How to Make Tender BBQ Chicken in the Slow Cooker [Beginner Friendly]

This slow cooker tender BBQ chicken is a weeknight hero—no fuss, no fancy prep. Toss everything in the crock pot and let it work its magic. By dinner, you’ll find the chicken melting apart, juicy and full of flavor with the kind of tenderness that feels almost too easy. Serve it on its own for a classic comfort vibe, or pile it high on soft buns, maybe with a quick slaw or pickles if you want to pop some color and crunch into the mix. It’s simple, satisfying, and almost impossible to mess up. Clean plates, happy table, and all without breaking a sweat.

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Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Recipe

This slow cooker chicken is so easy to make – everything just goes into the crock pot without any special prep. It’s fall-apart tender, juicy and delicious. Serve as is or in buns with the best coleslaw.

  • Author: Diana
  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Cook Time: 4 hours
  • Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 8 sandwiches 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 lbs chicken breasts(boneless, skinless)
  • 1 1/2 cups BBQ SauceI used Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ
  • 1/2 medium oniongrated (with juice)
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar

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Instructions

  • Stir together all sauce ingredients in a 5-6 qt slow cooker.
  • Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or for 6 to 7 hours on low. Check on the chicken earlier if using smaller chicken pieces, if making a smaller batch, or if you know your slow cooker runs hot. Chicken is done when cooked through to an internal temperature of 165˚F and is easy to shred.
  • Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred each breast using two forks. Place shredded chicken back in the crock pot and stir to coat with the yummy sauce.

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How to Make Crockpot BBQ Chicken:

1. Stir together all sauce ingredients in a 5-6 qt slow cooker.

2. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and cook on high 2 to 3 hours or on low for 6 to 7 hours. Check on it early since timing can depend on the thickness of your chicken and the size of your slow cooker. It will also cook faster if making a smaller batch. Chicken is done when cooked through to an internal temperature of 167˚F and easy to shred.

3. Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred each breast using two forks. Place shredded chicken back in the crock pot and stir to coat with the yummy sauce

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