Crockpot BBQ chicken

5 from 5 votes

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.

Prep Time5

Cook Time4

Course: Dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: International

Keyword: bbq, chicken

Servings:

Calories: 731kcal

Author: Tonje

Cost: Cheap

Equipment

Slow Cooker

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