Saucy shredded Crockpot BBQ Chicken, done oh so slowly in the cooker then served between billowing buns alongside a creamy slaw.
I’m not one to encourage gambling, especially with my kids, but in my house, whenever I crank up the Crockpot, we make bets. “How long before the scent of the barbecue reaches the living room?” I ask. The kids (and yes, the hubby) make their wagers. Whoever gets closest gets the choose the side dish. It would make for an interesting scene were someone to walk in on the family all on the edge of the living room with their noses up, sniffing incessantly. But such is the anticipation ahead of Crockpot BBQ Chicken.
And really, we don’t need to turn to gambling to make the evening more exciting. The dish is enough to have everyone salivating, waiting at the dinner table long before I’ve lifted the lid off the Crock-Pot. If it’s been awhile since this kind of dining fervor swept through your family, then I highly suggest you set your Crock-Pot on the counter and get (slow) cookin’!
It’s also a great way to re-introduce chicken breast to your weekly menu. While there is BBQ Chicken (as in, chicken you do on the BBQ) and there is boneless, skinless chicken breast that can be dipped into a small ramekin at the dinner table, there is nothing quite like pulled chicken languidly simmering in a pot of juices, sauces, and an assortment of savory spices. And yes, this is totally a “set it and forget it” meal that takes little effort to get going and no effort to keep going.
So, take it slow, simmer, and sniff. The gambling is up to you.
Is a slow cooker and a Crockpot the same thing?
There’s a hint in the way I wrote this question that should tell you the answer. If you noticed that Crock-Pot was capitalized then you get a shiny star! You probably also know why I did this: Crock-Pot is indeed a brand name, not an appliance, which is what the slow cooker is. Put another way, a Crock-Pot is a slow cooker but a slow cooker isn’t always a Crock-Pot. Making sense? It’s like when people ask for a Kleenex, a Hoover, and a Coke—all brands—when they really just want a facial tissue, a vacuum, or a cola. Crock-Pots just became so popular that people started using the name when referring to any slow cooker of any brand. Don’t worry though, apart from a few minor cosmetic variations, they all do the same thing: cook food on a super-low wattage for a super-long time.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 cups BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
How to Make Crockpot BBQ Chicken
Step 1: In the slow cooker, whisk together BBQ sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes.
Step 2: Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce, turning to coat evenly.
Step 3: Cover the slow cooker and set it on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. The chicken is ready when it shreds easily with a fork.
Step 4: Once cooked, shred the chicken using two forks and stir it into the sauce to soak up all the flavors. Serve warm.
FAQs & Tips
Once you’ve let the chicken cool completely, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. You can also store it in the freezer for up to two months. I recommend splitting it up into smaller servings so you only need to warm up what you want to eat. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight then warm it up in the microwave. You may find it needs some more BBQ sauce, so have some on hand.
You’re in search of the perfect barbecue sauce; I respect that. If you like this recipe but feel it’s lacking a certain something, some tweaking is called for. Want it sweeter? Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar. Or you can add the same amount of honey or maple syrup. After a bit of kick? You can double the amount of red pepper flakes, or inject it with 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce, or 1 teaspoon of chili powder. You’ll have to experiment with the different ratios to get the balance right. Once you do, take note! There’s nothing worse as a cook than failing to re-create a bespoke sauce because you lost track of what you did to it.
While slow cookers do indeed cook food slowly, thereby making it really easy to keep track of your meal’s progress, the procedure isn’t foolproof. You can overcook/undercook the chicken the same way you can do so when doing it on the barbecue, on the stove, in the oven, etc.; you may just have a wider window of opportunity to save it. Undercooked chicken can make you sick while overcooked chicken can be dry and rubbery. The best way to combat this is to use a meat thermometer. Inject it into the thickest part of the chicken and don’t pull the plug (literally) until it has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to serve Crock-Pot BBQ Chicken is in a sandwich. A giant kaiser bun, in fact. Then with a little coleslaw on the side (either the traditional or the green variety will do nicely). If slaw isn’t your choice of salad, then make Summer Pasta Salad. You could also add some baked beans to your plate. If you have time, bake up some of Jenny’s Cornbread and get some sauce on it. And if you’re not feeling the sandwich, you can serve it atop rice, pasta, pizza, nachos, and quesadillas.
Crock-Pot BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 cups BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In the slow cooker, whisk together BBQ sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes.
- Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce mixture, turning to coat them evenly.
- Cover the slow cooker and set it to cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. The chicken is ready when it shreds easily with a fork.
- Once cooked, shred the chicken using two forks and stir it into the sauce to soak up all the flavors. Serve warm.
