Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken
When we first moved into our new home and I didn’t have a kitchen to cook in, I was very limited in the things that I could make. Naturally, I thought of my slow cooker. As I sat on some boxes and looked through my cookbooks and then tried to find other recipes online, I quickly realized that cooking with a slow cooker isn’t as easy as it sounds. Most recipes require at least some sort of prep work, such as sautéing vegetables, browning meat, etc. I completely understand, since that’s how you get the best flavors. That didn’t help me though. I don’t have a fancy slow cooker that you can sauté things in first, mine is a very basic model.
I was determined to find at least a few recipes where there is little to no prep work involved. This recipe is exactly that. The juicy, tender chicken benefits from slow cooking and all you need is some spices and some barbecue sauce. If you have a stove, you can make Homemade Barbecue Sauce, or you can easily use bottled sauce. You can also serve it many different ways too. This is a perfect recipe for a scrumptious dinner with hardly any prep and all you need is a slow cooker.
Ingredients:
2 lbs, boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 3/4 – 2 cups barbecue sauce
2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Paprika (I used smoked paprika)
1/4 teaspoon Chipotle chili pepper (or cayenne pepper)
1/2 – 1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions:
Trim the chicken thighs from any extra fat. You can use chicken breast, but I would be very careful not to overcook it, since it can dry out very easily. You can’t overcook chicken thighs, so it’s the best option for this dish.
Combine all the seasonings in a small bowl and mix. You can omit any of the spices or even add other spices that you like. This is a matter of taste, just make sure that the chicken is seasoned, at least with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken and make sure it’s all coated. 
Pour 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker, place the chicken on top and pour another 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce on top of the chicken. 
Spread out the barbecue sauce over the chicken. Cook on low for 5 hours. The chicken will be very tender and falling apart at this point.
Take the chicken out of the cooking liquid. Shred the chicken into pieces with a fork. 
Heat up the remaining barbecue sauce and add it to the chicken. You can add a bit of the cooking liquid to the chicken to make it even juicier. 
You can add as much or as little sauce as you like. Serve the chicken with mashed potatoes, rice or pasta. Another very classic way of serving it, is to make sandwiches with it.
Toast some kaiser rolls; I usually use my oven. Place the pulled chicken on top of the roll, place some shredded cheese of your choice on top of the chicken and broil for just a few minutes, until the cheese melts. Serve the sandwich with your choice of toppings. I used pickles, but you can also use roasted red peppers, sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions, coleslaw, lettuce or sautéed peppers. 
- 2 lbs, boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1¾ - 2 cups barbecue sauce
- 2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Paprika (I used smoked paprika)
- ¼ teaspoon Chipotle chili pepper (or cayenne pepper)
- ½ - 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ - ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Trim the chicken thighs from any extra fat. You can use chicken breast, but I would be very careful not to overcook it, since it can dry out very easily. You can't overcook chicken thighs, so it's the best option for this dish.
- Combine all the seasonings in a small bowl and mix. You can omit any of the spices or even add other spices that you like. This is a matter of taste, just make sure that the chicken is seasoned, at least with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken and make sure it's all coated.
- Pour ½ cup of barbecue sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker, place the chicken on top and pour another ½ cup of barbecue sauce on top of the chicken.
- Spread out the barbecue sauce over the chicken. Cook on low for 5 hours. The chicken will be very tender and falling apart at this point.
- Take the chicken out of the cooking liquid. Shred the chicken into pieces with a fork.
- Heat up the remaining barbecue sauce and add it to the chicken. You can add a bit of the cooking liquid to the chicken to make it even juicier. You can add as much or as little sauce as you like. Serve the chicken with mashed potatoes, rice or pasta.
- Toast some kaiser rolls; I usually use my oven.
- Place the pulled chicken on top of the roll, place some shredded cheese of your choice on top of the chicken and broil for just a few minutes, until the cheese melts.
- Serve the sandwich with your choice of toppings. I used pickles, but you can also use roasted red peppers, sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions, coleslaw, lettuce or sautéed peppers.
22 Comments
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Valya @ valyastasteofhome.com
Love this recipe Olga! Pinned!
olgak7
Thank you, Valya.
Inna
Looks like a great recipe. I will put in on my menu for next week. Btw I have same crock pot. I love it! It’s very small, but perfect size for my family, also cooks pretty good. I didn’t know it was a good one till I tried couple of different ones.
olgak7
That’s awesome, Inna! I would love to know what you think once you make it.
inna
Olga, can you please share what type of crock pot you used and what size or how much qt it is?
I can’t really tell from the pictures. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
This will be my 1st recipe I try using Crock pot! I hope its as simple as it sounds…lol
anya
Hey olga, so I’ve tried making pulled chicken from another recipe. Totally did not work out. So, attempt #2 will be with your recipe, wish me luck!!!! Thank you for posting.
olgak7
I hope you enjoy it, Anya.
oksana
Hello Olga, can I do beef instead of chicken with this recepie
olgak7
Hi Oksana,
If you want to use beef, you will need to cook it much longer. I would also sear the beef first, before cooking it in the slow cooker.
oksana
Thank you
oksana
What kind of beef do you use?
olgak7
I don’t use beef for this recipe, Oksana. If I was going to make Beef in the Slow Cooker, I would use another recipe. I suggest using chuck.
oksana
Thank you, Olga.
Elena
Loved it! do you happen to have any other easy recipes for crock pot???
Olga
Wondering if cooking it on high would still be as good, and how long would it take to cook it on high?
olgak7
I don’t usually cook it on high, so I don’t know the time of it, Olga.
Ali
Hi olga, I was wondering what kind of crock pot do u use?
olgak7
I have a very simple model that I bought from Target many years ago. It only has an on button, high, low and warm:). The brand is Rival Crock Pot.
Irina
Olga,
Once I cook the meat & shread it, may I put it back in the pot & keep it on low for another 2-3 hrs? I’d like to keep it warm for a pot luck. Thanks!
Ana
Hello Olga! How can I make bbq pulled chicken without slow cooker? I don’t have one. Thank you!
olgak7
You can cook it on the stove or in the oven, Ana.
Flora
Very forgiving recipe. I had a little less than 2 pounds of chicken, left out a couple of the spices, accidentally added all the barbecue sauce to the crockpot from the beginning, and cooked it on high instead of low for six hours, and it was still delicious. I drained off the extra sauce to shred the chicken and added it back in before eating. Yum.