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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 (Try Homemade BBQ Sauce or 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 2 to 3 hours or on low for 6 to 7 hours. Check on it early since timing can depend on the thickness of your chicken and the size of your slow cooker. It will also cook faster if making a smaller batch. Chicken is done when cooked through to an internal temperature of 167˚F 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)
- 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
- Stir together all sauce ingredients in a 5-6 qt slow cooker.
- Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or for 6 to 7 hours on low. Check on the chicken earlier if using smaller chicken pieces, if making a smaller batch, or if you know your slow cooker runs hot. Chicken is done when cooked through to an internal temperature of 165˚F and is easy to shred.
- 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.
Nutrition Per Serving
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!!
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!