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Sweet Baby Ray's Crockpot Chicken

Sweet Baby Ray's crockpot chicken with pull-apart tender shredded chicken and a thick, smoky BBQ sauce that caramelizes slightly in the slow cooker. Every shred gets coated in a dark, glossy, sticky glaze—set and forget BBQ chicken with effortless shredding and saucy results.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and BBQ sauce
  • 2.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 18 oz Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
To serve
  • brioche buns
  • coleslaw

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season the chicken
  1. Pat the chicken breasts or thighs dry, then season all over with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika for even flavor in every bite.
Mix the BBQ sauce
  1. In a bowl, mix Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar until the brown sugar is dissolved and the mixture looks glossy.
Slow cook
  1. Place the seasoned chicken in the slow cooker and pour the BBQ sauce mixture over the top so the meat is well coated.
  2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours (or HIGH for 3-4 hours) until the chicken is completely tender with sauce thickened and darker at the edges.
Shred and glaze
  1. Remove the lid and shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker using two forks; stir the shredded chicken into the sauce until each piece looks coated and sticky.
Serve
  1. Serve the shredded BBQ chicken on brioche buns with coleslaw and extra BBQ sauce, aiming for a shiny glaze on top of the meat.

Notes

For best shredding, cook until the chicken easily pulls apart with light pressure, then stir thoroughly to re-coat in the dark, sticky glaze. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; freeze up to 2 months. To make this lighter, use low-sugar BBQ sauce (keep the vinegar and spices) for a similar smoky flavor with less added sugar.