Skip to content

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken

This is the easiest and simply the best Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken recipe! Fall-apart tender, juicy, sweet, so satisfying and so delicious. Serve the shredded chicken in buns as a sandwich, on a side of rice, mashed potatoes or on a slice of bread.

slow cooker pulled chicken recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

This recipe was created based on our family favorite Slow Cooker Pork Ribs. Both recipes are more on the sweet side, covered in barbecue sauce and both are fall apart. In the ribs recipe, we are using actual honey to give that extra sweetness to the meat. For pulled chicken, we don’t use honey in ingredients, but instead you want to use any brand of BBQ sauce that says ‘honey’ on the bottle. Whether it’s Kraft Sweet Honey, Sweet Baby Ray’s or any other brand.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken

This slow cooker pulled chicken is so easy to make. You put everything into the slow cooker without any special prep and wait for few hours to have a ready meal on the table. I cook it for 3 hours on high as I noticed 4 hours dries out the chicken.

Chicken breast meat is usually more on the dry side already. Make sure to check if chicken is ready after 3 hours before you decide adding additional hour. Dry meat is not always so tasty.

slow cooker pulled chicken

Convenience of Slow Cooker Meals

I love slow cooker meals! Every time I have a laundry day, a cleaning day or even a baking day, I’d put everything into slow cooker and not worry about what to eat for lunch or dinner while I’m occupied with other things. I don’t have to stand over the stove and constantly watch it, stir it or mix it.

Sometimes I would throw everything into the slow cooker before church and have it ready after church. I don’t do it quite often though because I don’t really feel comfortable leaving appliance on when there’s no one home. Just for safety reasons.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (trimmed of fat – about 3 lbs)
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce (I used Kraft Sweet Honey)
  • 1 small yellow onion – finely grated (with juice)
  • 2 tablespoons apple juice
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

slow cooker pulled chicken ingredients

How to Make Crockpot BBQ Chicken:

  • Stir together all sauce ingredients in a 5 or 6 qt slow cooker
  • Add chicken breasts and turn to coat
  • Cover with lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours (or low 6-7 hours)
  • Chicken is ready when cooked through and easy to shred

how to make pulled chicken recipe

  • Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred using couple forks
  • Transfer shredded chicken back into crock pot and stir to coat with sauce

shredding pulled chicken

Transfer slow cooker pulled chicken onto a platter or any serving dish and serve as a side dish to rice or even mashed potatoes.

slow cooker bbq chicken

Another great way to serve slow cooker BBQ chicken is in buns as a sandwich or on a slice of bread.

slow cooker bbq chicken sandwich

More Chicken Recipes to Explore:

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken

5 from 33 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 8
Slow cooker BBQ pulled chicken: fall-apart tender, juicy, sweet, so satisfying and so delicious. Serve the shredded chicken in buns as a sandwich, on a side of rice, mashed potatoes or on a slice of bread.

Ingredients 

  • 4 boneless chicken breasts (skinless, trimmed of fat - about 3 lbs)
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce , (I use Kraft Sweet Honey)
  • 1 small yellow onion - finely grated (with juice)
  • 2 tablespoons apple juice
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Instructions

  • In a 5 or 6 qt slow cooker combine and stir sauce ingredients: 1 cup BBQ sauce, 1 small yellow onion (finely grated, with juice), 2 tbsp apple juice, 1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 tsp fine salt.
  • Add 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (trimmed of fat – about 3 lbs) to slow cooker and turn to coat.
  • Cover with lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours (or low 6-7 hours). (I did 3 hours). Chicken is ready when cooked through and easy to shred.
  • Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred each breast using couple forks. Transfer shredded chicken back into crock pot and stir to coat with sauce.
  • Serve in buns as a sandwich, on a side of rice, mashed potatoes or on a slice of bread.