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This easy slow cooker BBQ chicken is made with chicken breasts, barbecue sauce, spices, and liquid smoke. In just 2 hours you will have the juiciest, sauciest, tastiest pulled chicken ever!
Serve the pulled chicken on toasted brioche buns with creamy coleslaw or on its own with cornbread and potato salad.
There is nothing better than a quick and easy meal that you can throw into the slow cooker and forget about it. All you have to do is add the ingredients to the slow cooker, turn it on, and that’s it! More BBQ chicken recipes you may like are these BBQ chicken nachos, oven-baked BBQ chicken, and BBQ pulled chicken sliders.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – I highly recommend using boneless skinless chicken breasts but boneless chicken thighs work too.
- Barbecue Sauce – Use your favorite store-bought brand or homemade. I really like Sweet baby ray’s original barbecue sauce.
- Liquid Smoke – Add 2 drops of it for a smoky flavor! If you don’t have it on hand, simply omit it.
- Spices -I used a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Feel free to use your favorite spices instead. You can also use chipotle seasoning or Cajun seasoning.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Take the chicken out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before cooking and trim off any fat.
- In a small bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, spices, and liquid smoke. It will taste a little spicy but the end result isn’t spicy at all.
- Add the barbecue sauce mixture and the chicken breasts to the slow cooker, and toss to coat.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks or an electric mixer.
- Place the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and stir to coat in the sauce.
- Season with salt and pepper if needed, turn on the “keep warm” function, and enjoy!
Top Tips For The Perfect Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
- I highly recommend using an electric mixer to shred the chicken. It’s so much easier than using two forks!
- Want to make this healthier? Use less barbecue sauce than I recommended and add chicken stock.
- If you want it spicy, add more cayenne pepper or red crushed chili flakes.
- You can make wraps, salads, and dips with any leftover chicken.
Storage
Place any leftovers in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
- Crockpot Lasagna
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Crockpot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breasts , about 3 large pieces
- 1 3/4 cups barbecue sauce
- 2 drops liquid smoke
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Take the chicken out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before cooking and trim off any fat.
- In a small bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, spices, and liquid smoke. It will taste a little spicy but the end result isn't spicy at all.
- Add the barbecue sauce mixture and the chicken breasts to the slow cooker, and toss to coat.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks or an electric mixer.
- Place the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and stir to coat in the sauce.
- Season with salt and pepper if needed, turn on the "keep warm" function, and enjoy!
Notes
- I highly recommend using an electric mixer to shred the chicken. It’s so much easier than using two forks!
- Want to make this healthier? Use less barbecue sauce than I recommended and add chicken stock.
- If you want it spicy, add more cayenne pepper or red crushed chili flakes.
- You can make wraps, salads, and dips with any leftover chicken.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
