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The Best Crockpot BBQ Chicken

Slow cooker chicken gets tender and easy to shred in a sweet-and-tangy BBQ sauce. This pulled BBQ chicken recipe is perfect for sandwiches—just cook, shred, and spoon over buns.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and BBQ sauce
  • 3 lb chicken breasts or thighs Use boneless skinless for best shredding.
  • 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
  • 1 Salt and pepper Season to taste.
  • 1 Hamburger buns for serving For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Season the chicken
  1. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
  2. Mix together the BBQ sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce until the sugar is dissolved.
Cook low and shred
  1. Pour the sauce over the chicken so it’s mostly covered.
  2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken shreds easily.
  3. Shred the chicken with two forks and mix it with the sauce until evenly coated.
Serve
  1. Spoon the pulled BBQ chicken onto hamburger buns and serve hot.

Notes

For maximum tenderness, keep the lid on during cooking so the cooker maintains heat; if it looks dry near the end, stir and let it warm for 5-10 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3-4 days; reheat in the microwave or on low until hot. Freezing is yes—freeze in portions up to 2-3 months and thaw in the fridge. For a lighter option, use a lower-sugar BBQ sauce to cut down sweetness while keeping the tang from the vinegar.