This slow cooker BBQ pulled chicken couldn’t be easier to pull off and features fall-apart tender chicken in a sweet and smoky barbecue sauce.
BBQ pulled chicken is a cornerstone dish to any gathering! Especially if it’s piled between a soft bun with piles of creamy slaw on top and maybe served with some crispy potato chips on the side.
^ perfect summer meal right there. Takes me straight back to my childhood when my mom would be serving a crowd and need something easy and delicious that could be stuck in the slow cooker and left to do its thing.
This version today is just about as simple as it gets starting with a base of barbecue sauce and spicing things up with some sweet pineapple juice, lots of spices, and that signature fall-apart tender pulled chicken you know and love.
Preparation for this chicken couldn’t be simpler as we’re just piling everything in the slow cooker and letting it pretty much cook itself!
Don’t worry, you won’t forget about it. The smells that are going to fill your house will be a constant reminder you’ve got a date with chicken later.
This BBQ Chicken features…
- Fall-apart tender chicken
- A sweet and smoky barbecue sauce
- Minutes to prep and made entirely in the slow cooker
- Incredible in a warm bun with lots of creamy slaw
Making the BBQ Chicken
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Barbecue sauce
- Pineapple juice
- Brown sugar
- Worcestershire sauce
- Apple cider vinegar
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Chili powder
- Paprika
- Chicken breasts
Choosing Your Chicken
We recommend using boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. It’s a very affordable and lean cut of meat and slow cooking it will cook it down perfectly juicy and tender.
If you don’t have breasts on hand, boneless skinless chicken thighs will also work great in this recipe.
Tips for Perfect BBQ Chicken
- Start with 1 cup barbecue sauce – we use this as a benchmark amount and then like to add more sauce later as needed to make the chicken saucy.
- Cook chicken on low or high – if cooking on high, the chicken will take 2-3 hours to become tender, whereas on low it will take 4-5 hours. Your chicken is ready when it pulls apart easily with a fork.
- Shred chicken and cook an additional 45 minutes – once you’ve shredded your chicken, add back to sauce and cook an additional 45 minutes to let all that sauce soak into the chicken shreds.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this chicken.
- Make it spicy – this recipe as is does not have very much heat to it, but you can make it spicy by adding cayenne pepper or your favorite hot sauce to taste.
- Use beef instead of chicken – cut 2 lbs beef chuck roast into 1-inch cubes and cook until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork.
- Change sweeteners – try honey or maple syrup in place of the brown sugar.
Ways to Use BBQ Chicken
Pulled chicken is a blank canvas for many food creations! Check out our favorites below.
- Piled on top of nachos
- In a warm bun with slaw
- Stuffed in a wrap or burrito
- In a quesadilla
- On a salad
It’s truly a thing of slow cooker magic how much flavor this chicken builds up throughout cooking! It’s so tender and soaks up all that incredible sweet and tangy sauce goodness.
Trust me, you’re gonna want to pile this goodness TALL in a sandwich!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More slow cooker favorites to try next!
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken
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Ingredients
- 1 to 1-1/2 cups barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika (regular or smoked)
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 medium breasts)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Buns and slaw for serving
Instructions
- In a 4-qt slow cooker, combine 1 cup barbecue sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, Worcestershire, vinegar, and spices. Add chicken to slow cooker and coat in sauce. Cover slow cooker and cook chicken on low 4-5 hours or on high 2-3 hours until chicken pulls apart easily with a fork.
- Remove chicken from slow cooker and transfer to a cutting board. Use two forks to pull chicken apart into shreds. Add chicken back to slow cooker, cover, and cook on high an additional 45 minutes.
- Toss additional barbecue sauce to taste into chicken if you want it more saucy and season with salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve chicken warm in buns with slaw. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with new recipe tips and photos on 3/7/24.
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
Well this is just amazing! 2 ingredients, and in the slow cooker? The best! I love pulled chicken. My mom used to make it every year on Halloween when we were little, and I totally forgot about that until seeing this recipe. Thanks for the trip down memory lane : )
Sarah says
I totally love that pulled chicken tradition, Nat! What an awesome idea. 😀
Amber @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later! says
Saucy shredded chicken in a bun makes me giddy! MMM!
Sarah says
Agreed!! Nothing beats it. 😉
Trish F says
Thank you @Sarah for co-hosting this great giveaway! I was contacted by Kristi and I am the winner! Yeah! I love following your blog and collecting all of these fantastic recipes. I will be stopping by often.
Sarah says
Congrats, Trish! I’m so excited for you! Thank you for following along and for the kind words!
Barbara says
Have you made this with a grocery store rotiserrie chicken?
Thank you
Sarah says
I have not, however you can certainly try it!
Sherry says
Made this yesterday using 3:1 sugar-free hi hickory: Stubb’s Sweet Heat BBQ sauces. I had to cook 10 hours on low in my slow cooker (it is a cherished gift from my mom who passed 18
18 years ago so it’s here to stay). It shredded beautifully and is very tasty! Such an easy recipe – I love that kind of cooking.
JoAnn says
This is the recipe I have been looking for. Can’t wait to buy what I need. Thank you! Thank you!!
Diane says
Great Simple Recipe !! Give me Easy Anytime !! Thanks,
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Teresa says
I just found this a few days ago,,, and tried it !! Oh it is so great,, my kids loved it. They don’t do the sandwich part tho,,,,,, they love to put the pulled chicken over mashed potatoes . so you have these mashed potatoes covered with BBQ stringy chicken covering it ,, it is amazing I might say. Thanks for this recipe, it is so easy and a lot better then the one I was using !!
Pauline says
Made this today
Great
Sarah says
Yay! Happy to hear, Pauline. 🙂
Verna A Brisbon lucey says
I found this 2 days ago and made it. I love it. I used it with pasta and glazed carrots one day and in a bun the next day for work. it will be my go-to recipe
Sarah says
That’s so wonderful to hear, Verna! Enjoy. 🙂
Nancy says
Great with your Homemade BBQ sauce!
Charlene Tackett says
Made this and used 1/2 the bbq sauce, 1 can crushed pineapple with juice, 4chic breasts. Cooked, shredded and added the remaining bbq. Yummy over sticky rice or on sandwich buns with Famous Dave’s Dave’s pickles!!
Sarah says
Thanks for sharing your modifications, Charlene! Love the sound of adding pineapple.