My tried-and-true Crockpot BBQ Chicken recipe is a quick, easy, and flavorful way to make pulled chicken–perfect for any party, potluck, or picnic! Succulent chicken breasts are covered in an addictive BBQ sauce, slow-cooked, then pulled and shredded to make sandwiches, sliders, burritos, tacos, rice bowls, and more. I love this 6-ingredient slow cooker BBQ chicken, and so many of you have rated it highly too–making it one of my most popular and beloved recipes!
This Crock Pot BBQ pulled chicken is one of my favorite (and most popular) recipes for a reason! All I have to do is toss a few ingredients into the slow cooker, then let it do all the work for me. A true set it and forget it recipe. It creates the juiciest, richest, most delicious shredded barbecue chicken that can be used in so many different ways.
What’s in this Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Recipe?
It only takes 6 basic ingredients to make this amazing BBQ pulled chicken in the Crock Pot!
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best for shredding, but you can also make this recipe with boneless chicken thighs.
- BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite barbecue sauce to create the perfect flavor. You can choose mild, spicy, smokey, or whatever you please!
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This helps perfect the balance of tanginess in the sauce, and tenderizes the chicken even more as it cooks.
- Brown Sugar: This adds a deeper, richer flavor to the sauce.
- Spices: All you need is garlic powder and onion powder.
Variations To Try
There are so many ways to change up this Crockpot BBQ pulled chicken to suit your needs. I personally like to add fresh onions and garlic to the slow cooker if I have them on hand. Try some of these other variations!
- Spicy Chipotle Chicken: Add chipotle peppers in adobo sauce along with the BBQ sauce, plus sliced jalapeños and a touch of honey.
- Hawaiian Chicken: Add crushed pineapple (with juice), soy sauce, and a touch of ginger. You can also add some red bell pepper and onion slices for extra flavor.
- Mustard BBQ Chicken: Use a mustard-based BBQ sauce, a bit of honey or brown sugar, and some spices like paprika and cayenne pepper.
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How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover Crockpot BBQ chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat cooked chicken in the microwave in 30-second increments until warmed through. You can also reheat it in the slow cooker on LOW until warmed through.
How to Freeze
Freeze slow cooker BBQ pulled chicken batched, or divided into individual portions, in airtight containers or Ziplock bags for up to 4 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Notes and Tips
- Since the chicken breasts are slow-cooking directly in the barbecue sauce mixture, it will be a thinner saucy consistency. If you want to thicken it, stir in some cornstarch. Or cook-down remaining sauce on the stovetop to serve.
- I use a 2.5 quart Crock Pot for a serving of 4–perfect size for a small family!
5 Star Reader Reviews
“This was deeeeelicious!! My husband and I loved it! Probably the best I’ve had and ever made! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!!” – Elise
“I loved this recipe! The chicken came out so moist and delicious!” — Alesha
“This recipe is AWESOME!!!!! First time making chicken bbq and OMG tastes better than the beef or pork bbq. Thanks so much for sharing!” — Davina
Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Equipment
- Crockpot 2.5 quart
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk the BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, onion powder, and garlic powder together.1½ cups BBQ sauce, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts, covering them fully.
- Cook the chicken on high for 2-3 hours, or on low for 4-6 hours.
- Shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker, or remove to shred and return to the sauce.
- Give the chicken a good stir to coat it in the sauce.
- Serve BBQ pulled chicken as sandwiches, tacos, or bowls.
Notes
- Know your slow cooker. When cooking 4 chicken breasts like this recipe calls for, I love using my 2.5 quart crockpot — it’s the perfect size and heats up quickly. If you’re cooking more chicken, you’ll likely want to use a 4-6 quart crockpot. Note that if your crockpot is too full, it will take longer to heat and cook.
- Don’t overcook. I know it can be tempting to leave the chicken in for a longer time, but longer isn’t always better. You really want to be sure you hit the sweet spot between “just enough” and “dry and unappetizing”.
- BBQ pulled chicken is great as a sandwich with a homemade slaw and pickles! You can also eat pulled chicken in a meal prep bowl, in a wrap, or as a taco.
How to make Crockpot BBQ Chicken Step by Step
Make the BBQ Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together 1½ cups of your preferred BBQ sauce, ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, ½ teaspoon of onion powder, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
Cook the Chicken: Place 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts) in a single layer at the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the barbecue sauce directly over the chicken, making sure it’s fully covered. Cover the pot and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or LOW for 4-6 hours. Check it on the early side to make sure it doesn’t overcook.
Shred the BBQ Chicken: Once the chicken is fully cooked, shred it. Use two forks and pull them through the meat in opposite directions. You can do this directly in the cooker, but I find it easier to shred it on a plate or board. Then place it back in the sauce and toss to coat.
Serve: Serve this Crockpot BBQ pulled chicken on Hawaiian rolls to make sliders, buns to make sandwiches, or plate it up with coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and cornbread. It’s also a great filling for tacos and burritos!
Could this be done in an instapot? Any idea how if so?
Try this recipe (click here)!
I’m going to try this recipe but I’d like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, would the ratio of any of the ingredients be different for the thighs being that the fat content is higher, and that the thighs are juicier producing more moisture in the crockpot.
No changes necessary! Enjoy!
This was very tasty!! My family loved it!! It wa very easy to make.
Thanks for sharing!
I used Stubbs bbq sauce with this recipe and it was amazing!!
Sounds delicious!
This is by far one of the best recipes I have tried. That sauce is amazing and would not change a thing!
I’m so happy to hear that, Rebecca!
This was absolutely amazing!!! Me and my husband couldn’t get enough. It was fun an easy to make. This was one of the first things I learned to cook lol I just started cooking a few months ago and have followed a couple of your Crockpot chicken recipes. Thanks for sharing , makes me feel like an amazing cook lol .
I’m so happy to hear that! Enjoy your cooking journey!!
I use this easy wonderful recipe often. Plus it helps in stretching out my meal
I’m so glad to hear that, Carmen! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Can this be made with frozen chicken?
Absolutely! It will take quite a bit longer to cook, though!
Can you do this with frozen chicken? If so would you just add a few hours or so?
Yes! Unfortunately, I haven’t tried this from frozen, but I would guess it would take more like 6-7 hours on low!
Holy Chicken!!! My teenager couldn’t stop saying how awesome it was!!!
I’m so happy to hear that, Corinne!
Delicious! Usually whenever I make something like this in the crockpot, it comes out too liquid, but this was perfect and delicious.
I’m so glad this recipe was a hit for you, Allison!