Made with just chicken breast and your favorite barbecue sauce, this slow cooker bbq chicken is the easiest 2-ingredient dinner ever! It cooks low and slow into tender, shreddable pulled chicken that piles onto sandwiches, rice bowls, or tops a salad for healthy, hands-off meals all week!

Slow cooker BBQ chicken in a black crockpot on a white background.

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
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My Favorite Way to Make Healthy BBQ Pulled Chicken Breast in the Crockpot

This crockpot bbq chicken has been my back-pocket dinner for years, and it could not be simpler! You just drop boneless skinless chicken breasts and your favorite barbecue sauce into the slow cooker, walk away, and come back to fall-apart pulled chicken with serious flavor. I love that it’s two ingredients (yes, really!), feeds a crowd, and leaves you with leftovers that taste even better on day two. And if you prefer dark meat, my slow cooker bbq chicken thighs is just as easy so be sure to check that one out, too.

Here’s the trick to nailing this one: drain the cooking liquid after the chicken shreds, then add fresh barbecue sauce back to the slow cooker. The chicken releases a ton of juice as it cooks, which can water down the sauce, so pouring it off and topping with new sauce is what gives you that thick, glossy, restaurant-style coating instead of soupy chicken. Don’t skip this step,as it’s the difference between bbq pulled chicken that wows and one that’s just okay!

One thing worth knowing, too, is that this is the kind of recipe that turns into a whole week of dinners without any extra work. Pile it onto buns for classic pulled chicken sandwiches, or use it in my bbq chicken bowls with rice, corn, and slaw for a lighter take. And when you’ve still got a container of pulled chicken in the fridge at the end of the week, my bbq chicken nachos make a fun, hands-off way to finish the leftovers. So good!

A black crockpot filled with slow cooker bbq chicken on a white background.
Slow cooker BBQ chicken in a black crockpot on a white background.

Robyn’s Testing Tips for Easy BBQ Pulled Chicken in the Crock Pot

  • Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the easiest shredding; and if you only have frozen, thaw completely before adding to the slow cooker so it cooks evenly.
  • I prefer to reach for a thick barbecue sauce rather than a thin, watery one to start; as the chicken adds plenty of liquid as it cooks, so a thicker sauce holds up better! I love Kinders if you can find it, and my mom’s favorite is Sweet Baby Ray’s.
  • For a little heat, look for a spicy store-bought bbq sauce or stir in hot sauce, hot paprika, or a pinch of cayenne to your regular sauce.
  • I love freezing this one for future dinners! Cool the pulled chicken completely before freezing, then store it in portioned freezer bags for up to 2 to 3 months for easy weeknight dinners later.
Close up of a pulled bbq chicken sandwich on a white plate.
Slow cooker BBQ chicken in a black crockpot on a white background.
5 stars (18 ratings)

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken (Pulled)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 6
Cook: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours
This easy crockpot bbq chicken needs 2 ingredients for tender, shredded chicken breast, a healthy pulled chicken for sandwiches or rice bowls!
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Ingredients

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 about half of 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 and additional sauce if desired.

Notes

  • I love stuffing this chicken into buns and topping with my creamy cabbage slaw or my dill pickle slaw. Yum!
  • Nutrition information calculated using chicken breasts and without the optional serving suggestions listed above. Sugar content will depend on the specific BBQ sauce used.
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 6), Calories: 382kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 49g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 145mg, Sodium: 750mg, Potassium: 1005mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 24g, Vitamin A: 228IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 35mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition disclaimer
Did you make this recipe?If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!

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