonight I followed the directions down to a tee! I cooked on low for 7 hours and it was so over cooked! Safe to say we just threw it out.
Hi Samantha, I haven’t had that result, but I am always happy to help troubleshoot. If using smaller chicken breasts, it can cook faster (closer to 6 hours). Also, be sure to cook it on low and since some slow cookers run hotter than others, I would still check at 6 hours. Also, some slow cookers continue to boil and cook the recipe even after they switch to the warm setting which can over cook the chicken. I hope that helps!
I tried to make this today.. I used four chicken breasts and no onions everything else I followed.. I did 7 hours on low and then it went to warming mode for 3 hours as I was still at work… when I got home it was all burned to the side and chicken was rock hard… is this because I had it in for too long on “warming”? Is there another liquid to substitute the onion for? Thanks for your help, I am excited to try this and have it work out!!
Hi Heather, It would be overcooked on low for 7 hours and then left on warm for 3 hours. It would essentially be simmering an extra hour and some slow cookers keep a pretty hot “warm” setting where it will still simmer the food for another 3 hours. It definitely sounds like it was over cooked. I’m glad you’re excited to give it another go 🙂
If I want to triple this recipe, do I need to change the slow cooker size or time cooking?
Hi Ana, That should work fine to triple it as long as your slow cooker is large enough to fit everything. It will probably require a longer cook time though – I would aim for the higher end of the cook times (i.e. 4+ hours on high or 7+ hours on low) to check for doneness.
I also am wondering this question if you could help ya? Thanks!
Sorry disregard I saw your reply
Hi Natasha,
Can I use Instant Pot slow cook mode instead of slow cooker? Will it make any difference?
Hi Oksana, I think that would be a great experiment but without testing it, I really can’t provide specific instructions. I love my instant pot, but things don’t always translate the way I hope they would to the instant pot. I will add it to my list, but if you experiment before I do, let me know how it goes.
Tasty and simple!! Split the recipe in half for 2 people, made 2 BIG sandwiches (w/ a side of green beans) and still have enough for 2 more sammies (though not as big) I added cayenne for more spice too. WILL make again – and yeah wishing we had more. I’m thinking it will be a really good meal prep dish!!
Thank you for sharing that with us! This will definitely be perfect for meal prep!
Thanks for the recipe. I made it gluten free compliant for our household. Kids loved it. Its now one we will be making more often here. Gracias
You’re welcome! That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
What do you do with the onion?
Hi Lisa, add the grated onion with all of the sauce ingredients in the slow cooker.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was really good! I added a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and skipped the onion since I didn’t have any, and it still worked fine. I’m going to have leftovers for a while, so yay! Next time I may try the coconut coleslaw.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hello Natasha,
I’m going to be making this recipe Saturday for Superbowl Sunday (plan to reheat day of). I’m going to be quadrupling the recipe and I plan to use an electric roaster oven, or two 🙂
I assume I should quadruple the ingredients? And what temp do you suggest? I was thinking 200° or 250°? Just not sure how long, or even if that is the right temp.
Thank you!
Hi Darlene, Yes it would be best to use 4 times the ingredients for that recipe! Wow! That’s going to make a ton of chicken!! 🙂
Yes a lot of hungry mouths to feed & whatever is left over will be frozen! What temp do you recommend for the oven roaster & what do you recommend for the cook time. Thanks!
Hi!
What kind of onion did you use for these? White or yellow?
I’ve made so many of your recipes love them btw 🙂
Hi Maribel, we use a yellow onion. A white or sweet onion would work as well.
Thia recipe is fantastic ans super easy to prepare! I made this recipe today with great results even though I was missing one of the key ingredients…the BBQ Sauce. LOL! By the time I had thawed out the chicken breasts & started to prepare the ingredients I reaches in the back of the fridge to find an empty bottle of BBQ Sauce left by the greedy man of the house. Grrrrrr…😬
Needless to I subbed the BBQ Sauce with what I had on hand…Manwich sauce! Followed the rest of the recipe as written and it turned out fantastic!! Crockpot time was 4hrs & the chicken breasts shredded so easily as they were sooo tender. Served the chicken on a choice of toasted Onion Rolls and/or Flour Tortilla Wraps & we topped ours w/Red Onion slices, Cilantro, Cole Slaw Mix (raw) & Pickle slices. Also made contry potates as a side. I will be making this pulled BBQ Chicken recipe in the next couple of days for Super Bowl Sunday…this time w/BBQ Sauce! 😄
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi! I’ve made this a few times and always a big hit! Has anyone tried the same ingredients using pork ? Just wondering if it’s just as delicious! Thank you
Hi Laura! I’m so happy you enjoyed that! It depends on the cut of pork you are using. We generally use this pulled pork recipe when using pork. Pork usually needs more time to tenderize.
Wow! Simply delicious! Thanks for another yummy recipe. I dont have the watery soupy problem that I have read others have.
I’m so happy that worked out great for you, Eleni!
Has anyone tried using packaged rotisserie chicken meat like they sell at Costco?
Hi Rick, we took a look at that comments and haven’t found that. We haven’t tried that with cooked chicken either. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
After cooking in slow cooker…you should be able to have chicken pull apart
That is correct. Thank you for sharing that with us.
Hi Natasha,
Do you think this could be made in the instant pot?
Hi Kelly, I think that would be a great experiment but without testing it, I really can’t provide specific instructions. I love my instant pot, but things don’t always translate the way I hope they would to the instant pot. I will add it to my list, but if you experiment before I do, let me know how it goes.
I made this for a party last weekend and it was the star of the show! So many compliments and requests for the recipe. And I was happy to direct them here 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing this!!
You’re so welcome, Elle! I’m happy you all loved that!
It’s great and simple to make! It was a hit at dinner on a lazy Sunday! I wish I could find it on MyFitnessPal.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Do you think that I’d be able to make 4 1/2 lbs in a 6 qrt slow cooker?
Hi Marina, That may be cutting it close but it may work. We were able to fit 3 lbs into our 6 quart just fine :
Making as i type this. Smells so good so far. Should be ready for the 8pm CFB games.
That’s perfect!! I bet it smells amazing! Thank you for sharing your great review!
This is delish! The only changes I made was used chicken thighs with the bone in (removed when shredding) and added a diced can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce as well. Makes EXCELLENT spicy BBQ pulled chicken. I make this about once a month when the craving hits.
Thank you for sharing that with us David! I’m so happy you enjoyed it
This is really good. I made a few changes though. I cut the chicken breasts in half, butterfly style. I seared both sides in a hot, almost dry pan. (Just the tiniest bit of oil.) After that, I used the onions and about two tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan. I also added about half teaspoon of crushed Thai chili pepper flakes. (My feeling is that anything that can be spicy should be.) I also used about a third less barbecue sauce. I find that less liquid works better in the crock pot, since you can always add more sauce/liquid as needed at the end.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
This recipe is the best pulled chicken recipe I have found. Made it exactly the way it was shown and it turned out amazing.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I followed the recipe and the chicken turned out great, but there was about a cup of liquid still .. I used more that 5 or 6 breast but they were thin sliced so not sure if that was the deal .. did I do something wrong ? I put exactly what you said ..
Hi Anita! if you shred the chicken, it soaks up most of the juice and makes the chicken really moist. It might be a good idea to remove some of the liquid if using less chicken and you can always add it back to taste and preference 🙂
Anita, I have made this a few times, most recently this past weekend. Until you shred the chicken it does look like it is so much liquid. But once I shred up the chicken, like Natasha said below, it soaks it all up. Trust the process!
was great!
Thank you for the wonderful review!
Yummy and so delicious! So easy to make! Will make again and again!
That’s so great Ellen!
Hi Natasha! Looking forward to trying out this recipe….quick question for you….do I need to grate the onion or can I just chop it up finely? Thanks so much!
We grated them for this recipe
Delicious and very easy. 10-15 mins prep, cooked on low 10 hours while I worked. Chicken fell apart. Added a couple tablespoons Bragg Organic Vinegar, very good on Jasmine Rice at the end of a long tiring day. Thanks!
P.s. Do you have some cool Ukrainian / Russian recipes? I worked in Kazakhstan 20 years & traveled all over. Love the regional food!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Genuinely impressed with this delicious salad. Thanks.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Made this today and delicious. Looking for great chicken recipes and this does it. Used Paul Newman s BBQ sauce
Thank you for the awesome review, Marlene!
Great recipe but possibly a little too sweet for European tastes. I used a savoury BBQ sauce (not honey), and half the amount of sugar, and it was still much sweeter than anything like this that we’ve had before. I will use this recipe again, just without the added sugar!
Thank you for your feedback, Grace.
Can I use frozen thin sliced chicken breasts instead of thawed?
Hi Cameran! haven’t tried this particular recipe with frozen chicken but have experimented with other recipes. You should be able to keep to the same timings – probably on the higher side of the timings (i.e. 7 hours on low). Once the chicken pulls apart easily with forks, it’s ready 🙂
Hi Natasha, just wondering if you were to slow cook this in the oven, what temp and how long should you do it for? Sarah
Hi Sarah, You can bake or cook it on the stovetop. I think it’s a little easier (hands off) and less time consuming in the oven. You can follow the baking instructions outlined in my sweet and spicy baked chicken post
Hi, I’m thinking about doubling the recipe. How do you think that will affect the cook time? Thanks!
Hey Sara! That should work fine to double it as long as your slow cooker is large enough to fit everything. It will probably require a longer cook time though – I would aim for the higher end of the cook times (i.e. 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low) to check for doneness.
Just started college and I want to thank you for posting such a delicious dish. Surprisingly it came oh so tasteful, Icant get enough. So simple Thanks again!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Akia! Thank you for the great review!
I have two whole chickens that I would like to use for this recipe. Can I debone and remove the skin? Would this work? It is for a work potluck so could I make in advance and keep on warm for the morning?
Hi Lee that should work fine to debone and remove the skin. I have instructions on how to cut up a whole chicken on my blog here. 🙂
This was fantastic. Made a batch for a pot luck, everyone loved it. I did add a tiny bit of liquid smoke to the cooking liquid to start, otherwise followed recipe exactly. I also blended the onion with the oil, worst. sauce, and a little bbq sauce because I don’t have a grater, and it worked great!
That’s so great, Corita! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
This looks so good! I have everything to make it too!! Could I use chicken tenders for this, instead of chicken breasts? If so, should I adjust the cook time?
Thanks,
Terri
Hi Terri, I haven’t tried it with tenders just yet. We’ve had people try this recipe with thighs, pork etc. and loved the results. You may have to adjust the cooking time a bit but it should be pretty close. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Have made this several times in the last year and was devoured each time. I even make it a day or two before a camping trip, it makes for an easy and quick dinner for that first night.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review, Kim!
Natasha! You have done it again! This is a keeper, easy and stress free recipe! It was a hit, and best thing with slow cooker, I get to run errands and the slow cooker cooks it for me and it tasted so so so good! Thank you Natasha, I hope you can come out with more slow cooker recipes, looking forward to it.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Amy!
This was so easy to make! Just prepped everything in the slow cooker before bed & shredded the chicken when I woke up in the morning! Made it for a work potluck & it was an absolute hit! Thanks for the recipe!
That’s so great, Jenee! It sounds like you have a new favorite, thank you for the awesome review!
Hello, I want to double the recipe but I’m not really sure how I should do it. I’m afraid if I put double something, like the onion, Worcestershire, or sugar it may be too much and will completely over power the taste..let me know what you think! Thanks in advance(:
Hi Anae, if doubling the recipe, I would do at least 1.5 times the sauce – once you shred the chicken and return it to the pot, it soaks up most of the liquid. If you are concerned about the liquid, you can scoop some out before you return the shredded chicken back to the pot and then add it back in as needed.
I’ve made this for my family of eight and it’s amazing. I’ll be making this next week in roasters for our oldest’s graduation party. I’m making enough for 180 people (just in case everyone invited shows up-we know many large families). I was going to to make 1/4 pound per person, but but I ordered regular hamburger buns just because Aldi is so cheap. Does three pounds fill just 8 buns or does it serve 8 people one or two sandwiches?
Now to decide whether to slice 15 heads of cabbage or just buy bags of shredded cabbage-far less attractive!
Hi Erin, 3lbs made 8 generous sized sandwiches. Sounds like quite a party! so fun!!
It was absolutely perfect for our party. I made three roasters full a few days ahead of time (about 60 .lbs of chicken) and mixed up the coleslaw dressing in mason jars to be mixed with cabbage as needed. My friends were amazing and kept the kitchen going smoothly. My son was so happy with the food at his party :). I love all of your recipes. Thanks for all your work, makes my life easier!
You’re welcome! Sounds like you had a feast!
Which onion is best for this recipe? Yellow onion?
Hi Shari, yes, we use a yellow onion. A white or sweet onion would work as well.
This was delicious. I made the mistake of using a whole chicken since it was for a neighborhood block party. It was a little too shredded since there will be children at the party & I had to make certain there were no bones left in it. It was still delicious. Next time I will use boneless.
Hi Delilah, it’s definitely easier with boneless :). I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I tried a variation of this today where I used a salsa verde sauce in place of Baby Rays and added some chopped green chiles. I used some of the pulled chicken mixture in some baked enchiladas. Yummy!
I’m glad to hear the recipe was a great success, sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing your great review Jim!
I made this today and I think it’d be a great Fourth of July recipe. So excited I found Natasha’s Kitchen.
I’m glad you found my page and are enjoying the recipes Mahta! Thanks for following and sharing your great review!
Looks good! Was wondering, with my work schedule, if thighs were used and cooked on low for 12 hours. Would it still work?
Hi Wayne, it would be very overcooked after 12 hours on low. It would be safer to set it to the time per the recipe and then allow the slow cooker to automatically switch to the ‘warm’ setting. Hopefully your slow cooker has that functionality.
Would this be able to be frozen?
Hi Catherine, I haven’t tried freezing but I think it would work 🙂
I freeze this recipe all of the time. It is just my husband and me so we can’t eat the entire recipe alone. Well…we could but my waistline would protest. This recipe has become a “tried and true” recipe for us and I make a double batch every time and freeze it in plastic freezer bags that hold just enough for a dinner and lunch the next day. I love the flexibility of pulling it out of the freezer whenever we need a quick dinner. It’s so easy and oh so delicious!!! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the wonderful review! I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi I want to make this for a group of 25 people. How can i adjust it? Thank you
Hi Alysha, it depends on what else is on the menu. If this is the the only meat, you might quadruple the recipe and use 2 slow cookers to get the job done :).
i cooked it on high for 3 to 4 hours and put it on low until my family came home.It is delicious and will make it again in the future
I’m happy to hear your whole family enjoys the recipe Brittany! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Great recipe! I cooked it on low for 8 hours and shredded the chicken rigut in the slow cooker at hour 7. Delish! We used the leftovers to make pulled chicken nachos!
I’m glad your family enjoys the recipe Lisa! Thanks for sharing your great review!
If I were to cut this down so there wasn’t so much (I only need enough for 2) would I need to change the cooking time? I’m thinking only a pound for us instead of three.
Hi Sarah, If you are still using the same size crockpot, my only concern would be if you were to cut down the liquid, you would want it to be enough to cover the chicken so maybe cut the chicken in half lengthwise. It will probably cook faster if you do that – test it after 4 hours on low and turn it off when it shreds easily with 2 forks.
I am looking to make this recipe this weekend for our Cub Scouts potluck. Was going to do sliders to help it stretch to more people but still thinking I want to double the recipe. So if I double the amount of chicken…do I need to double the amount of the other ingredients? I don’t want there to be too much liquid. Thanks!
Hi Lara, I would do at least 1.5 times the sauce – once you shred the chicken and return it to the pot, it soaks up most of the liquid. If you are concerned about the liquid, you can scoop some out before you return the shredded chicken back to the pot and then add it back in as needed. I hope you all love it!
I made this 2 days ago. The flavor was great. But it was so soupy. Next time I will cook chicken w/o the sauce and pour off the excess juice before adding the shredded chicken back to the crock pot. Then add the sauce and let it re-heat.
Hi Alika, if you shred the chicken, it soaks up most of the juice and makes the chicken really moist. It might be a good idea to remove some of the liquid if using less chicken and you can always add it back to taste and preference 🙂
Hi,
Thank you for all your recipes, huge help for someone that knows nothing about cooking and can only follow your clear directions!!! just wondering if i could make this in instant pot? and what would be the time and pressure level?
thank you!
Hi Julia, I think that would be a great experiment but without testing it, I really can’t provide specific instructions. I love my instant pot, but things don’t always translate the way I hope they would to the instant pot. I will add it to my list, but if you experiment before I do, let me know how it goes.
LOVE this pulled BBQ chicken recipe AND the creamy coleslaw! The coleslaw makes it. Period. It is just the best and I will make this as a side dish for other dinners I make. Thanks for such delicious gluten free recipes!
You’re welcome Cathy! I’m happy to hear how much you love this recipe. Thanks for following and sharing your excellent review!
This looks delicious, how could you do with with pork?
Hi Christie, it depends on the cut of pork you are using. We generally use this pulled pork recipe when using pork. Pork usually needs more time to tenderize.
Could this be adapted to an Instant Pot? If so, how long would you set the time? Sounds so good!
Hi Beth, I think that would be a great experiment but without testing it, I really can’t provide specific instructions. I love my instant pot, but things don’t always translate the way I hope they would to the instant pot. If you experiment before I do, let me know how it goes 🙂
Have you ever cooked it the day before and then reheated in the crock-pot?
Thanks!
Venessa, it would work just fine to use crock-pot for reheating the next day.
If I make this a day ahead and need my slow cooker the next day for something else, what is the next best way to reheat the slow cooker pulled chicken?
Hi Nancy, You can reheat in a pan on the stove or in the microwave. Either way will work. This chicken does reheat well.
I make this all the time. I am on weight watchers..do you have an idea what the nutrition value for each serving?
I’m glad you enjoy the recipe Dawn! Due to time constraints, I don’t typically include nutritional info, but check out this nutrition analyzer – you can plug in the ingredients from any recipe, select the serving size and it will give you nutritional info, calories, etc. I hope that is helpful to you!
Thank you for helping me get the points for my daily points. Once I did the analyse it came to 5pts!!! Can’t wait to enjoy this tonight!! Yummy!!
You’re welcome Dawn! I hope you love it!
Can I make this on the stove instead of a crockpot?
Hi LK, You can bake or cook it on the stovetop. I think it’s a little easier (hands off) and less time consuming in the oven. You can follow the baking instructions outlined in my sweet and spicy baked chicken post: https://natashaskitchen.com/2013/06/25/sweet-and-spicy-baked-chicken/
My husband and sons love this recipe! I’m loving it too, it doesn’t get any easier than this 😉 Thank you! Greetings from The Netherlands
You’re welcome Erna! I’m glad to hear how much you both enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your great review! 🙂
My family loves this recipe! Its one of our go-to dinners. Do you know if the cooking process can be adapted for an instant pot to speed up weeknight meals?
Hi Shannon, I haven’t tried it but one of my readers wrote the following: “I used my instapot and it was done in about 45 min. Start to finish. It was fantastic! Thank you for the recipe!” I hope this helps.
Okay, love you so much for this recipe!! A co-worker and I had to plan a meal for about 35 people staying on our college campus over Winter Break, and we knew they’d want left overs to take home. We used your recipe and doubled it, then made 4 huge crock pots full!! It literally saved the event!! I would have been stressing out, unable to make any sides, but instead I was able to take my time and really focus on getting prepared.
Also, let me just take a moment to explain how much people loved it: All of it was gone. People were piling the chicken onto their plates. When we ran out of buns, they just ate it plain. What a success!! Thank you so so much!!
You’re welcome Ashley! I’m happy to hear how much everyone loves the recipe. Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!
If i want to make half the recipe does the cooking time stay the same?
Hi Vicky, I think that would work to cut the recipe in half and I would suggest cooking on the lower end of the time frames listed in the recipe or until the chicken is easy to pull apart with forks.