Tender, flavorful pulled chicken made easy in the slow cooker with pantry spices and your favorite barbecue sauce. BBQ Crockpot Pulled Chicken is perfect for sandwiches, wraps, or bowls.
Busy Schedule? Use your Crockpot!
There’s nothing I love more than a delicious and easy slow cooker recipe that saves me tons of time in the kitchen.
This recipe for BBQ Pulled Chicken uses just a handful of ingredients, requires minimal prep time, and is almost completely hands-off until the very end!
It’s even easier to make ahead for meal prep! I use the delicious, saucy, shredded chicken to make BBQ chicken sandwiches, or as a topping for baked potatoes, salads, tacos, or even pizzas on nights when I just don’t have the energy for cooking a fancy meal.
Ingredient Notes
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken Breasts: Pulled chicken recipes like this one work best with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The long, slow cooking time will ensure that they are juicy and delicious. Bone-in chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs can also be used, but will take a bit longer to cook in the Crock Pot.
- BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite bottled sauce for this recipe! The flavor of your slow cooker BBQ chicken can be adjusted depending on the style of sauce that you choose. Choose something sweet, like a honey barbecue, or try a spicy BBQ version. Homemade barbecue sauce also works well.
- Seasonings: Light brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder enhance the flavors in the BBQ sauce.
Tip!
You don’t need to add any extra liquid to the Crockpot! Chicken breasts release moisture as they cook in the slow cooker, giving this pulled chicken the perfect amount of sauciness.
Crockpot Pulled Chicken Recipe Tips
- Cook the chicken in the crockpot until it is fully cooked and easily pulled apart. Plan on 2-3 hours on the High setting or 5-6 hours on Low.
- Overcooked chicken in the crockpot will be dry and tough. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that you aren’t cooking the meat much past the 165°F or 75°C point.
- There are many ways to shred chicken breasts! I like to do it by hand with a couple of forks, but you can also use your fingers (be careful, it will be hot!), or use your electric mixer on low. If it’s easier, remove the chicken from the crockpot onto a cutting board to shred it, then add the meat back to the sauce before serving.
- My favorite way to serve this BBQ pulled chicken is on sandwiches made with homemade sandwich buns, paired with creamy cole slaw, dressed up with pickles, sliced jalapenos, or red onions for a bit of crunch. Barbecue chicken also makes a delicious topping for baked potatoes, wraps, or rice bowls.
- For a lower-carb option, serve pulled BBQ chicken in lettuce wraps or with a side of grilled veggies.
More Easy Crock Pot Recipes
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BBQ Crockpot Pulled Chicken
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- cutting board
- Two forks or shredding claws
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1¼ cups (300 ml) barbecue sauce
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Sprinkle with brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Pour the barbecue sauce over the top, then toss everything together until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Shred the chicken using two forks directly in the crockpot, or remove to a cutting board, shred, and return to the sauce.
- Stir to fully coat the shredded chicken in the sauce.
- Serve warm on brioche buns with coleslaw, or use in wraps, baked potatoes, or bowls.
Notes:
- You can use bone-in chicken, but it will take longer to cook fully.
- Do not add frozen chicken breasts directly to the slow cooker. If using frozen chicken, allow it to thaw safely in the fridge before using.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze pulled chicken for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating and serving.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Can I use frozen chicken in a crock pot?
The answer to this common question is universally “no”. Because the Crock Pot is cooking the chicken slowly, frozen chicken breasts will stay at an unsafe temperature for too long during the cooking process, which can result in food that isn’t safe to eat. If your chicken is frozen, thaw it first, ideally in the fridge overnight.
BBQ Crockpot Chicken Variations
I enjoy this recipe exactly as it is, but there are loads of different variations on the concept out there. At the end of the day, the extras or seasonings that you add will depend on the flavors of your specific BBQ sauce. Consider adding things that enhance those flavors, such as:
- Extra Brown Sugar
- Apple Cider Vinegar for tangy flavor
- Mustard
- Minced Garlic
- Worcestershire Sauce for savory, umami, depth of flavor.
- Liquid Smoke
- Red Pepper Flakes for heat.
- Italian Seasoning
The Best Side Dishes for BBQ Chicken
You can make bbq chicken in your slow cooker any time of year, and enjoy it with your favorite Southern barbecue sides or summer favorites!
Salads such as Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, creamy Broccoli Slaw, or cheesy Mexican Street Corn Salad pair wonderfully with the sweet, smoky flavors in the BBQ sauce.
For hot sides, try my easy Grilled Potatoes in Foil, Cheesy Potato Casserole, Grilled Corn on the Cob, or Velveeta Mac and Cheese.
And for dessert, I recommend trying my Texas Sheet Cake, or the ultimate American dessert, homemade Apple Pie.
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