Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken
This recipe is everything you crave in a barbecue recipe — saucy, sweet, smoky and fall-apart-tender!
It’s also a breeze to make and you don’t have to stand over the hot grill on flip duty while your hungry gang anxiously awaits the feast. Instead, just toss everything into the slow cooker ahead of time and then, hours later, you have 8 cups’ worth of meaty, flavorful filling.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Big barbecue flavors, no grill required: All the smoky, saucy goodness without the fuss!
- Meal-prep friendly: Make a batch and enjoy leftovers throughout the week in sliders, salads, bowls, or stuffed into sweet potatoes.
- Minimal hands-on time: Just a few minutes of prep, and your slow cooker does the rest! #magic
- A total crowd-pleaser: Perfect for game day, weeknight dinners, or anytime you want something hearty, satisfying, and delicious.
Speaking of game day, this dish is an MVP at my Super Bowl parties. One year, I made a double batch thinking I’d have plenty of leftovers for the next day… but nope! My guests devoured every last bite before halftime. I had people scraping the slow cooker with their buns, determined to soak up every last drop of sauce. Now, it’s a game-day must in my house, right alongside my legendary Loaded Bell Pepper Nachos, creamy guac, and showstopper Blazin’ Buffalo Chicken Dip!
Start by placing the chicken breasts in your slow cooker—no need for pre-searing or extra prep. In a small bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, spices, salt, and pepper. This creates a rich, smoky-sweet marinade that infuses every bite. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and give it a quick stir to evenly coat. Cover, lock the lid, and let your slow cooker do its thing.
When you lift the lid, don’t be surprised if the mixture looks watery—that’s completely normal! The chicken releases natural juices as it cooks, creating extra liquid. Carefully remove the chicken breasts and transfer them to a plate. Using two forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, then return it to the slow cooker. Mix everything together, letting the shredded chicken soak up all the yummy, flavorful sauce. As you stir, the liquid will be reabsorbed, giving you the perfect saucy consistency.
This slow cooker BBQ chicken is a total game-changer for effortless, flavor-packed meals! Whether you’re meal prepping for the week, hosting a game-day feast, or craving a stress-free dinner, this recipe brings all the bold, smoky-sweet barbecue taste with hardly any effort. Plus, it’s incredibly versatile—pile it high on toasted whole-grain buns with pickles, crunchy slaw (like my Apple Cider Coleslaw), and an extra drizzle of barbecue sauce, stuff it into baked sweet potatoes, toss it into salads or wrap it in crisp lettuce for a low-carb twist. However you serve it, this dish is guaranteed to steal the show—extra napkins are strongly encouraged. 😉
For another BBQ beauty, try my Personal BBQ Chicken Pizza!
BBQ Pulled Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat
- 18 ounces barbecue sauce, 2¼ cups
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, mix barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, spices, salt and pepper. Pour mixture over chicken and stir to coat chicken. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours.
- When you lift the cover, the inside will be very watery. This is normal. Carefully lift out chicken breasts and place on plate to shred with two forks.
- Place all of the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and combine with the liquid. Mix until all of the liquid is absorbed. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Love this dish
If you are making 1/2 the recipe is the cook time the same.
BTW I love your recipes and watching you cook on the today show!
Aww, thank you so much, Michele! I’m so happy you’re here!! You can follow the same cooking instructions when halving the recipe—it’ll still take 4 hours on high in the slow cooker. Just make sure the BBQ sauce mixture fully covers the chicken breasts. If you’re using a larger slow cooker (6+ quart), consider adding a bit more liquid (around 3/4 of the sauce mixture rather than half) to ensure there’s enough to cover the larger surface area. Alternatively, you could make the full recipe and freeze half for future meals. Hope you love this one!
Thank you!
Is there a bbq sauce you recommend using for this recipe?
Hi Karen! I use “Stubs Original” for this recipe since it has minimal added sugar — many BBQ brands have excessive amounts added. I’m pretty sure this brand is in most grocery stores, but be sure to seek out their “original” version. Hope you love this recipe!
What barbecue sauce do you recommend?
Hi Elizabeth — I use “Stubs Original” for this recipe since it has minimal added sugar (many BBQ brands have excessive amounts added).
What BBQ sauce is your favorite for this recipe?
Hi Elayne! I typically use Stubs Original …. it tastes great and has much less added sugar compared to many other brands. Hope that helps!
Thanks for another great recipe! I had a question about locking the lid while cooking. I thought the locking mechanism should only be used for transporting.
Would like your opinion because my slow cooker looks similar to yours.
Thanks
Hi Joanne, thanks for stopping by to share your thoughts and for your question! You should follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific slow cooker, but in general, the locking feature is designed primarily for transport and preventing spills when moving the slow cooker.
—Team Joy
Made this tonight and it was awesome! I am not a good cook at all, but your recipes are always delicious, and easy to follow. I usually plan our meals around them. So delicious!
Hi Margaret, thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe and found it easy to make! Being able to follow a recipe and put together a meal that everyone enjoys makes you great cook in our book…our compliments to the chef! Keep up the awesome work in the kitchen 🙂
—Donna
Making this tomorrow. Can you please tell me how many people this serves?
Thanks.
Hi Meo, the recipe makes 8 cups total, and Joy set a serving at 1 cup. So depending on how you plan to serve it, this amount can potentially make loads of sandwiches (each piled with ½ cup scoop, veggies, coleslaw and anything else your crew would like to layer on top) OR they can each enjoy 1 full cup to place on top of a salad, roasted veggies or to enjoy with multiple lettuce wraps).
—Donna
I love this recipe. I’m going to try it with Indian spices and tomato paste or purée. Thank you for your inspiration on making healthy and delicious food everyday!
That sounds absolutely delicious! I LOVE Indian flavors, and I bet the warm spices and tomato base will take this BBQ pulled chicken to the next level. Such a great twist. Can’t wait to hear how it turns out—please report back after you try it!
Could I do this with a pork tenderloin?
Hi Leslie, Joy hasn’t had a chance to try it with pork, but she says it should work. You can cook the pork tenderloin on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours until the pork is tender and shreds with the fork. Note that pork tends to cook faster than chicken so check for tenderness to avoid overcooking. You can also use pork loin—it’s slightly fattier, but may offer a more flavorful result. Hoping you enjoy the recipe…if you decide to try it, please let us know how it turns out!
—Donna
Wonderful, versatile and so easy! Thank you for the recipe.
My family loves it!
Hi Cathy, thank you for stopping by to share your thoughts and we’re so happy the family enjoyed it. Even better that you found it easy to prepare! Hoping it earns a spot in your regular rotation!
—Donna
Sounds so easy. Can’t wait to taste the finished product.
Hi Maureen — I’m hoping you love it as much as we do!!
Wow, this was delicious and easy to make!
Hi Shawn! Thank you for your kind words – we’re so glad this recipe was easy and delicious (the best combination)!
-Alison
This pulled chicken is delicious! I followed the recipe as written and it was a very big hit at our Super Bowl gathering. Not too sweet (I used Stub’s Original BBQ Sauce) or and the chicken was tender and so easy to shred. Paired it with Joy’s Creamy Coleslaw and YUM! Thank you for the great recipe!
Hi Robyn – so wonderful to hear that this recipe was a big hit! We love that you paired it with Joy’s Creamy Coleslaw! Sounds like a perfect Super Bowl meal 🙂
-Alison
I’m planning to make this pulled chicken next weekend for our extended family. You call for skinless chicken- with bone or not?
Hi Barbara, for this recipe, you should use boneless, skinless chicken breast. Hoping you and the family have a great time together…and that you all enjoy the BBQ Pulled Chicken!
—Donna
So easy and delicious! And, I have rediscovered my slow cooker. Thanks, Joy!
Hi Linda! This makes me so happy–you’re so very welcome!!
Did you post this recipe using a bed of cabbage in the slow cooker? Can you give details if you did?
Hi Laura! The BBQ pulled chicken is its own recipe in the slow cooker — I do not add any cabbage. But I often serve it piled on whole grain buns topped with coleslaw — here is a simple coleslaw recipe that I typically use for this dish: https://joybauer.com/healthy-recipes/creamy-coleslaw/ I also have a slew of other coleslaw recipes, so you can review a bunch and see which one you prefer to try! Let me know how it all comes together. I’m hoping you love this one as much as we do!!
This was sooooo easy and delicious. Made a ton so froze some. Served with Joy’s no mayo coleslaw, fruit and corn on the cob. Big hit!
In my experience, trying to reheat it in the pressure cooker gave me a BURN warning, so I just reheated on the stove. WINNER RECIPE
Beth, I love everything about this…especially that full summer spread you served the BBQ pulled chicken with! Great tip on reheating, too. I’ve never tried to reheat in the slow cooker, and now I won’t. Thanks for sharing this wonderful review and so glad the recipe was a hit!
Easy to make and so delicious! My go-to recipe when I’m craving BBQ. Thanks Joy!
Sally! We’re SO happy to hear that Joy’s slow cooker BBQ chicken is a winner in your home. You’re right…it satisfies that BBQ craving perfectly…and is so incredibly easy to make. Thanks for being a part of the community! — Eliza (Team Joy)