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 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless), about 5-6 count
- 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!!
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Has anyone tried freezing this? How did it go?
Hi Julia, I haven’t tried freezing it, but I do think it would work well. The ingredients are freezer friendly.
I routinely freeze half of it for an easy meal later. No complaints from my picky family. Great recipe!
Thank you for sharing that with us, Alli!
Thank you for recipe! It came out delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent recipe – quick easy, and delicious! I made a couple of changes- I added a little lemon juice to the recipe and used less brown sugar because my BBQ sauce is very sweet. I don’t own a crockpot so I baked in the oven. I cooked 40-45 minutes, covered, at 400F, then I reduced the temperature to 350 F and cooked another 10-15 minutes. Served it on a bun with fried onions and creamy coleslaw.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Marni! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Can I make with frozen chicken breasts ?
Hi Kathleen, I have not tested that, but I recently read that adding frozen meats to a slow cooker can be unsafe so it’s best to do a quick-thaw in cold cold water at least before adding them.
I just found this recipe this week (November 2020), and it was perfect! I used Stubb’s original BBQ sauce and let it go on high for 3.5 hours or so and another 20 minutes on low. So much easier than other recipes that have you sear the chicken first. This took no time and we have lots of leftovers to look forward to!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Can I use chopped onion instead of grated?
That will work too, Adrienne!
Hi Natasha, I really want to try this recipe but I don’t have a slow cooker and was wondering if it would work if I used an instapot?
Hello Inna. 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.
Hi, could someone please enlighten me how many oz or ml would be in 1.5 cups of BBQ sauce, looking forward to trying this!! Thank you
Hello Tara, you may use our Ingredient Weight Chart for some guidance.
8 oz is 1 cup
Hi Natasha! Any idea if I use sugar free BBQ sauce an diabetic brown sugar, what the total carbs would be for this?
Hi Cheryl, I don’t have a recipe for that but I bet your local grocery store may have a BBQ sauce that is sugar free.
Hi, can you tell me roughly how many this recipe could feed? I’m making pulled chicken sandwiches for about 12.
Hi Amy, I would scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post and check the serving size there. We do have a recipe slider allowing you to adjust how many recipes you would like to make.
Absolutely love this recipe, made it for the first time last night and we had with with Nachos (guacamole/sour cream and lots of red onion/corn and red capsicum. Absolutely delicious and will be adding it to our meal rotations
I’m so glad! Thank you for sharing this great review!
Was looking for a good, simple slow-cooker recipe and came across this one. AWESOME! Easy prep. Hands down probably the most satisfying pulled “anything” I’ve ever had … or Made! Thanks!
We love this recipe! So so good & so easy! Thank you for sharing this wonderful review!
Made this tonight. It was delicious! I was wondering what the olive oil is used for? And if I could leave it out next time. What do you think?
Hi Bridget, it adds a little more moisture and juiciness to the meat when it’s shredded. The recipe should still work without it if you are looking to cut the calories.
Just made this last night so we had something easy to make/eat during The Stanley Cup game last night ( Go TBLighting lol).
It was beyond a hit. So simple to make and hands down one of the best BBQ Chicken sandwiches anyone has ever had. So much so, that they all came back over today to watch Sunday football and asked there were leftovers. lol
This is 100% a recipe I’ll be saving and I’m pretty sure they’ll be asking for it every Sunday for football season. lol Thank you so much!!!
That is awesome to know, Lisa. I am so glad that everyone enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing that with us and for your great feedback.
How long should this cook when making with rotisserie chicken?
Hi Andrea, I haven’t tested this with rotisserie to advise. We also took a look at our reader comments and haven’t found anyone trying it to advise on a time or process. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I have made this recipe for a while..its easy and tastes just fine for a quick prep recipe but I can not imagine adding brown sugar, its too sweet as it is with just the BBQ sauce, in fact I cut the BBQ sauce with hot sauce to lower the sweet in it.
Hi Patty, you definitely could use less sugar if using a very sweet bbq sauce.
Made Pulled Pork yesterday from a recipe on another site. It was good.
Made this Pulled Chicken recipe today. It’s 10 times better than the pork. Healthier & easier to prepare. Great flavor. This is better than you can get at any restaurant.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I should point out, I used DINOSAUR BBQ SAUCE and a little FRANKS REDHOT ORIGINAL SAUCE
Thank you so much for sharing that William!
My 17 year old made this tonight … with the coconut coleslaw and homemade buns. What a delicious meal! Thanks for sharing. We will make this again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Excellent. Added more barbecue sauce because and I 4 lbs of chicken. Simple easy and all ingredients on hand. I did season my chicken before putting it in the crockpot with just salt pepper and garlic. Delicious!!
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing that with us, Tiffany.
I never comment on recipes but this BBQ chicken was so good and so simple that I couldn’t resist. I followed your recipe and used a combination of chicken breasts and thighs. I made your coconut slaw too – delicious! Thanks for sharing!
You are most welcome, Heather. Reading your comments and feedback makes me feel happy, thank you!
Are you able to make this in an instant pot? If so do you know how long it would take?
Hi Kirstyn, 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 just made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! I did sub chicken thighs for breasts because thats all i had… and I also subed sweet baby rays sugar free barbecue and swerve brown sugar because I’m on a low carb diet…..it turned out amazing! Thank you for your fabulous recipes! They never disappoint!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Satina!
Made the slow cooker bq chicken recipe for a neighborhood get together. Everyone loved it and many have asked for the recipe. I used brioche buns, and also the little Hawaiian buns for those who wanted a slider.
So wonderful to hear that everyone loved it, Denise! Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
VERY delicious! Easy and super flavorful!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Bethany!
You’re an extremely practical site; couldn’t make it without ya!|
I’m so glad you’re enjoying our site!
(Sort of) made this for dinner, didn’t have any of the ingredients except the bbq sauce and the chicken. (Weber’s sauce and three large breasts) Dumped the lot into the crock pot and four hours late we had amazing pulled chicken. The easiest and tastiest thing I’ve made recently! So excited to try again with other sauces. (Thinking about a green chile pulled chicken next…!)
I love it! Thanks for sharing your experience with us, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Natasha, love your videos I wonder what the prep dish with what appears to be herbs is. I am making this today for the first time.
Hi Nancy, I’m not sure what you referring to. Can you clarify?
Brown Sugar.
I thought it was herbs too but it’s olive oil. The table makes it look like there’s herbs in there since the olive oil is translucent.
This lacked flavour, added some salt afterwards and tasted 10x better. Definitely recommend usinga flavourful bbq sauce you know you enjoy, and if not add some salt and some hot sauce if that’s what you’re into.
Hi Isabella, the type of bbq sauce used can definitely play a role and it’s smart to add salt to taste.
Just made this recipe, it’s very good. I would tell folks that like thing a little spicy get a spicy BBQ sauce or add hot sauce to the sandwich when finished. The finished product is a little on the sweet side.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Natasha, You get five stars because I used the recipe! Thank you. I did have to add more seasoning (Johnnys), Tabasco sauce, pepper, and an extra half bottle of Kraft BBQ sauce (it was my mom’s favorite). I made it for Memorial Day and served it with cilantro lime cole slaw, corn on the cob and a fresh fruit salad. Great recipe for families.
That is awesome! I’m so glad you chose this recipe and thanks for your great feedback.
Really good and easy to make!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I only have chicken thighs on the bone. Can I use it?
I imagine that should work too. Please let us know it goes.
Can you freeze this’s after cooking it? I added honey and it tasted great!
Hi Bill, I haven’t tried freezing it but I do think it would work well. The ingredients are freezer friendly.
Tasteless. Recommend you season the chicken before adding to the pot. Not sure what I did wrong but it lacked flavor.
Hi Natalie, that could be due to using less bbq sauce. Most bbq sauces have plenty of flavors where added salt is not needed.
I didn’t thaw my chicken, is it okay if I put it in the slow cooker frozen?
Hi Angela, I have not tested that, but I recently read that adding frozen meats to a slow cooker can be unsafe so it’s best to do a quick-thaw in cold cold water at least before adding them.
I made this today together with homemade potato skins. Went down really well with the family and we all loved it! 👌 I also feel that brown sugar was not needed so will try it without next time. We have some leftover s having it tomorrow with qninoa rice 😋
Sounds good! Thank you for sharing that with us.
Can you give me the instructions for this recipe to be made in a dutch oven?
Hi Claudine, You can actually do it on the stovetop or in the oven. 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.
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!
We are making this recipe for the second time! First time, we had it on tacos with slaw and then with mac&cheese. This time, we’re going to spread it on a homemade pizza and see how it goes! Thank you, Natasha, for brightening up our time with this recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
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.
Natsha, what kind of Instant Pot did you use to make the Ribs? I want to make sure to buy the right one
Hi Barbara, we used this Instant Pot here for our Instant Pot Ribs 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’ve had this recipe in the slow cooker and it’s been a favorite of ours! Was wondering if you can adjust it to instant pot?
Hello 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.
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.