Crock Pot BBQ Chicken with Homemade BBQ Sauce is easy and luscious! Use the shredded chicken in sandwiches, nachos, wraps, and more.
Can we talk about the easiest crock pot recipe there ever was? Crock Pot BBQ Chicken with Homemade BBQ Sauce is where it’s at!
Chicken breasts are placed into a crock pot, drizzled with an easy homemade BBQ sauce then…slow cooked. Bet you didn’t see that coming. ;) Shred said cooked chicken then use in everything from sandwiches, like I’m showing here, to nachos, wraps, quesadillas, or salads.
I get asked about summer crock pot recipes all the time, and this recipe definitely fits the bill. What’s more summery than BBQ Chicken made in a crock pot so there’s no heating up your kitchen or grill? Plus, by letting the crock pot do the work for you, you’ll have more time to spend outdoors.
The homemade BBQ sauce the chicken cooks in is totally easy, too. It’s a bit tangy, spicy, and not too sweet but if you’re just not feeling up to the task you could use your favorite bottled ‘Q too. Whatever gets you eating faster!
Can I Use Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Crock Pot?
The USDA advises that you DO NOT cook chicken breasts from frozen in the crock pot, which is a guideline that I follow. That said, make sure your chicken breasts are fully thawed if frozen prior to making this recipe.
Alrighty – let’s (slow) cook!
How to Make This Recipe
Start by mixing up that BBQ sauce made with 100% fridge and pantry staples (thanks, well-stocked kitchen!) The ingredient list might look long but I bet you have all of the ingredients, including ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, spices, and vinegar already on hand. You could absolutely make this a few days ahead of time too!
Place 2lbs chicken breasts into the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot then pour 1-1/4 cups of the sauce on top, lifting each chicken breast to make sure some of the sauce gets underneath.
Pop a lid on top of the crock pot then cook on low for four hours or until the chicken easily shreds with a fork. Totally succulent! Shred the chicken then slide it back into the cooking juices to cook for 30 more minutes on low.
When you’re ready to rock, mix the chicken with the remaining sauce then serve on sandwiches, on top of nachos, or my husband’s #1 favorite meal, BBQ Chicken Quesadillas!
More Crock Pot Recipes You’ll Love
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
- Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
- Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Crock Pot Mojo Pork
- Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches
- Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breasts
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon gluten free worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more or less
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Directions
- Place chicken in the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot. Whisk together remaining ingredients in a large bowl then reserve 3/4 cup and pour the rest over the chicken.
- Lift each chicken breast to make sure some of the sauce has gotten underneath then place a lid on top and cook on low for 4 hours or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.
- Shred chicken then return to the crock pot and cook on low for 30 minutes. Transfer shredded chicken to a separate container then mix with reserved BBQ sauce and serve.
Notes
- You can use 2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce instead of making the homemade sauce.
- The USDA recommends thawing meat before cooking it in the crock pot.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Looks heavenly! I am doing a 60 day free of refined sugar and greatly missing BBQ sauce. Would you recommend honey or agave in place of the sugar?
I would do maybe a mixture of honey and molasses!
Looks delish! And will give us plenty of time to fill in the big hole in our deck!! I kid you not – we had our hot tub taken out about a month ago – but with a one-year-old the deck repair is not top priority. We’ll be lucky to get it filled in this summer!
These sandwiches look great! I love using the slow cooker for pulled meats!
Yum! I make this all the time (actually I made it on Tuesday!) but I’ve never made my sauce from scratch before, so that’s nice info! I wanted to mention, also, that sometimes I have a problem with chicken breasts in the crock pot: cooking it for four hours doesn’t work for me, because I work for 9 hours per day and my crock pot doesn’t turn itself off–it stays on the “warm” setting. Inevitably my chicken has gotten over-crocked and turned into mush. Soooo I’ve experimented a bit and discovered that if I cook the chicken breasts on low for 2 hours and then allow the pot to switch automatically to the “warm” setting for like 7 more hours until I get home, the chicken comes out perfect! It doesn’t over-cook and turn into mush that way, but it’s still very easy to shred with a fork. Anyway, perhaps that little tip will help some other full-time working people! Thanks for your blog–I really love it!
Oh that’s a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
This recipe looks so comforting and delicious! Will have to serve the chicken on gluten-free buns!
Kristin you are my girl. I am such a fan of the food you post on your blog and this is no exception. Many of the things on this site are staples in my everyday kitchen (i.e. balsamic meatballs, gumbo, caprese lasagna, and many of your inspiring salads). This is my first time commenting and this recipe is what compelled me to speak up. This is what I’ve been craving, and I didn’t even know it until I saw it. (The pickle! The pickle.) I’m sure this chicken will be part of my arsenal as it begins to heat up here in Vancouver, Canada! Have a great weekend. :)
Yes! Lisa, I love it! I hope you enjoy this dish – it really is so very good! :)
LOVE this, especially with that sauce!
That looks delicious! I love BBQ crockpot anything!
http://aneducationindomestication.com
This looks delicious!! Can’t wait to try it! What brand did you use for the GF buns for the sandwiches?
I tried Schar. They were….not good (which is why I didn’t mention them!)
Bleh I have had those and the texture is so strange. Oh well, the search for good GF bread continues! Thanks again for the great recipe! :)
I was admiring your nice big table, too, & then noticed that the umbrella appears to be suspended in mid-air. Did you photoshop the umbrella pole out of the pic??? :P
Haha no, we don’t use the stand in the table – the big black umbrella is bolted to the rail and suspended (can’t think of what those umbrellas are called!)
LOL, it’s “off-set.” Facing those back bottom windows, the suspension rod is visible to the left. #KnowYourRods #Sorry
I love your outdoor dining table. I know you said you got it at a local store, but can you share the brand and model? I want a nice big outdoor table like that!
This chicken looks delicious! Crock pot BBQ chicken is one of my favorites, but I’ve never made it myself! Definitely trying this recipe soon. :)
I love the idea of making your own bbq sauce! i like being able to control what goes into my sauce!