2-Ingredient Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Breast
This wildly easy 2-ingredient slow cooker bbq chicken can be prepped in no time using store-bought or homemade sauce, yielding deliciously tender and versatile pulled chicken breast. These perfect dump-and-go slow cooker meal for meal prep on busy weeks!
5 star review
“Holy Moly! I just found my new go-to easy chicken dinner recipe! Dinner doesn’t get any easier than this right here!! It shredded up so easily, and with a few turns of a spoon, with a little more sauce, boom! Dinner done. It looked and smelled so good, I literally just ate a small bowl full, without any of the extras. And there’s plenty for lunch tomorrow (& more!). Hands down, best 2 ingredient dinner. And already done by the time I get home? Yes, please! Thank you, for making a hard day so much easier and healthier!! ”
– Robin
Literally the Easiest Crockpot BBQ Chicken on the Planet
Yes, this is likely one of THE easiest slow cooker recipes you’ll find anywhere! But don’t let the ease of prep fool you. With just 2 simple ingredients and zero prep this easy slow cooker bbq chicken is packed full of flavor and can be used for almost anything. My family loves crockpot bbq chicken piled high into toasted buns, served over a bed of cooked rice or quinoa, or as protein for salads & homemade bbq chicken bowls. Since it makes tons of leftovers, this pulled BBQ chicken is the perfect thing to meal prep on busy weeks and use throughout the week in a variety of meals!
Got Chicken Thighs or Legs?
For more perfectly juicy & tender chicken, check out this easy slow cooker bbq chicken thighs recipe and this incredible slow cooker bbq chicken drumstick recipe!
Process & Tips
This slow cooker chicken couldn’t be simpler to throw together and is a true dump & go crockpot recipe. All you have to do is add your chicken breasts & BBQ sauce to your crockpot and let it do all the hard work for you. Before you know it you’ll have loads of tender, pulled barbecue chicken for quick and healthy dinners all week long. It’s worth noting that the chicken renders quite a bit of liquid when cooking, which will dilute the barbecue sauce. That’s why I prefer to drain this liquid at the end of the cook time, and then add more fresh barbecue sauce at the end for the best flavor. If you prefer a saucier barbecue chicken, keep some of the liquid in the slow cooker prior to adding the extra sauce at the end.
Want to mix up the type of protein you use? Try this slow cooker bbq pulled pork or this slow cooker bbq chicken thighs.
Ways to Serve Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken
Naturally, this shredded barbecue chicken pairs perfectly with any of these classic barbecue side dishes. But it’s also a super tasty filling for BBQ chicken sandwiches and can be piled high into toasted buns (traditional or gluten-free) with some creamy cabbage slaw. And use up leftover with these BBQ Chicken Bowls simply serve with extra barbecue sauce and toss with corn, black beans, coleslaw, and cooked rice. For slow cooker BBQ chicken and potatoes, pair it with these slow cooker potatoes (or try it stuffed into a baked potato with melted cheddar cheese and more BBQ sauce drizzled on top).
To make a loaded BBQ Chicken Salad, serve it over a bed of fresh greens tossed with ranch dressing, avocado, tomatoes, corn, black beans, sliced red onions, shredded cheddar cheese and crushed corn chips.
Ingredients & Modifications
Chicken breasts: I used boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. If you want to use thighs, use this recipe. If you want to use frozen chicken, be sure to thaw it fully before adding to your slow cooker.
Barbecue sauce: I like to use my homemade chipotle BBQ sauce, but store bought barbecue sauce also works great (and is a great shortcut ingredient). For a paleo and refined sugar free version, look for a BBQ sauce with paleo friendly ingredients.
Like a little heat in your BBQ sauce? Look for a spicy store bought barbecue sauce or add a little bit of hot sauce, hot paprika, or cayenne pepper to regular barbecue sauce.
Tips for Storing & Freezing Leftovers
Cooked chicken will keep well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container. This recipe also freezes well, simply store in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 2-3 months.
2-Ingredient Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken (w/ Breast Meat)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ cups BBQ Sauce of choice, divided
Equipment
Instructions
- Add the chicken and ¾ cup barbecue sauce to a 6-quart slow cooker, stirring to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6, or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Chop into pieces or shred with two forks. Drain the remaining liquid from the slow cooker and discard or save for another use.
- Add the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker along with the remaining ¾ cup barbecue sauce, stirring to combine.
- Serve the pulled chicken piled into toasted buns topped with Cabbage Slaw and additional sauce if desired.
Super easy, delicious and my picky son actually ate it! Love it! Thank you!
Yay, so happy to hear you and your crew enjoyed this one. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
This was a fantastic meal and time saver!! I served with store bought slaw for my busy night and it was instant dinner!
Erin, yay, so happy to hear this was a hit. LOVE the idea of adding store bought slaw. Here’s to instant dinners!
Made this for dinner this week and it’s been delicious! The whole family loved it and we’ve been eating leftovers for the past few days.
Wonderful, so happy to hear this one was a hit for you and your family, Taylor. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Holy Moly! I just found my new go-to easy chicken dinner recipe! Thank You Robyn!! Dinner doesn’t get any easier than this right here!! It shredded up so easily, and with a few turns of a spoon, with a little more sauce, boom! Dinner done. It looked and smelled so good, I literally just ate a small bowl full, without any of the extras. And there’s plenty for lunch tomorrow (& more!), so I will certainly be trying it with the slaw and some other side touches then. But hands down. 2 ingredient dinner, already done by the time I get home? Yes, please! Thank You Robyn, for making a hard day so much easier and healthier!!
Robin, I’m thrilled to hear this was such an easy weeknight win for you! Two ingredient chicken dinner, what could be better? Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
Oh my goodness … I made this today and my normally fussy 6 yo absolutely LOVED it. I did it in tacos with some rice, cheese and salad (mainly ignored by said 6 yo) but wow what a win! He’s already asking for it again tomorrow. Such a simple yet tasty recipe that will definitely be in my meal plans frequently. Thanks Robyn
Yay, so happy this one was a win for you and your crew, Sophie. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
Another solid recipe! We loved it, and it made delicious leftovers. For my family, a big batch of protein like this is the perfect base for everyone to make their own versions. I put mine over salad, and my 11yo ate his on Hawaiian rolls with chips on the side. We also like different amounts of sauce in our house, so I drained and shredded the chicken, set some aside for my husband and 6yo, and then added the rest of the sauce for me and my older son who like it saucier.
Robyn, I love how you served this one so your family could customize their meals based on how much sauce they prefer. So smart! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and tips!
Love this recioe!I have also used it to make sweet and sour chicken, my son does not like pineapples, so whenever I want sweet and sour chicken, I use this recipe. Thank you!!
Wonderful to hear this recipe is a hit! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
This recipe is so easy and delicious! I have it on my weekly rotation and I love that it makes enough for leftovers. Thank you!
Gina, so happy to hear this one is in your weekly rotation. With 2 ingredients you really can’t go wrong! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
So just to be clear, when it says drain remaining liquid, does it mean like the first 3/4 cup of barbecue sauce in the chicken juices. And then when you place the chicken back in the crockpot, you add the other 3/4 cup of barbecue sauce. I’m just a little confused why you drain it. i’m hoping to try this recipe but just wanted to ask.😋
Ally, the chicken releases quite a bit of liquid while cooking and essentially dilutes the BBQ sauce. I recommend draining most of the liquid and then adding fresh BBQ sauce for the best flavor and so the meat does not have too much liquid. Does that answer your question?
Dear Robyn,
Just put chicken in crockpot. So after shredding and redoing sauce do you
reheat chicken in crocpot just to get it warm and if so how long would that be.
Xxo
Jeanne
Jeanne, the chicken will still be warm after you shred it an add it back to the slow cooker, so even with the additional BBQ sauce you’ll only need 1-5 minutes to reheat the chicken! I hope you enjoy.