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The Best Crockpot BBQ Chicken

Slow cooker chicken turned into pulled BBQ chicken with tender shredded chicken simmered in a sweet-tangy BBQ sauce. This easy dinner cooks in the crockpot until it shreds easily, then gets mixed back into the saucy juices for sandwich-ready flavor.
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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: 620
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
seasoning
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste
serving
  • 8 Hamburger buns for serving

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Season and sauce the chicken
  1. Place chicken in a slow cooker and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Make sure the seasoning is evenly distributed over the top so it melts into the meat as it cooks.
  2. Mix BBQ sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce until the brown sugar is mostly dissolved. Visual cue: the sauce should look glossy and uniform with no obvious brown sugar clumps.
  3. Pour the sauce over the chicken so the pieces are covered as much as possible. Tilt and rotate the crockpot briefly if needed so sauce reaches the bottom layer.
Slow-cook, shred, and serve
  1. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours until the chicken shreds easily. Visual cue: when you pull a fork through the thickest piece, it should separate with little resistance.
  2. Shred the chicken with two forks and mix it with the sauce. Keep stirring until the shredded chicken looks evenly coated and glossy.
  3. Serve the pulled BBQ chicken on hamburger buns. Visual cue: pile the saucy chicken into the center of each bun so it mounds rather than spreads.

Notes

For the most flavorful pulled texture, let the chicken sit in the crockpot with the lid on for 10 minutes after cooking, then shred and mix. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; reheat in a covered pan or microwave until hot. Freezing is yes—freeze shredded chicken with sauce for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge before reheating. For a lighter option, use reduced-sugar BBQ sauce and skip or reduce the brown sugar.