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The Best Crockpot BBQ Chicken

Slow cooker chicken that turns into pulled BBQ chicken with tender, easily shredded texture. This easy dinner cooks in your crockpot and finishes with BBQ sauce so it’s ready for sandwiches.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 550
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 3 lb chicken breasts or thighs
BBQ sauce base
  • 2 cup BBQ sauce
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 0.5 salt and pepper Use to taste.
Serving
  • 8 hamburger buns for serving

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Season and layer
  1. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Make sure the spices cover all sides so flavor cooks into the meat.
Mix the sauce
  1. Mix the BBQ sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Pouring a smooth sauce helps coat the chicken evenly.
Cook until shred-ready
  1. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker so it’s mostly covered. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours until the chicken shreds easily.
Shred and finish
  1. Shred the chicken with two forks and mix it into the sauce in the slow cooker. Keep stirring until the meat looks glossy and evenly coated.
Serve
  1. Spoon the pulled BBQ chicken onto hamburger buns for serving. Serve warm so the sauce stays saucy and the buns soften slightly.

Notes

Pro tip: if you want thicker sauce, cook 15-30 minutes on high after shredding, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; freeze for up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge). Dietary swap: use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce to keep the recipe gluten-free.