Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken
This slow cooker BBQ shredded chicken is an easy family dinner that cooks low and slow until it’s easy to shred, then gets tossed with a sweet, smoky homemade BBQ sauce. Pile it onto buns, baked potatoes, nachos, wraps, or rice bowls for a meal everyone will love. And if you’re short on time, you can always use your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce instead.
Love recipes like this? Try my 3-ingredient slow cooker salsa chicken and slow cooker chili with beans too.
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Why You Should Make This
Ingredients Notes
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are lean and shred beautifully after slow cooking. You can substitute an equal amount of boneless, skinless chicken thighs for a richer flavor and juicier texture.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create that classic BBQ sauce flavor. You can replace it with an equal amount of pure maple syrup or honey. Both will slightly change the flavor but still produce a delicious sauce.
- Molasses: Gives the sauce depth and a traditional smoky-sweet BBQ flavor. If you don’t have any, simply leave it out or replace it with an equal amount of honey or maple syrup.
- Chicken Broth: Helps keep the chicken moist during cooking. Water works perfectly well if that’s what you have on hand.
- Store-Bought BBQ Sauce: If you’d rather skip making the homemade sauce, use about 2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce and stir it into the shredded chicken before the final 15–30 minutes of cooking. Date Lady BBQ Sauce is fantastic.
- Ketchup: If you’re looking for a high-quality ketchup, we swear by Primal Kitchen Tad Sweet Ketchup and Good Food For Good Ketchup sweetened with dates.
Recipe Variations
Honey BBQ: Replace the brown sugar with ½ cup honey.
Maple BBQ: Replace the brown sugar with ½ cup pure maple syrup.
Spicy BBQ: Add ½ -1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce
Bourbon BBQ: Stir in ¼ cup bourbon and simmer the sauce an additional 5 minutes.
Smokier Flavor: Increase the smoked paprika to 1 tablespoon.
The full ingredient list with quantities is in the recipe card below.
Recipe Instructions & Process Photos
Step 1: Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth or water around the chicken, then season with the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
Cover and cook on Low for 4–6 hours or High for 2–3 hours, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and shreds easily with a fork.
Step 2-3: Shred chicken with two forks or BBQ shredder and then smother in homemade or store-bought BBQ sauce. Homemade directions below and in recipe card.
Step 4:
While the chicken cooks, add all of the BBQ sauce ingredients to a small saucepan. Whisk until smooth and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
Step 5:
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside. Add to the shredded chicken at the end and serve extra sauce on the side.
Tip: Cover and cook on Low for another 15–30 minutes to let the chicken absorb the sauce and the flavors meld. Not necessary, but a nice extra step if you have the time.
Store the homemade BBQ sauce in an airtight jar in the refrigerator. Thanks to the vinegar, sugar, ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, it will keep for several months when properly refrigerated. Discard if it develops mold, an off smell, or any signs of spoilage.
Turn this into an appetizer tray of shredded BBQ chicken sliders for a party, using my sourdough slider bun recipe, or pile it onto my soft sourdough dinner rolls.
Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Two forks or meat shredder
Ingredients
Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce
- 2 cups ketchup
- ½ cup brown sugar + 2 tablespoons, or maple syrup
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Slow Cooker Chicken
- 5-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 pounds) or chicken thighs
- ½ cup chicken broth or water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth or water around the chicken, then sprinkle with the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.5-6 boneless, ½ cup chicken broth or water, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Cover and cook on Low for 4–6 hours or High for 2–3 hours, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and shreds easily with a fork.
Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Combine the Ingredients: Add all of the BBQ sauce ingredients to a small saucepan and whisk until smooth.2 cups ketchup, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 2 tablespoons molasses, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt
- Simmer the Sauce: Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Shred & Sauce the Chicken
- Shred the Chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks.
- Prepare the Slow Cooker: If needed, drain most of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker, leaving about ¼ cup behind.
- Add the Sauce: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir in about 1¾ cups of the BBQ sauce until evenly coated.
- Serve: Serve warm on sandwich buns, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, nachos, wraps, rice bowls, pizzas, or quesadillas. Serve the remaining BBQ sauce on the side.
Notes
- Chicken Thighs: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be substituted for chicken breasts for a richer flavor and juicier texture.
- Store-Bought BBQ Sauce: Skip the homemade sauce and use about 2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce if preferred.
- Brown Sugar Substitute: Replace the brown sugar with an equal amount of pure maple syrup or honey.
- Adjust the Heat: Add ½–1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce for a spicier BBQ chicken.
- Storage: Store leftover BBQ chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Serving Ideas: Great on sandwich buns, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, nachos, wraps, rice bowls, pizzas, and quesadillas.
Nutrition
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