This Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken is an easy dinner that you can serve your favorite way. Shredded chicken is great for tons of delicious recipes!
Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
For a busy parent, making weeknight dinners can sometimes be a daunting task – which is where this crockpot shredded chicken recipe comes in. This super easy Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken is something you can throw into your crockpot, set it, and forget it.
The best part about this easy crockpot recipe is that it has unbelievably simple ingredients. You probably keep them in your kitchen most days of the week anyway, and if you don’t have something, you can easily pick it up at any local grocery store.
Some slow cooker recipes have a ton of steps and take a long time to prepare, but this isn’t one of them. With this flavorful chicken, you can have a delicious weeknight dinner and easy lunches with only a few minutes of prep time and a very short crockpot cooking time.
A great recipe that anyone can make, once you throw everything in the crockpot, you can go back to your busy schedule while the chicken cooks. Once ready, this easy shredded chicken can be used for several recipes over several days or eaten all at one sitting.
Step 1: Season your raw chicken breasts with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
Step 2: Place them in a single layer in the crock pot and add the water to the bottom. Make sure that there is water around each of the large chicken breasts. Cook on low for 4 -5 hours.
Step 3: Remove the cooked chicken breasts and, with two forks or meat claws, begin to shred them apart. Do this on a plate, a cutting board, in a large bowl, or the easiest place for you.
Serve the tender chicken shreds in your preferred method or keep reading to make these barbecue chicken sandwiches.
For Barbecue Crockpot Shredded Chicken
Step 1: For the easiest BBQ chicken, return the shredded meat to the slow cooker bowl and add your BBQ sauce. Make sure that you mix the sauce under the chicken at the bottom of the slow cooker as well as the top.
Step 2: Continue to cook the barbecue sauce mixture on the low setting for another 30 minutes.
Serve your crockpot BBQ chicken on a fresh roll or toasted brioche buns and add extra sauce if desired.
Store any leftover pulled chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How Should I Serve This Slow Cooker Recipe?
If you’re serving this as slow cooker BBQ chicken, I like to offer it with buns to create BBQ chicken sandwiches. You can top them with some avocado slices, red onion rings, or any of your personal favorites.
A few other fun options are to let everyone make their own BBQ chicken quesadilla (super easy with some flour or corn tortillas and shredded cheese) or BBQ chicken pizza at dinner time.
While you can serve this as a BBQ pulled chicken sandwich, there is a multitude of ways to use it as basic crockpot shredded chicken as well. Serve it on hamburger buns topped with hot sauce, in lettuce wraps, on a baked potato, make chicken tacos with warm tortillas, sour cream, and pico de gallo, or add it to your favorite salad.
The bottom line is that once you’ve made this simple recipe, you can have a week’s worth of easy meal prep with very little effort!
The key here is to make a crock pot BBQ chicken that the entire family will love, so there are different ways to achieve that. My family often chooses Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce because we all love it, but I do switch it up sometimes.
If you have a homemade BBQ sauce recipe that you love, see how that goes over with everyone. The last thing you want on busy weeknights is everyone complaining that you strayed from the family favorite, so stick with what is popular in your house.
Can I Use Chicken Broth Instead Of Water?
There isn’t a lot of liquid in the basic recipe, but if you’d like to use 1/4 cup of chicken broth instead of 1/4 cup of water, go for it. It should yield the same juicy chicken you’re looking for and it may give you some extra flavor.
Can I Use Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs In This BBQ Chicken Recipe?
Yes! This recipe calls for white meat chicken, but if you’d prefer to use boneless chicken thighs, they will work just as well. Chicken thighs have more fat than breasts, but go with your preference as far as the type of chicken. As long as the thighs are boneless, you should be able to follow the exact recipe above.
Can I Freeze This Easy Recipe?
Yes! The best way is to allow your chicken to cool to room temperature (you can do this either following the undressed shredded chicken recipe or slow cooker barbecue chicken recipe route above). Once cooled, transfer the chicken to a freezer bag and remove as much of the air from the bag before sealing.
You can also store the chicken in small freezer-safe containers if you’re looking for perfect size portions to take out at a time. These will be good in the freezer for up to 3 months for best results.
This calculation is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a doctor or dietitian. This calculator is a guide, but makes no guarantee of being exact or fully accurate.
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Step 2: Place them in a single layer in the crock pot and add the water to the bottom. Make sure that there is water around each of the large chicken breasts. Cook on low for 4 -5 hours.
Step 3: Remove the cooked chicken breasts and, with two forks or meat claws, begin to shred them apart. Do this on a plate, a cutting board, in a large bowl, or the easiest place for you.
Serve your crockpot BBQ chicken on a fresh roll or toasted brioche buns and add extra sauce if desired.
Hamilton Beach 4-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker With Dishwasher-Safe Crock and Lid, Silver (33443)
![Freshware Cutting Board Set [Set of 3] Juice Grooves with Easy-Grip Handles, Plastic Chopping Board for Kitchen, BPA-Free, Non-Porous, Dishwasher Safe](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/412-mY4pRDL._SL500_.jpg)
That looks delicious! Love easy recipes like this with ingredients I already have on hand.
It really is! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂