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.
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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.
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
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
- Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred using couple forks
- Transfer shredded chicken back into crock pot and stir to coat with sauce
Transfer slow cooker pulled chicken onto a platter or any serving dish and serve as a side dish to rice or even mashed potatoes.
Another great way to serve slow cooker BBQ chicken is in buns as a sandwich or on a slice of bread.
More Chicken Recipes to Explore:
- Breaded Baked Chicken Drumsticks – crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside
- Croissant Chicken Salad Sandwich – flavorful, quick and easy
- Rice Stuffed Chicken Thighs – tender, filled with rice, carrots and onions
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken
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.
Natalie says:
Really good and easy to make!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thank you, Natalie! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Patricia says:
Made this yesterday and it was so delicious. Looking for great chicken recipes and this does it. Used Paul Newman s BBQ sauce
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thank you for the wonderful review, Patricia!
Courtney says:
This is a great recipe! Exactly what I was looking for: Delicious & Easy. I made a double batch. Loaded the crock pot up to the top…and opted for 8 hours on low. Just perfect!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
That’s amazing! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe & thank you for sharing that awesome review with us Courtney!
Larissa Martinyuk says:
The BBQ pulled chicken is awesome! I have tried different recipes, but my kids said this was the best! Thank you Olga!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
That’s so awesome, Larissa! Your great review makes me so happy :)!
Emily says:
Absolutely amazing flavor and so easy to make! We ended up serving it over rice with a side of green beans instead of in a burger bun. It absolutely works like that too!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
That’s wonderful, Emily! I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe! Thank you for sharing that with us :).
Katy says:
We enjoyed your recipe so much! The chicken is juicy, fall apart and the flavor is so yum. We enjoyed on a side of rice the first day and then for sandwiches the next day. Both variations were so good! Thank you for your delicious recipes. I keep looking for more.
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thank you for the wonderful review, Katy! This recipe is definitely versatile and can be enjoyed in different ways :).
Tammy Anderson says:
Yummy and so delicious! So easy to make! Will make again and again!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
That’s wonderful, Tammy! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe :).
Amy says:
Have made this several times throughout the year and was devoured each time. I even make it a day or two before a camping trip, it makes for an easy and quick dinner for that first night.
Olga in the Kitchen says:
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Amy! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Aurora says:
I just love this recipe. I making it all the time for my mom and daughter. There just never seems to be enough. I made it while my daughter’s friend was over for the weekend, whose a very picky eater and she LOVED it. Making again this week.thank you for this recipe.
Olga in the Kitchen says:
That’s the best! Thank you for sharing that with me, Aurora! I’m so happy to hear you all enjoyed this recipe :).
Krystelle says:
Made this recipe in my slow cooker and my whole family enjoyed it for couple days. Love this so much and will always make this. Thank you so much for all your recipes. We enjoy them.
Olga in the Kitchen says:
That’s so great, Krystelle! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!