Go Back

The Best Crockpot BBQ Chicken

Slow cooker chicken made into pulled BBQ chicken with tender, shred-easy meat cooked in a sweet-tangy sauce. This crockpot meal is ideal for easy dinner sandwiches with classic BBQ flavor.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

chicken
  • 3 lb chicken breasts or thighs
bbq sauce mixture
  • 2 cup BBQ sauce
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
serving
  • 8 count hamburger buns for serving

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Season and layer
  1. Place chicken in the slow cooker and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, so every surface looks evenly speckled. Keep it in an even layer for consistent shredding later.
  2. Mix BBQ sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce until the brown sugar dissolves and the mixture looks glossy. Pouring will be smooth and coat the chicken evenly.
Cook
  1. Pour the sauce over the chicken, fully covering the top so the meat stays moist as it cooks. Scrape any thick bits from the container back into the slow cooker.
  2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours until the chicken shreds easily when prodded with a fork. The chicken should look tender and pull apart with minimal resistance.
Shred and serve
  1. Shred the chicken with two forks and mix it with the sauce until the strands are evenly coated and look lightly glossy. Toss for 30-60 seconds to distribute the darker sauce.
  2. Serve the pulled BBQ chicken on hamburger buns so the filling reaches the edges. Add any extra sauce from the pot for a wetter, sandwich-ready texture.

Notes

For best flavor, stir the chicken into the sauce during the last 30 minutes of cooking if you can; the strands absorb more of the BBQ flavor. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Freeze shredded chicken (with sauce) for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat until hot. For a lower-sugar option, use a reduced-sugar BBQ sauce or cut the brown sugar to 1 tbsp.