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    Home » Slow Cooker Chicken

    Crockpot BBQ Chicken

    Posted: Dec 13, 2019 · Updated: Feb 16, 2022 by Tonje

    409 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    This Crockpot BBQ chicken recipe is incredibly easy but oh so tasty. Juicy shredded chicken thighs covered in your favorite BBQ sauce - yum! Only 2 ingredients and 5 minutes of work is required to make this fantastic dish.

    Pulled BBQ chicken in a bowl.

    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 💭 Top tips
    • 🥗 Serving suggestions
    • 🍲 Leftovers
    • 📋 Frequently asked questions
    • 🍴 More slow cooker chicken recipes
    • Recipe

    This post may contain affiliate links. Read more about it in the privacy policy.

    I love making BBQ chicken in my slow cooker. It might take a while for the meat to cook through, but it's so easy and effortless. This recipe is really versatile, and the result is the most tender fall-off-the-bone chicken you have ever tasted.

    🥘 Ingredients

    This recipe only requires 2 ingredients. All you need is a good BBQ sauce, and chicken thighs with bones and skins.

    Although this recipe can be made using any cut of chicken, I highly recommend using chicken thighs. They have more fat than chicken breasts, and the slow cooking process makes the meat really juicy. The bones and skins help the chicken develop more flavor - but don't worry, we remove them before serving the shredded chicken.

    If you like this recipe, you might want to check out my other shredded chicken recipes, or the slow cooker chicken collection.

    🔪 Instructions

    Add the raw chicken thighs to the slow cooker. Pour BBQ sauce over the top.

    Slow cook the BBQ chicken on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 7-9 hours. There is no need to open the lid or do anything to the chicken while it cooks. The chicken will simmer in its own juices and come out perfectly tender. Ensure that the middle of the chicken thighs reaches an internal temperature of 75°C or 165°F before removing them from the slow cooker.

    Remove the chicken thighs from the slow cooker. Discard the bones and skins. Use two forks to pull apart the chicken meat.

    Add more BBQ sauce or some of the liquid from the slow cooker to the shredded Crockpot BBQ chicken if you want it to be more juicy.

    Pulled BBQ chicken in a bowl.

    💭 Top tips

    Here are my best advice to get this recipe perfect:

    • Leave the lid on the slow cooker while it's cooking. You don't have to check it, the chicken will be fine on its own! Removing the lid will increase the cooking time significantly.
    • Add other sauces or seasoning if you want. You can add some taco seasoning for spice, chili powder for heat or honey for sweetness.
    • Bone in skin on chicken thighs are the best cut of meat to use. If you use boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast fillets you will have to slightly reduce the cooking time.
    • Ensure that the middle of the chicken thighs reaches an internal temperature of 75°C or 165°F before removing them from the slow cooker.

    Prefer to use your pressure cooker? Try my Instant Pot BBQ chicken instead.

    🥗 Serving suggestions

    BBQ shredded chicken is incredibly versatile. You can serve this as a main dish with sides like roasted potatoes, rice and salad. You can also add it to sliders, sandwiches, nachos, pizza or on baked potatoes.

    BBQ chicken sandwiches on a wooden board.

    🍲 Leftovers

    Pulled chicken stores really well. Keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.

    I like to prepare a big batch and freeze it down in portion sizes. Then, it can be thawed and reheated for quick and easy future dinners or lunches. BBQ chicken is such a great meal prep idea, and is amazing to have on hand.

    📋 Frequently asked questions

    Is this recipe allergy friendly? - Please consult the nutrition label on the BBQ sauce you use. In general, this recipe is egg free, dairy free, gluten free, nut free and soy free.

    Do I have to add any liquid to the slow cooker? - No. There is no need to add any liquid or oil. As the chicken warms up, it will release moisture and create its own cooking liquids. This is very common when slow cooking meat.

    Can I use any other sauces? - Yes! If BBQ sauce isn't your thing, you can actually make shredded chicken using any sauce. Try using soy sauce and honey, ketchup, teriyaki sauce, buffalo sauce or even salsa for a delish pulled chicken.

    🍴 More slow cooker chicken recipes

    • Soy and honey chicken
    • Buffalo chicken
    • Chicken taco soup
    • Cooker lemon chicken

    Recipe

    Crockpot BBQ chicken

    This Crockpot BBQ chicken recipe is incredibly easy but oh so tasty. Juicy shredded chicken thighs covered in your favorite BBQ sauce – yum! Only 2 ingredients and 5 minutes of work is required to make this fantastic dish.
    5 from 4 votes
    Created by: Tonje
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 4 hrs
    Course Dinner, lunch, Main Course
    Cuisine International
    Servings 4
    Calories 731 kcal

    Equipment

    • Slow Cooker
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • 1.1 kg chicken thighs with bones and skins
    • 300 ml BBQ sauce

    Instructions
     

    • Add the raw chicken thighs to the slow cooker. Pour BBQ sauce over the top.
    • Slow cook the BBQ chicken on high for 3-5 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. There is no need to open the lid or do anything to the chicken while it cooks. The chicken will simmer in its own juices and come out perfectly tender. Ensure that the middle of the chicken thighs reaches an internal temperature of 75°C or 165°F before removing them from the slow cooker.
    • Remove the chicken thighs from the slow cooker. Discard the bones and skins. Use two forks to pull apart the chicken meat.
    • Add more BBQ sauce or some of the liquid from the slow cooker to the shredded chicken if you want it to be more juicy.

    Notes

    Is this recipe allergy friendly? – Please consult the nutrition label on the BBQ sauce you use. In general, this recipe is egg free, dairy free, gluten free, nut free and soy free.
    Do I have to add any liquid to the slow cooker? – No. There is no need to add any liquid or oil. As the chicken warms up, it will release moisture and create its own cooking liquids. This is very common when slow cooking meat.
    Can I use any other sauces? – Yes! If BBQ sauce isn’t your thing, you can actually make shredded chicken using any sauce. Try using soy sauce and honey, ketchup, teriyaki sauce, buffalo sauce or even salsa for a delish pulled chicken.

    Leftovers

    Pulled chicken stores really well. Keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
    I like to prepare a big batch and freeze it down in portion sizes. Then, it can be thawed and reheated for quick and easy future dinners or lunches. BBQ chicken is such a great meal prep idea, and is amazing to have on hand.

    Top tips

    Here are my best advice to get this recipe perfect:
    • Leave the lid on the slow cooker while it’s cooking. You don’t have to check it, the chicken will be fine on its own! Removing the lid will increase the cooking time significantly.
    • Add other sauces or seasoning if you want. You can add some taco seasoning for spice, chili powder for heat or honey for sweetness.
    • Bone in skin on chicken thighs are the best cut of meat to use. If you use boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast fillets you will have to slightly reduce the cooking time.
    • Ensure that the middle of the chicken thighs reaches an internal temperature of 75°C or 165°F before removing them from the slow cooker.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 731kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 45gFat: 46gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 270mgSodium: 982mgPotassium: 738mgFiber: 1gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 383IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword bbq, chicken
    Tried this recipe?Mention @hintofhealthyfood or tag #hintofhealthy!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sara Welch

      December 13, 2019 at 10:11 pm

      5 stars
      What an amazing dinner recipe! Definitely adding this to my dinner line up for the weekend! Looks too good to pass up!

      Reply
      • Tonje

        December 13, 2019 at 10:17 pm

        I hope you'll like it! It's very popular at my house 🙂

        Reply
    2. Erica Schwarz

      December 13, 2019 at 10:46 pm

      5 stars
      Nice technique to leave the skins on for flavor, then discard. Going to make this!

      Reply
      • Tonje

        December 14, 2019 at 8:08 am

        I hope you like it! 🙂

        Reply
    3. stephanie

      December 13, 2019 at 11:13 pm

      5 stars
      This was such a good and easy recipe, everyone in my house loved it. Always enjoy finding new slow cooker recipes.

      Reply
      • Tonje

        December 14, 2019 at 8:08 am

        I'm so glad, Stephanie! Slow cooker recipes are my favourites this time of the year.

        Reply
    4. Neha

      December 13, 2019 at 11:15 pm

      Wow the chicken looks so juicy and flavor packed. A perfect week night recipe!

      Reply
      • Tonje

        December 14, 2019 at 8:08 am

        Thank you! Let me know if you try it 🙂

        Reply
    5. morgan eisenberg

      December 13, 2019 at 11:51 pm

      5 stars
      good tip about cook time for thighs vs. breasts!

      Reply
      • Tonje

        December 14, 2019 at 8:09 am

        It's definitely important - nobody wants dry chicken! 🙂

        Reply
      • Dave

        May 04, 2022 at 8:51 pm

        In the U.S. we measure lb/oz and/or grams. The bbq sauce comes in 75g bottle. To make this 3x 900ml I would have to use 12 bottles of bbq sauce, don't think my 6qt crockpot will hold that much.

        Reply
        • Tonje

          May 08, 2022 at 11:11 am

          That's definitely a lot of sauce! I use 300 ml sauce, which is about 350 g, per 2-3 lb of chicken. If you want to triple the recipe, you could reduce the amount of sauce slightly, but you might have to use a larger Crockpot.

          Reply

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    Hi, I'm Tonje! I make easy and healthy everyday recipes that your family will love. Browse my recipe collection to discover new favorites, and make sure to let me know what you think!

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