by Holly
Juicy shredded chicken in a zesty sauce, this Crockpot BBQ Chicken needs just 5 ingredients and the slow cooker does all of the work!
Boneless chicken breasts are cooked in a rich BBQ sauce for a dish that takes just minutes of prep. Serve it over dinner rolls, hamburger buns, or even over mac and cheese for the perfect meal!
Why We Love this Recipe
This BBQ Chicken recipe takes just 5 minutes to prepare. Chop an onion, toss all ingredients in the slow cooker and set it and forget it!
The chicken comes out so tender and flavorful, you can practically shred it with a spoon.
It’s great for a weeknight meal or at a party to feed a crowd. If you’re having a get-together, prep as directed and leave on warm so your guests can serve themselves.
This chicken has endless possibilities for serving. Once shredded, serve on hamburger buns, in dinner rolls, in a wrap, or even spooned over rice or macaroni and cheese. Just add a few side dishes for a perfect picnic or potluck.
Ingredients
This recipe is made with a handful of staple ingredients!
CHICKEN Boneless chicken breasts are a favorite in this recipe but chicken thighs work too. If you only have split chicken breasts, be sure to remove the skin before adding to the slow cooker and remove the bones once cooked.
BEER Light beer works best in this recipe, it tenderizes the chicken for the perfect juicy bite and adds flavor to the sauce.
No beer? No Problem! Skip the beer and add chicken broth instead. It’ll change the flavor slightly but still be great.
BARBECUE SAUCE Use your favorite brand of barbecue sauce (or better yet homemade bbq sauce) for this recipe. It is a primary flavor in this recipe, so pick the one you love!
How to Make Shredded Chicken in Crockpot
This recipe is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
- Place all ingredients in the slow cooker
- Cover and cook on until tender.
- Remove chicken and shred chicken using two forks. Stir in some of the juices and additional bbq sauce if desired.
A Note About the Sauce: Chicken can sometimes produce more or less juice. Once your chicken is cooked, you may have a lot or a little bit of juice. Remove the chicken and shred separately.
Add in as much of the juices and sauce as needed. As it sits, the chicken will soak up the juices so don’t throw away any extras in case you want to add more!
How Long to Cook Chicken in Crockpot?
When it comes to making crock pot chicken right, we’ve got you covered!
- Cook on high about 4-5 hours.
- Cook low and slow is my preference and tends to keeps the chicken more tender. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
- Keep on warm once cooked and shredded to serve at gatherings.
When a meat thermometer reaches 165°F in the thickest part, dinner is served!
What to Serve with Crockpot BBQ Chicken
The best sides for Crockpot BBQ chicken are:
Salads: Potato, Macaroni, Coleslaw, Italian pasta salad
Rolls and Wraps: Hamburger buns, ciabatta rolls, wraps, tortillas, dinner rolls (for sliders)
Or Serve Over: Mac and Cheese, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, Oven Baked Rice
Leftovers
Crockpot BBQ is like meat sauce in that it tastes just as good (or even better) the next day if there’s any left!
Be sure to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve it again. Keep in mind the shredded chicken will soak up the sauce as it sits so add some extra barbecue sauce if needed.
It also freezes perfectly, just put it in a zippered bag with the date on it – it should keep for a couple of months in the freezer!
Five-Star Crockpot Meals
- CrockPot Beef Stew
- Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
- Crock Pot Pork Chops
- Crock Pot Ribs
- Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
- Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Did you make this Crockpot BBQ Chicken Recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Crock Pot BBQ Chicken
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 onion finely diced
- 2 cups barbecue sauce divided
- ½ cup light beer or chicken broth
To Serve
- 8 hamburger buns
- coleslaw
Instructions
- Place chicken breast in the slow cooker and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Add onion, 1 cup barbecue sauce and beer. Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.
- Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred using two forks. Ladle some of the juices into the chicken.
- Drizzle with remaining barbecue sauce and serve on hamburger buns with coleslaw.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
thanks holly i love chiken
Awesome, as usual. Thank you so much!
Tried this and just another great recipe! Thanks!
Great recipe!
Thanks Bonita!
Hello Holly
This is Tere from Mexico. I’ve just find your page and I so excited to start preparing your delicious recipes.
I have a question, if I prepare half of the ingredients, do I have to reduce cooking time also or it is the same time as the original recipe? Thank you and take care of yourself
Hi Tere, you should be able to leave the cooking time the same even with halving the recipe. But you can check the chicken early to make sure it doesn’t get overcooked. Just use a meat thermometer and make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F before shredding :)
Can Crockpot BBQ Chicken be done in a pressure cooker instead? Love your recipes! So many have become permanent meals for us.
Hi Patricia, we have never tried this recipe in the instant pot. If you do, we would love to hear how it turns out!
Are you able to use frozen chicken breast?
For this recipe, I would recommend defrosting the chicken before adding to the crockpot Tracy. But let us know how it turns out!