Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken (2024)

A simple recipe, this slow cooker pulled BBQ chicken is a family favorite for summer dinners on the deck or melt in your mouth pulled chicken sandwiches any time of year!

Jump to Recipe

Table of Contents

Pulled BBQ Chicken Crock Pot Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make BBQ Pulled Chicken
How To Serve This Pulled Chicken Recipe
Storing This Crock Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken
The Shredded BBQ Chicken Crock Pot Recipe You’ll LOVE!
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
JUMP TO RECIPE

This slow cooker pulled BBQ chicken is incredibly easy to make by just throwing chicken, barbecue sauce, and spices into a crockpot and waiting until the chicken becomes fall-apart tender and juicy. Add it to buttered hamburger rolls, and it becomes a mouth-watering pulled BBQ chicken sandwich.

Pulled BBQ Chicken Crock Pot Ingredients

When it comes to delicious finger-licking food, slow cooker pulled BBQ chicken is a must-try.

The chicken is cooked for hours, allowing the flavors of the barbeque sauce to fully seep in and soak into the tender meat.

As a result, the chicken is incredibly juicy, packed with a smoky taste, and fall-apart-tender.

You’ll need:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
18 ounces of Sweet Baby Ray’s Hickory & Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce
⅓ cup of light brown sugar
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon of chipotle chili powder
¼ teaspoon of ground white pepper

PRO TIP:

If your chicken breasts are on the smaller side, use four instead of three for this recipe.

Substitutions And Additions

BARBECUE SAUCE: There are so many great BBQ sauces to choose from. We also love Sweet Baby Bay’s Honey Barbecue Sauce, or you can use your own favorite brand or even a homemade BBQ sauce.

GROUND WHITE PEPPER: Ground black pepper will also work as an alternative to white pepper if needed.

CHIPOTLE CHILI POWDER: Regular chili powder is fine to use as a substitute if you don’t have the chipotle variety

SLOW COOKER: This pulled BBQ chicken recipe uses a slow cooker. You can use any size of crockpot, Instant Pot, or any other slow cooker brand.

CHICKEN: Boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of boneless chicken breasts would also work well for this recipe.

How To Make BBQ Pulled Chicken

Once you put the chicken in the slow cooker, top it with all the saucy ingredients and set the slow cooker to do all the work. Shred the chicken and dig in!

STEP ONE: Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker and turn the heat to low.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Don’t cook the chicken from frozen. Make sure that the chicken is fully thawed before placing it in the slow cooker.

STEP TWO: In a bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, light brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, and ground white pepper. Stir well with a whisk.

STEP THREE: Pour the barbecue sauce mixture into the slow cooker with the chicken breasts.

STEP FOUR: Use a spoon to stir and coat all the chicken with the barbecue sauce mixture.

STEP FIVE: Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low heat for six to seven hours or on high for three to four hours.

PRO TIP:

How To Serve This Pulled Chicken Recipe

A pulled BBQ chicken sandwich is a great alternative to a burger. Just add the BBQ chicken to a toasted and buttered hamburger bun.

I also suggest topping your BBQ chicken with homemade coleslaw to add a nice crunch to an already delicious sandwich.

Sides that go great with pulled chicken sandwiches include baked mac and cheese, pasta salad, or potato salad.

Great for an easy meal any night or for a backyard picnic, serve this crockpot barbecue chicken recipe with sides like cauliflower mac and cheese or a simple cucumber salad for a classic summer meal.

MORE DINNER RECIPES

Pork Dinner Ideas

Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs

Beef Dinner Ideas

Garlic Butter Steak And Potatoes Skillet

Storing This Crock Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken

We’ve got you covered with some easy storage tips to keep the deliciousness of this chicken intact.

IN THE FRIDGE: Leftover cooked BBQ-pulled chicken can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days. When reheating, make sure it’s piping hot throughout.

IN THE FREEZER: Slow cooker BBQ chicken can be frozen for up to three months in an airtight container.

MAKE AHEAD: You can also batch cook this dish and store it to make a quick lunch to take to work or reheat for lazy weeknight dinners.

The Shredded BBQ Chicken Crock Pot Recipe You’ll LOVE!

This easy slow cooker pulled BBQ chicken recipe is a great go-to for busy weeknights. You can just put the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning, and at dinner time, it’ll take just a few minutes to shred the tender chicken and pop it onto a bun.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I shred chicken?

To shred chicken, use two forks. Holding one in each hand, use them to pull the chicken apart.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Upside Down Pizza
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Creamy Garlic Pasta
Slow Cooker Dr Pepper Pulled Pork
Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Crockpot Rotel Dip
Crockpot Mac and Cheese
The Best Burger
Chili Recipe
Oklahoma Onion Burger
Zinger Burger
General Tso Chicken
Cheeseburger Quesadilla
Kung Pao Chicken
Garlic Bread
Benihana Hibachi Chicken
Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
Hamburger Hash
30 Minute Chicken Chimichanga
Coca Cola Chicken Recipe
Slow Cooker Philly Cheesesteak
White Chicken Enchilada Skillet
Cheeseburger Pie
Salmon in Foil
Peanut Butter Chicken
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Tuna Melt

Get Recipes on Pinterest

Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Recipe

5 from 11 votes

A simple recipe, this slow cooker pulled BBQ chicken is a family favorite for summer dinners on the deck or melt in your mouth pulled chicken sandwiches any time of year!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 7 hours hours

Total Time 7 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

PrintRecipeReviewRecipe

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts
18 ounces Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory & Brown Sugar Barbeque Sauce
⅓ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

Instructions

Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Turn the heat to low.
In a separate bowl, combine Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce, light brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, and ground white pepper. Use a whisk to stir and combine.
Pour the barbecue sauce mixture into the slow cooker with the chicken breasts. Use a spoon to stir and coat all the chicken with the barbecue sauce mixture.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or high for 3 to 4 hours.
When the chicken is tender and pulls apart easily with a fork, it is ready to be shredded.
Using two forks, shred chicken while still in the slow cooker. Mix the chicken and barbecue sauce together until well coated.
Serve on buttered and toasted hamburger buns.

Video

Notes

If your chicken breasts are on the smaller side, use four instead of three for this recipe.
Do not cook chicken from frozen. Make sure the chicken is fully thawed before adding it to the crockpot.
Make sure your chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Don’t overcook the chicken. If your slow cooker has a ‘warm’ setting, switch to this once it’s done to prevent it from continuing to cook in the sauce.

Nutrition

Have You Tried This Recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @spaceshipslb

Get Recipes on Facebook

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!