The Barbecue Chicken meal is not only wholesome but also delicious.
Chicken parts, onions, and a bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce are all you’ll need for this slow cooker dish.
Although it won’t taste exactly like smoky barbecue from a pit, the essence is still there, and you can always add to it some of the liquid smoke or smoke-flavored grill spice.
Serve with traditional barbecue side dishes including cornbread, corn on the cob, pasta salad, potatoes, and slaw.
Serve it on top of steamed rice with a side salad, or use it as a sandwich filler by removing the flesh off the bone and slicing the pieces, then adding fresh lettuce and a bit of mayo.
Enjoy!
How to make homemade Barbecue Chicken in a Slow Cooker?
Everything goes into the slow cooker without any prior preparation for this slow cooker pulled chicken.
It’s tender, juicy, and wonderful to the point of falling apart.
You can serve it with coconut coleslaw and crisp dill pickle chips on buns.
Recipe ingredients
For the Barbecue Chicken
- Portion sizes of 3 to 4 pounds of chicken
- Add salt according to taste
- if desired, freshly ground black pepper
- Approximately 1 large onion, chopped coarsely
- 2 to 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce, homemade or purchased
How to Make Homemade Barbecue Sauce
- Ketchup, 1/2 cup
- A 1/4 cup of any vinegar of your choice
- Lemon juice, freshly squeezed, 1- tablespoon
- Add 2- tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- Brown sugar, 3- tablespoons
- Salt (1 teaspoon)
- Dry mustard, 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Paprika, 1- teaspoon
- Black pepper, freshly ground, 1/4 teaspoon
Directions:
- Collect the necessary materials.
- Dry the chicken pieces with paper towels.
- Before putting them in the slow cooker’s bottom, season them with salt and pepper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the onions and barbecue sauce.
- Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or until the chicken is cooked but not falling apart, covered. Check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest parts (not touching bone). 165 degrees Fahrenheit is the safest temperature for chicken.
- For a conventional barbecue lunch, serve with french fries and coleslaw, or rice and vegetables.
- Enjoy.
Make Your Barbecue Sauce
If you have the time or want to make your barbecue sauce rather than buy it, this simple recipe is ideal.
- Gather all the necessary supplies.
- In a large pot, combine ketchup, the vinegar of choice, freshly squeezed lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt, dry mustard, paprika, and pepper. Stir everything together thoroughly until it’s all combined.
- Cook, stirring often, over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer around the edges.
- Before using it in this slow cooker barbecue chicken dish, remove it from the flame and allow it to cool to room temperature.
Sauce Substitutions
Variations in the BBQ sauce flavor can be found by following these suggestions.
- Use molasses instead of sugar and season with spicy sauce to suit.
- To make a spirited sauce; double the basic- barbecue sauce ingredients and add 1 cup beer, 1/2 cup Jack Daniel’s whiskey, or 1 cup Jim Beam bourbon.
- 1- large peeled and puréed mango, as well as 1- garlic clove, peeled and minced
- Thai Style: A Combination of 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 2- tablespoons of 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and fresh mint, diced. 1/4 cup honey, 1- tablespoon fresh ginger, 2- tablespoons fish sauce, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 3- crushed garlic cloves, 3- tablespoons vegetable oil, 2- tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Variation on Pork
This dish calls for pork shoulder.
Simply; pat the flesh dry, season with salt and pepper, then proceed as directed in the rest of the recipe.
- Pull the pork apart with two forks one hour before the cooking time is up. Mix in 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup chicken stock, and 1/4 cup more BBQ sauce, and cook on LOW for the remaining hour.
- Serve the pulled pork on buns alongside a sour cream potato salad and a side salad of avocado and romaine.
How can you cook the chicken slowly without it drying out?
Tips for Making Perfect Shredded Chicken in the Slow Cooker:
- Don’t let the chicken- overcook. In a slow cooker, chicken can be overcooked.
- Cook on a LOW heat setting. Chicken breasts cooked on high may complete faster, but they are much more likely to dry out.
- Cook everything in a single layer.
- There’s no need to add liquid… just season! Allow the Chicken to Rest.
Other ideas for flavoring your slow cooker chicken include:
- Mexican Shredded Chicken: Combine the seasonings from the Mexican style Chicken in a large mixing bowl.
- Chicken Shredded in Italian Style. Toss your chicken with 2- teaspoons of Italian seasoning.
- Chicken Shredded in a Spicy Sauce. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to your chicken- if you want it spicy.
What Chicken Should you Use for Shredded Chicken?
- Bone-in vs. Boneless Chicken: Shredded chicken can be made with both- boneless and bone-in chicken pieces.
- Boneless is preferable since it is often easier to shred and cooks faster.
- Bone-in chicken flesh stays moist longer and has a greater- taste than boneless chicken meat.
- Skin can be worn on or off. While you can cook your chicken- with the skin on, it will most likely become mushy. It’s best to remove any skin before you start cooking for this recipe.
- If you want your chicken to cook with the skin on, place its skin side up in the slow cooker with the lid slightly cracked. This will help the skin crisp up by allowing some liquid to escape during cooking. Note that if the lid is ajar, you may need to extend the cooking time.
- If you want your chicken to cook with the skin on, place its skin side up in the slow cooker with the lid slightly cracked. This will help the skin crisp up by allowing some liquid to escape during cooking. Note that if the lid- is ajar, you may need to extend the cooking time.
Is it possible to cook frozen chicken in a slow cooker?
- Do not use frozen chicken- in the slow cooker since it may become unsafe to consume after spending too much time at room temperature during the slow cooking procedure. Chicken has the highest risk of growing potential diseases when left out at room temperature.
- Raw chicken may be used– in the slow cooker; it just- needs to be completely thawed first.
- If you forget to thaw your chicken and need to use it frozen, follow the instructions:
- To Thaw Frozen Chicken Quickly: Fill a big basin halfway with cold water and place frozen chicken in it. Place the bag in a bowl of cold water and set aside to thaw (about 1 to 2 hours). If the water in the bowl warms up, drain it out and replace it with fresh cold water.
What to serve with this Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
Barbecue Chicken on a Brioche Bun is one of the top ways to serve it.
It’s also delicious with a side of coleslaw!
Here are a few simple side dish ideas to serve with this pulled chicken:
- BLT Pasta Salad with Macaroni and Cheese Cornbread
- Beans that have been- baked
- Salad with Macaroni
- Salad with Broccoli
- Mashed Potatoes with Scalloped
- Muffins made with corn
- Salad with Creamy Peas
Nutrition
- Serving: 1serving
- Calories: 394kcal
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Protein: 43g
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Cholesterol: 127mg
- Sodium: 968mg
- Potassium: 922mg
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 30g
- Vitamin A: 300IU
- Vitamin C: 3mg
- Calcium: 41mg
- Iron: 1mg
More Crockpot BBQ Chicken Ideas
- Don’t overcook the food. It’s tempting to keep the chicken in for a long period in the hopes of making it softer, but this isn’t always the case. You want to strike the perfect balance between “just enough” and “dry and unappealing.”
- Keep the seasoning to a minimum. You don’t want a week’s worth of single-purpose chicken (unless you want to! ), so keep the spice on this slow cooker shredded chicken simple so you can use it in a variety of ways. It doesn’t scream “Mexican!” “Italian!” “Curry!” or “Mexican!”
- Sandwiches with BBQ pulled chicken, homemade slaw, and pickles are delicious! Pulled chicken can also be served in a meal prep bowl, a wrap, or a taco.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best method for shredding chicken?
Shred your chicken breast in the slow cooker with two forks once it’s all cooked!
This will keep the food wet and flavorful.
Shredding chicken with two forks is straightforward, however, some people like to shred their cooked chicken breasts using a hand mixer.
Is it possible to freeze barbecue pulled chicken?
Once your shredded chicken has cooled fully, divide it into 1 or 2 cup portions and freeze them in ziplock bags or airtight containers (depending on how much you think you’ll use at a time).
The chicken will keep its quality for around 4 months if properly preserved.
Conclusion
It is deliciously sweet, salty, savory, and filling.
When you don’t have time to stand over the stove, this is a terrific way to prepare meat for your company or your family.
What a treat! PS: You may make the coleslaw ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until ready to serve.
Delicious Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Chicken
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 onion chopped coarsely
- 2 cups barbecue sauce homemade or purchased
- 1 Ketchup 1/2 cup
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 1 Lemon juice freshly squeezed, 1- tablespoon
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons Brown sugar
- ½ teaspoons Dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- Collect the necessary materials.
- Dry the chicken pieces with paper towels.
- Before putting them in the slow cooker’s bottom, season them with salt and pepper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the onions and barbecue sauce.
- Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or until the chicken is cooked but not falling apart, covered. Check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest parts (not touching bone). 165 degrees Fahrenheit is the safest temperature for chicken.
- For a conventional barbecue lunch, serve with french fries and coleslaw, or rice and vegetables.
- Enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
I have a true passion for cooking and experimenting with new ingredients, and I have been creating and perfecting recipes for friends and family for years.
- Make the Delicious Beef Stroganoff using a Slow Cooker - April 23, 2024
- Cinnamon Sugar Butternut Squash in the Slow Cooker - April 23, 2024
- Make Brown Sugar Ham in Slow Cooker - April 23, 2024