Slow-Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken
Published July 2, 2024
- Total Time
- About 3 ½ hours
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 3 ½ hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:8 servings
- 1½ cups tomato-based barbecue sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 to 2chipotle chiles in adobo (depending on heat tolerance), plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
- 2tablespoons Worcestershire or soy sauce
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1½ to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1½ to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
338 calories; 7 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 18 grams sugars; 43 grams protein; 1058 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
In a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker, stir together 1 cup barbecue sauce, chipotle chiles, adobe sauce, Worcestershire sauce and onion powder. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Cover and cook on low until the chicken shreds easily when pulled with a fork, 3 to 5 hours.
- Step 2
Working right in the slow cooker, use two forks to shred the meat into large, bite-size pieces. Stir in the remaining ½ cup barbecue sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Caroline L.
I don’t know what I’ve done wrong as I tried to follow the recipe exactly but after 3 ½ hours on low in my slow cooker, there is inordinate amount of liquid and the chicken is kind of dry, not tender and juicy as I anticipated. Almost as if all the fat has been rendered out of it. (I made my own barbecue sauce which I thought turned out very well.) Soooo, i don’t know what to do. Don’t think id make this again!
Pauline Rogers
This is delicious! I used only chicken thighs since I thought the breasts might be tough. I used the included recipe for homemade barbecue sauce. To cut down on the amount of liquid left at the end, I put the cooked thighs in a bowl and put the sauce from the crockpot into a saucepan, boiled it until reduced by half (about 10-15 mins) and returned it to the shredded thighs. Perfect!
Marco
I frequently make this but I always add 1 tsp of liquid smoke for more authentic BBQ flavor.
Cleo the Leo
Excellent recipe. Cooked half chicken breast and half chicken thigh for 3 hours. Reduced sauce on stove top for 15 minutes. Was absolutely delicious.
Cleo the Leo
Made this today with 1/2 boneless chicken breast and half boneless chicken thighs. In the crock for 3 hours. Used organic boneless chicken, turned all the chicken at 2 hour mark. Shredded the chicken after cooling and reduced the sauce to half for 15 minutes. Chicken was moist and juicy served on burger rolls. Way too dry on a gluten free roll but regular roll seemed fine. . Excellent pulled chicken recipe. Served with Cole slaw and corn on the cob.
Haydee C
Any tips for doing this in an Instant Pot?
Dana P
I have no faith in breast meat and I use thighs for all slow cooker recipes. In fact, we hired a chef for a dinner party - part cooking class, part “ make our dinner”- and he said no self respecting chef would ever use breast meat. I’ve never looked back. Hopefully, that was your issue with it being dry. I recently made a recipe with 3 pounds of boneless, skinless thighs with about 2 cups of chicken stock among other seasonings like adobo peppers, etc, and 3 hours on high was the magic number.
SBrown
I only use thighs as breast meat dries out. You can swap enchilada sauce for the barbeque sauce, add half an onion pureed and 2 minced garlic cloves to make taco meat.
Pauline Rogers
This is delicious! I used only chicken thighs since I thought the breasts might be tough. I used the included recipe for homemade barbecue sauce. To cut down on the amount of liquid left at the end, I put the cooked thighs in a bowl and put the sauce from the crockpot into a saucepan, boiled it until reduced by half (about 10-15 mins) and returned it to the shredded thighs. Perfect!
Marco
I frequently make this but I always add 1 tsp of liquid smoke for more authentic BBQ flavor.
Caroline L.
I don’t know what I’ve done wrong as I tried to follow the recipe exactly but after 3 ½ hours on low in my slow cooker, there is inordinate amount of liquid and the chicken is kind of dry, not tender and juicy as I anticipated. Almost as if all the fat has been rendered out of it. (I made my own barbecue sauce which I thought turned out very well.) Soooo, i don’t know what to do. Don’t think id make this again!
Ray
try cooking the chicken in the slow cooker for 3 hours, drain, add the BBQ sauce and continue in the slow cooker for 1 hour
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