The Easiest Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Breast Recipe! Use this shredded chicken on sliders, nachos or in quesadillas for a delicious dinner!
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On busy weeknights, this slow cooker BBQ chicken is my go to recipe. It’s done in less than 10 minutes of prep time, it’s soooo flavorful – and there are tons of ways you can use it.
This crockpot shredded chicken is great for tacos, nachos, wraps, quesadillas, or just eaten on top of some rice with some roasted veggies. The options are endless!
If you love crockpot recipes, check out our Crockpot Whole Chicken, BBQ Pulled Pork, or these 50+ Healthy Crockpot Recipes!
reasons to make slow cooker BBQ chicken thighs
There is a lot to love about this recipe. It’s one of our favorite proteins for a healthy dinner because it’s:
- Easy to make – I loooove an easy dinner, and this is one of the simplest! Just put your chicken in the crockpot with some spices and sauce and let it cook on low!
- Simple Ingredients – You probably have everything you need to make this recipe right in your pantry/fridge.
- Protein Packed – One serving of this chicken has over 25g of protein making it great for dinner or meal prep! Next, check out these High Protein Chicken Recipes.
ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
Here’s what we use to make bbq shredded chicken:
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts – you can use thighs too!
- chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder and pepper
- BBQ sauce- look for one that is low sugar, we like this one
- diced onion
You can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded box.
For this recipe, you will need a crockpot!
ingredient substitutions and recipe variations
Chicken Breasts: You can substitute with boneless chicken thighs. You can use bone in chicken thighs, but it’s a little more difficult to shred them. Bone in split chicken breasts will also work, but it’s not as easy to shred!
Spices: Feel free to use more or less spice. You can use a BBQ rub you have on hand, but watch the salt in it- premade mixes are way saltier.
BBQ Sauce – Use whatever BBQ sauce you like. We like one that is lower in sugar. A lot of BBQ sauces have high fructose corn syrup added to them – so just check the ingredients!
Onion: An onion is optional but we highly recommend it!
How to Make
- Place chicken breasts, diced onions, seasonings, and ¼ cup BBQ sauce in a crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken and shred it in your stand mixer.
- Return the chicken and the remaining ¼ cup BBQ sauce to the crockpot and toss until evenly coated.
- Enjoy on its own, topped with BBQ sauce, or on a bun with coleslaw.
 serving suggestions
Crock pot BBQ chicken is such a versatile protein and will go well with pretty much any side. We love serving it on a bun as a sandwich or on its own topped with extra BBQ sauce.
Here are some of our favorite sides to pair with this BBQ chicken:
- Healthy Cole Slaw and Orzo Salad (pictured below)
- Healthy Broccoli Salad and Baked French Fries
- Garlic Parmesan Potatoes and Honey Roasted Carrots
- Sweet Potato Fries and Quick Veggie Slaw
slow cooker bbq chicken FAQ
Yes. Raw chicken will fully cook in the slow cooker. If you are nervous about the chicken being fully cooked, use an internal thermometer and cook until the chicken is 165°.
We do not recommend cooking frozen chicken in a crockpot because it can take a while to thaw and could result in foodborne illness. Fully thaw frozen chicken before adding to the crockpot.
Liz’s Tips for the Best BBQ Shredded Chicken
Try to evenly space the chicken breasts along the bottom of the crockpot– You want to avoid stacking them on top of one another so they cook evenly
Don’t add extra water! The chicken breasts and onions release water as they cook so you don’t need any additional liquid in this recipe.
storing leftover shredded chicken breasts
Storing: This will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container
Freezing: You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. We like these containers for freezing!
If you need more freezer friendly recipes check out our Fill Your Freezer Ebook with 22 easy freezer meals!
Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave or on the stove top in an oiled pan. If you reheat in the toaster oven or oven they will be a little bit drier/crispier – but still delicious.
Other healthy crockpot recipes:
Love your crockpot? Check out these 40+ Healthy Crockpot Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy crockpot cookbook.
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce divided
- 1 cup diced onion
Instructions
- Layer chicken breasts in the base of the crockpot.
- Top with seasoning and diced onions. Drizzle with ¼ cup BBQ sauce (save the rest of it for later!)
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 4 hours (low is recommended!)
- When chicken is cooked, remove from the pot and shred with two forks. (Pro Tip: Shred the chicken breasts in your stand mixer! It’s way quicker.)
- Return the chicken to the pot to soak up the juices from cooking. Add remaining ¼ cup BBQ sauce to the chicken and toss until evenly coated.
- Serve on a sandwich, salad, or in bowls!
Carey Hanshaw says
I followed this recipe exactly other than adding in a little low sodium chicken broth. It turned out perfect. The chicken is juicy and so flavorful. Perfect to use for the week on wraps, salads and sandwiches. I made the healthy coleslaw recipe and topped it with the chicken. So yummy! Keeps you full for hours and so easy. This will be a weekly meal on repeat in our house.
Ida Hanson says
Sooo easy and delicious! Great for weekly meal prep too!
Amanda Ford says
This was so good. I made it exactly as the recipe says. My daughter even went back for seconds to eat by itself.