BBQ Pulled Chicken in the Crock Pot
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Making BBQ pulled chicken in the Crock Pot is an easy way to make a delicious meal of tender chicken tossed in rich, smoky barbecue sauce with just two simple ingredients!
This is the perfect Crock Pot recipe to make for busy weeknight dinner, game day parties, or office potlucks. Using a slow cooker for this BBQ chicken ensures that the chicken is cooked to perfection with almost no effort on your part, making it a convenient and delicious meal that is sure to be a hit.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken Breasts or Thighs: You’ll need to use boneless, skinless chicken for this recipe since we’ll be shredding it right in the pot. We prefer chicken breast but you can use a mix of breasts and thighs if you prefer.
- BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite store-bought brand or make your own homemade BBQ sauce.
Optional: Want to add even more sweet and smoky BBQ flavor to your chicken? Add a little of our Memphis BBQ Dry Rub to the meat before pouring on the sauce!
How to Make BBQ Pulled Chicken
- Layer the ingredients. Add the chicken to your slow cooker and pour your BBQ sauce on top. Move the chicken around a little to ensure that the sauce covers everything.
- Cook. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 2-3 hours on High or 4-6 hours on Low.
- Pull. Once the chicken has finished cooking (chicken should have an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.) you can use two forks to pull the meat apart and stir together with the sauce.
- Serve. Serve hot with your choice of sides.
If you like this make sure to try our Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork too! It’s perfect for parties and summer cookouts!
How to Serve BBQ Pulled Chicken
You don’t have to do anything fancy when serving up this pulled chicken. Buy some hamburger buns to make sandwiches or grab some slider rolls to make BBQ chicken sliders.
When it comes to sides the possibilites are endless but a few of our favorites are southern cornbread or hushpuppies, some homemade coleslaw, a big scoop of baked beans, and mustard potato salad or french fries.
If you want to keep it lighter you can always skip the bun and serve it with a mixed green salad.
Don’t forget a big glass of peach iced tea!
Frequently Asked Questions
You shouldn’t need to add anything to thicken the sauce for the you BBQ chicken, BUT chicken does release water as it cooks and the amount of water can vary by brand. If you feel like there is a large amount of water in the slow cooker after you finish cooking, then BEFORE shredding the chicken, use a spoon or cup to remove some of the excess liquid. Then shred your chicken, and if needed, add a little more BBQ sauce.
Yes, you can use frozen chicken in the Crock Pot, but it’s generally recommended to thaw it first. Thawing ensures the chicken cooks evenly and reaches a safe internal temperature. If using frozen chicken, you may need to extend the cooking time by 1-2 hours.
BBQ sauce is a personal choice…use whatever you like best! I often pick up my favorite brand at the store to save time but I usually make a batch of my homemade Memphis BBQ sauce to add to the chicken. It’s the perfect blend of sweet and tangy!
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BBQ Pulled Chicken in the Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Boneless skinless chicken breast, can be a mix of breasts and thighs
- 2 cups Memphis BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the slow cooker and pour the BBQ sauce over the chicken. Move chicken around so that the sauce coats everything
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 2-3 hours on High or 4-6 hours on Low.
- Once the chicken has finished cooking (chicken should have an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.) you can use two forks to pull the meat apart and stir together with the sauce.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition
