This Crockpot BBQ Chicken is quick, easy and flavorful way to make pulled chicken. Perfect for any party, potluck, or picnic! Succulent chicken covered in an addictive BBQ sauce, then shredded. Great for burgers, burritos tacos, on rice and more.
Crockpot BBQ Chicken for Dinner
This is going to be the easiest BBQ chicken you have ever made. A real crowd pleaser with little effort – win win! Plus it’s great for meal prep, just put everything in the slow cooker sit back and wait.
Read on to find out more about the simplest, tastiest Crockpot BBQ pulled Chicken!
FREE EBOOK!
Download My Top 10 Chicken eBook
Subscribe and receive a free e-cookbook of our Top 10 Easy Chicken Recipes!
download nowHow To Make Crockpot BBQ Chicken – Step by Step
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker. In a bowl, whisk together the BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts, covering them fully, then 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.
- Enjoy!
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
What’s the best chicken for crockpot bbq chicken?
Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs. It’s best to avoid dealing with skin and bones to make this crockpot BBQ Pulled Chicken recipe simple.
Chicken thighs will have a little more fat (flavor!) and more moisture. Chicken breasts are leaner, but also don’t pack quite the same amount of flavor as thighs.
You can use one or the other or a combination. Chicken breasts are great because they always turn out incredibly moist and it’s easy to add flavor.
What’s the best way to shred chicken?
Once fully cooked, shred your chicken breast right in the slow cooker with 2 forks in the liquid! This will keep things moist and tasty.
Using 2 forks to shred chicken is simple and easy, but some people like to place their cooked chicken breast into a hand mixer and shred that way.
Can you freeze bbq pulled chicken?
Once your shredded chicken is completely cooled, you can put it in ziplock bags or airtight containers in 1 or 2 cup portions (depending on how much you think you’ll use at a time), and store in the freezer.
If it’s stored properly, the chicken will maintain good quality for about 4 months.
Top Reader Reviews
- “This chicken is a game changer. It is so easy, juicy and delicious!! I have paired it with a roll and with wrap, lettuce and feta. Leftovers are even better!!” – Lisa Hasselback
- “I loved how quick and easy it to make. I will be making it again” – Shannon Darby
Slow Cooker Tips
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 doing more chicken than that, you’ll likely want to use a 4-6 quart crockpot. Note that if your crockpot is very full, it will take longer to heat and cook.
More Tips For Crockpot BBQ Chicken
- Don’t overcook. I know it can be tempting to leave the chicken in for a long time as you would think it would end up more tender, but that’s not always the case. You really want to be sure you hit the sweet spot between “just enough” and “dry and unappetizing”.
- Keep the seasoning simple. You don’t want to end up with a week’s worth of single-purpose chicken (unless you do, I guess!), so by keeping the seasoning on this slow cooker shredded chicken basic, you can use it in a multitude of ways. It doesn’t scream “Mexican!” or “Italian!” or “curry!”.
- 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.
More BBQ Chicken recipes
Have you tried this Crockpot BBQ Pulled Chicken recipe? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Crockpot BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- 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.
Irma Acosta says
Easy to make. Total hit in my home. Everyone was licking their fingers. Thank you
Becky Hardin says
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it, Irma!
Jeanne Winland says
I made this using rotisserie chicken which I shredded. Used a combo of open pit and Kraft spicy. My first ever successful bbq! Used onions purple and white sliced very thinly. Put sauce and chicken in crock pot for 3 1/2 hours. Served on toasted buns topped with crisp cole slaw. Seriously the best bbq I ever tasted. Thank you
Davina Ragland says
This recipe is AWESOME!!!!! First time making chicken bbq and OMG tastes better than the beef or pork bbq. Thanks so much for sharing!
Becky Hardin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Davina!
James says
FOOL PROOF!! It couldn’t be explained any easier, and the flavor is amazing.
I bumped my garlic and onion powders up to 1/4 teaspoon and added 1 teaspoon of hot pepper flakes.
I also used 1/3 of a cup of apple cider vinegar instead, just for a little more tart. Thank Yo So Much!
Becky Hardin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, James! Thanks so much for sharing what worked for you!
Sue says
Thank you for such a delicious recipe. Crockpot recipes are my favorite when preparing for a get together. I doubled the recipe and it all got eaten. Everyone loved it. I’ll certainly be making it again!
Becky Hardin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sue!
Shelly Rickel says
I have made this many times for myself & a few others, made it for someone to give them to take home,made it for a Holiday Dinner at a VFW & THOSE who volunteer inthe kitchen & the crowd that come for dinner never had it before, all loved it & went on about i. It,so I told them how to make it & they were thrilled so they could make it. I still have people ask me about it toget the recipe. I absolutely l9vethus,itisa must have recipe to enjoy yourself& make for others
Becky Hardin says
I’m so happy to hear you love it, Shelly!