Are you in the mood for some juicy, saucy, tender chicken? Well, look no further than my Crockpot BBQ Chicken recipe! This mostly hands-off dish is perfect for busy weeknights or lazy Sundays when you just want to relax and let your trusty slow cooker do all the work.
When I first created this recipe, I was inspired by the flavors of my favorite summer BBQs. I wanted that same delicious taste of my Blackstone BBQ Chicken without having to fire up the grill or spend much time in the kitchen. By using my crockpot, I was able to infuse the chicken with those classic BBQ flavors while keeping it tender and juicy.
If you're a fan of meal prep, pulled chicken in the crock pot is great to make in bulk. Simply shred the chicken once it's done cooking and have it ready to go for lunches or dinners throughout the week.
Pair it with a bread machine burger buns and some crunchy citrus coleslaw for the perfect bbq chicken sandwiches.
You can also consider serving the chicken whole with some classic BBQ side dishes. This could include corn on the cob, cast-iron cornbread, baked beans, Instant Pot potato salad, veggie mac and cheese, sweet potato salad, or grilled zucchini.
Reader review
"I made this today with boneless skinless chicken thighs and it may very well be one of the best things I have made in a long time. My husband and I absolutely loved it and I will be using that BBQ seasoning on many other things! Thank you!!" —Beverly
Looking for more delicious chicken recipes? Check out my other favorites, like my super-popular Blackstone chicken or my quick and easy Instant Pot whole chicken.
Ingredients
- Chicken: You can use either boneless skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs for slow cooker BBQ chicken. Thighs are the forgiving cut. They stay juicy even if you lose track of time. Breasts are leaner. They give you those big, clean shreds everyone wants for sandwiches. But they are much quicker to dry out. Short on time? Reach for chicken tenders or tenderloins. They're my weeknight shortcut. They cook fast and shred into perfect little strands for sliders. Just check them early so they don't overshoot.
- BBQ Seasoning: I recommend using my homemade BBQ seasoning, but you can use your favorite prepared BBQ seasoning if you prefer. If you don’t want do use either, you could us a blend of garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Brown Sugar: Either light or dark brown sugar works here.
Step by Step
For the full recipe with measurements, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
How Long Does it Take?
- Boneless breasts or thighs: 3 hours on high, or 6 hours on low. If you want to serve the chicken in whole pieces rather than shredded, reduce the cooking time by an hour or two. Just make sure that you use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the chicken has reached 165° F before serving.
- Bone-in pieces: 7 to 8 hours on low. You can place the chicken under the broiler for a few minutes if you would like to caramelize the sauce.
- Chicken tenders or tenderloins: 2 hours on high, or 3 to 4 on low.
A Few Things I've Learned
- To make this recipe low carb, use a brown sugar substitute and keto BBQ sauce.
- I never have issues with BBQ sauce burning in the slow cooker. If yours runs hot, stir the sauce around the edges, and if it starts to look dry, you can add a little extra liquid (such as chicken broth or apple juice) to prevent the sauce from burning.
Shredding Chicken
The best way to shred chicken is in a stand mixer.
Make It a BBQ Chicken Sandwich
Make sure you toast your buns. Soft buns go to mush under saucy chicken. Toasted buns hold up.
Next, sauce the meat. Once you shred the chicken, add a few more spoonfuls of the BBQ sauce to the meat.
Then top with slaw. Try my rainbow citrus slaw or my old-fashioned coleslaw.
Want to really show off? Serve it on my bread machine hamburger buns.
Serving it whole instead of shredded? Lean into the cookout spread. Sous vide corn on the cob, baked beans, a wedge of cornbread. My Instant Pot potato salad and some grilled zucchini finish the plate. Toss in veggie mac and cheese if you're feeding a crowd.
Easy Prep Crockpot BBQ Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken
- 2 tablespoons BBQ seasoning
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken with BBQ seasoning and salt. Place in your slow cooker.
- Combine the BBQ sauce, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours. Reduce the time by an hour if you are serving whole slow cooker bbq chicken breast, just make sure the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165° F before serving.
- Serve whole, or use forks or a stand mixer to shred the chicken.
Beverly says
I made this today with boneless skinless chicken thighs and it may very well be one of the best things I have made in a long time. My husband and I absolutely loved it and I will be using that BBQ seasoning on many other things! Thank you!!
Wendy Polisi says
I am so glad that you and your husband enjoyed it! We love it with chicken thighs too!