Description
This Best Crockpot BBQ Chicken recipe offers a flavorful, tender, and juicy chicken cooked slowly with a tangy and slightly sweet barbecue sauce. Perfectly seasoned and cooked in a slow cooker, this versatile dish can be served on buns for sandwiches, over rice, in tacos, or salads for a delicious and easy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, with fat trimmed off
Sauce
- 1 1/4 cup barbecue sauce (such as Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey BBQ)
- 1/2 cup Italian dressing (preferably fat-free)
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar (can reduce to 1/8 cup or omit for less sweetness)
Seasonings
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the crockpot: Lightly spray the inside of a large crockpot or slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray, or use disposable liners for easier cleanup.
- Season chicken: Season the trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breasts evenly with salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder, then place them in the bottom of the crockpot.
- Mix sauce ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce, Italian dressing, light brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth and well combined.
- Combine: Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the seasoned chicken breasts, then cover the crockpot with the lid.
- Cook: Set the crockpot to high and cook for 2.5 to 3 hours, or set it to low and cook for 5 to 6 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked through and tender.
- Check doneness: Use a meat thermometer to verify the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) to ensure it is safe to eat.
- Shred the chicken: Once cooked, remove the chicken and shred it with two forks, or shred the chicken directly inside the crockpot to allow it to absorb more of the sauce for extra flavor.
- Serve: Serve the shredded BBQ chicken hot on buns for sandwiches, over rice, in tacos, or in salads as desired. Enjoy your meal!
Notes
- For less sweetness, reduce the brown sugar to 1/8 cup or omit completely.
- You can use any flavor of barbecue sauce you prefer; honey BBQ adds a nice touch of sweetness.
- Using a crockpot liner makes cleanup much easier.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and freeze nicely for up to 3 months.
- Shredding the chicken directly in the sauce enhances flavor absorption.
