Barbecue chicken is a classic summertime favorite, but firing up the grill on a hot day can be a hassle. Luckily, you can easily replicate that smokey, sweet barbecue flavor right in your slow cooker with just a few simple ingredients. In this article, I’ll walk you through the easy steps to make fall-off-the-bone barbecue chicken in a crock pot.
Benefits of Making Barbecue Chicken in the Slow Cooker
There are several advantages to using a crock pot instead of the grill to make barbecue chicken:
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Convenience – With a slow cooker, there’s no need to monitor the heat or worry about burning Just add the ingredients and let it cook unattended.
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Moisture – The moist environment of the crock pot keeps the chicken extra juicy and tender. Grilled chicken can dry out quickly.
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Flavor – The chicken has hours to soak up the sweet tangy flavors of the barbecue sauce.
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Easy clean up – With no pans to scrub, slow cooker meals = easy clean up.
How to Make Barbecue Chicken in the Crock Pot
Making barbecue chicken in the crock pot is surprisingly easy. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide
Ingredients
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
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Prep the chicken: Rinse the chicken breasts and trim off any excess fat. Pat dry with paper towels.
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Make the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
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Add to slow cooker: Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top, coating the chicken.
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Cook: Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until the chicken is very tender and shreds easily with a fork.
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Shred and serve: Carefully remove the chicken from the slow cooker. Using two forks, shred the chicken right in the sauce. Mix the shredded chicken back into the sauce and serve.
That’s it! For even more flavor, you can add chopped onions, chili powder, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, or other spices to the sauce.
Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken Tips
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For food safety, always use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Bones and skin can harbor bacteria.
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Resist the urge to peek! Lifting the lid too often releases steam and increases cook time.
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For thicker sauce, remove the cooked chicken then simmer the sauce uncovered on sauté or low for 10-15 minutes.
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Serve the saucy chicken on buns for pulled chicken sandwiches or over rice, baked potatoes, or a fresh salad.
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Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. The flavor improves as it sits!
Variations for Amazing Barbecue Chicken
Once you master the basic crock pot barbecue chicken recipe, try one of these tasty variations:
Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken
- Use pineapple juice instead of vinegar
- Add 1 cup pineapple chunks
- Season with ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar
Beer Barbecue Chicken
- Replace 1⁄2 cup barbecue sauce with beer
- Season with chili powder, cumin, oregano
BBQ Bacon Ranch Chicken
- Top with crumbled bacon before serving
- Garnish with chopped green onions
- Drizzle with ranch dressing
FAQs
Got questions about making barbecue chicken in the slow cooker? Here are some common questions:
How long does it take to cook chicken in a crockpot?
Cooking time can vary based on crock pot model, but generally 6-8 hours on low. Chicken breasts are done at 165°F.
Can you put frozen chicken directly into the crockpot?
Nope! Always thaw chicken fully in the fridge before slow cooking to prevent bacteria growth.
Is barbecue chicken healthy in the crockpot?
Yes! Using boneless, skinless chicken breasts and limiting the amount of sugar in the sauce keeps it relatively healthy.
What crockpot size is best?
For this recipe, a 4-6 quart slow cooker is ideal to allow room for the sauce and for even heat circulation.
Can you use a slow cooker liner?
Absolutely! Slow cooker liners make cleanup a breeze. Just be sure it’s BPA-free and oven safe up to 400°F.
What sides go well with crockpot barbecue chicken?
Baked beans, coleslaw, mac and cheese, roasted veggies, cornbread, biscuits, rice, baked potato, salad.
Enjoy Saucy, Tender Barbecue Chicken
With this easy recipe, you can skip the grill and make barbecue chicken anytime right in your slow cooker. The chicken comes out unbelievably moist and tender after soaking up all that barbecue flavor. Top with your favorite sides, pile it on a bun, or just dig right in and enjoy this versatile crockpot meal. Once you try it, this saucy barbecue chicken is sure to become a go-to recipe all summer long!
How to Make Crockpot BBQ Chicken and Potatoes
To make this easy crockpot meal, start by getting out your crockpot and spraying it with cooking spray.
First, scrub and wash about 5 medium sized potatoes. Cut the potatoes up into little cubes and add them to your crockpot. I like to leave the peel on the potatoes, but you can peel them if you would like!
Next, add about 1 tbsp of olive oil to the potatoes. Generously season the potatoes with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. I don’t use exact measurements for seasoning the potatoes.
Add 1 tbsp of minced garlic and 1 chopped red onion. Stir everything together well.
After seasoning the potatoes, it’s time to cut up the chicken. Cut one pound of chicken breasts into cubes and add it to the top of the potatoes.
Season the chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. This is the seasoning blend I like using for this recipe, but you could really use any of your favorite seasonings.
Once the chicken is seasoned add some BBQ sauce on top of the chicken. I like using Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, but again you can use whatever BBQ sauce you like most. I use just enough BBQ sauce to cover the chicken.
This recipe will cook on low for 6 hours or until all of the potatoes are tender. Once the potatoes are tender add about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and let sit until the cheese melts.
Serve BBQ Chicken and Potatoes
To serve this easy dinner, top with some chopped green onions and it’s time to eat! We had this with some Brussels sprouts, but any veggie would be good with it! Roasted broccoli, green beans, or a salad are some of our favorite easy sides.
If you like this Crockpot BBQ Chicken and Potatoes dinner, check out some of my other favorite meat and potato recipes!