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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), 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
- 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 have three pounds of chicken breast but it is only in three pieces (so I assume much larger than the ones you used). They have been cooking for 3.5 hours but parts of it still look raw. I just set it for another hour but wondering if it will be done in that time?
Hi Jesse, have you been cooking them on high or low heat?
On high. I actually just pulled a piece out to cut them into smaller pieces and they are fully cooked and easily pulled apart with a fork. Not sure why they looked raw/pink on the outside, but I’m all set. Thanks!
I’m glad to hear that! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
We have made this SO many times; all three of our kids love it, and so do all our guests that we have made it for!
I love to hear reviews like this! Thank you for sharing Jen 🙂
Definitely reduce the cooking time if using high setting; 2 hours or less if using boneless chicken breasts. I, too, was concerned about the amount of liquid but it did get absorbed after shredded meat was returned to the pot. I added some garlic and more onion.
Good tip! Thank you for sharing!
This looks so YUM, I am going to make it on the weekend with the coconut coleslaw. Thinking to make extra and then freeze the remaining cooked chicken. Have you tried freezing a portion…how did it or would it turn out once thawed?
Thank you!
Maudie, I haven’t tried freezing this recipe but I imagine this would work fine. Let me know how it turns out.
I am out of onion could I use minced onion? Or something else?
I would love to make this recipe for my office holiday party. How would it affect the cooking time, etc. if I doubled the recipe?
Hi Jennifer, if you have one of the larger oval slow cookers, it should not affect the cooking time by much. Try it at the recommended cooking time and add an extra hour if it doesn’t shred easily with forks yet.
I love this recipe. My daughter is a picky eater and she loves it. Everyone on the family loves it. I have made it twice in three days, its that good. Now i want to try it with pork shoulder. Thank you for the recipe.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
Making this for dinner for my fiance tonight, it smells delicious already ♡♡
I hope you both love it! 🙂
Hi I want to make this tomorrow but only have 3 chicken breast, I want to start it off when I go to work and have it when I get home which is 9 hours is that too long?
Hi Mary, I think that would still be ok if your slow cooker turns to the warm setting automatically (and most do) 🙂 I would suggest setting it to 6 hours on low and letting it stay on the warm setting until you get home.
I have made this many times! So easy and delicious!
Thank you for the wonderful review, I appreciate it 😁.
Would you use the same cook time if using chicken thighs?
Hi Brandi, I think chicken thighs could be done as much as 1 to 2 hours sooner. Test it at 2 hours on high or 5 hours on low and if it pulls apart easily, it’s done! 🙂 (I’m assuming you mean boneless, skinless thighs)
After looking at all the positive comments I am trying this tomorrow.
Awesome! I hope you love it! 🙂
This looks delicious! Very tempted to try it out, but we don’t have a slow-cooker. Could it be made in a covered Pyrex dish in the oven??
Cassidy, yes you can make this in the Pyrex dish. Click here for the baking instructions when using Pyrex dish. Hope this helps, enjoy ?.
I love this recipe a lot! the amount was much for two people but my husband and I were never sick of eating this wonderful chicken BBQ.
this chicken BBQ is the best and now I have craving for it again. lol
I’m so happy you both love it! 🙂
Could you use frozen chicken breasts? Or do they need to be thawed?
Hi Whitney, I haven’t tested it that way but I think it could work with frozen as well. It might need slightly more cooking time. Cook until it is easy to pull apart with forks.
This recipe sounds wonderful! I need to make a bigger batch, can I double it? if so, should i increase the cook time?
Hi Lynne, if your slow cooker is large enough to accommodate it, the cook time should be about the same. It’s done when it’s fork tender and easy to pull apart.
I’m going to try this recipe, but I need to use bone in chicken thighs and drumsticks. I’m assuming I just need to cook a bit longer, correct?
Hi Madeline, yes I think that would work but I would cook it longer or until the meat is pull-apart tender.
Just by reading all the great coments, i will be trying this tonight.
I hope you love it! 🙂
I tried this today because we had pulled chicken sandwiches at a fair recently which my daughter loved. This came out so much better than at the fair! I put it on toasted rolls and topped it with a thin slice of cheddar cheese and it was delicious. So easy to make! Now 2 hours after dinner I can’t stop going back and eating a few more bites of the chicken. Will definitely make this again. Thanks!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for the wonderful review! 🙂
Made this and brought it to church for coffee hour today. Everyone loved it and NO leftovers! Yummylicious! Thanks for this wonderful and easy to follow recipe, Natasha!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
LOVE this recipe. So simple, so delicious. It’s the best pulled chicken I’ve ever had and I make it probably once a month.
I chop a red chilli and add that as well for a beautiful kick.