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This Crockpot Pulled Chicken recipe comes together with simple ingredients and minimal prep and is suited for meal-prep or busy weeknights alike. Tender chicken slow cooks in a smoky spice blend until it practically falls apart, then gets tossed with BBQ sauce for a juicy, flavor-packed meal that works in sandwiches, bowls, wraps, and more.
If you love the flavor and ease of slow cooker pulled pork, you will love this version made with inexpensive chicken breasts. With sweet, smoky BBQ flavor and juicy, tender shredded chicken, it is the kind of picky-eater approved dinner recipe you can count on to be devoured.
Crockpot BBQ Pulled Chicken at a Glance
- Serves: 8-10 and easily doubles for entertaining or meal prep
- Hands-Off: Less than 10 minutes of hand-on prep
- Family-Friendly: Sweet, smoky BBQ flavor with juicy, tender shredded chicken
- Endless Uses: Serve alone or use to build sandwiches, quesadillas, pizza, salads, and more
Recipe Highlights
Kristen's Keys for Crockpot BBQ Pulled Chicken
A few small details make the difference between dry and lack-luster shredded chicken and one worth piling high onto buns.
- Combine the spices together before seasoning the chicken. While it may be tempting to sprinkle the seasonings directly over the chicken, taking one extra minute to mix them into a sweet and smoky dry rub helps ensure every piece of chicken is evenly seasoned.
- Don't skip the pineapple juice. It adds subtle sweetness. pairs well the flavor of BBQ sauce, and helps keep the chicken moist as it slow cooks. Chicken stock works too, but pineapple juice gives the best flavor payoff.
- Wait to add the BBQ sauce until after shredding. Adding it too early can cause the sugars in the sauce to darken too much during the long cook time.
- Let the chicken warm in the sauce for 10-15 minutes after shredding. This is the same technique I use in recipes like crockpot salsa chicken and crockpot teriyaki chicken. The extra few minutes after shredding helps the sauce soak into every bite instead of just coating the outside.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Lean, affordable, and easy to shred. Chicken thighs also work well if you want slightly richer flavor and even more forgiving cook time, but they don't shred quite as easily.
- Pineapple Juice: Use 100% juice; canned works well here.
- Brown Sugar: Helps balance the smoky spices and gives the chicken deeper flavor.
- Smoked Paprika: This is what gives the chicken that slow-smoked flavor without needing an actual smoker. Regular paprika works in a pinch, but smoked paprika is worth keeping in the pantry.
- Cayenne Pepper: Optional, but great if your family likes a little heat. Leave it out entirely for picky eaters or younger kids.
- BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite brand or homemade BBQ sauce. Sweet, smoky, spicy, or tangy styles all work here depending on how you plan to serve the chicken.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Chicken
Season, slow cook, shred, then toss with barbecue sauce for a sweet and tangy finish.
Step One: Prepare Seasoning Blend
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Step Two: Layer Ingredients in Slow Cooker
Lightly spray the insert with a bit of cooking spray. Pour in the pineapple juice, then arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in the slow cooker. Sprinkle half the seasoning over the chicken, flip, then season the other side with the remaining spice blend.
Step Three: Slow Cook Chicken
Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3 hours. The chicken is done once it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and shreds easily with forks. If the chicken feels difficult to shred (or pull), it likely needs a little more time.
Step Four: Shred Chicken
Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the slow cooker and place them in a large mixing bowl. Use two forks to pull the breasts apart into shreds. Hence why it is called pulled chicken.
You can also speed up the process of shredding the chicken by using a handheld mixer on low speed. It feels a bit chaotic but actually works quite well for finer shreds.
Step Five: Add BBQ Sauce
Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir in ½ cup BBQ sauce, adding more sauce as needed to coat.
Cover and cook on HIGH for another 10-15 minutes so the sauce can soak into the chicken and warm through.
How to Serve Crockpot Pulled Chicken
This shredded BBQ chicken is one of those recipes that easily stretches into several meals without any complaints or repeats
- Pile onto toasted buns with (or without) a scoop of homemade creamy coleslaw.
- Serve over Instant Pot sweet potatoes or Instant Pot baked potatoes topped with shredded cheese.
- Stuff into wraps or quesadillas.
- Spoon over pineapple rice with a scoop of Texas caviar or grilled corn salsa for tasty rice bowl.
- Serve with a side of one pot creamy mac and cheese, old-fashioned potato salad, or oven baked fries.
- Use in place of grilled BBQ chicken breasts to make a quick and easy version of my BBQ Chicken Salad recipe.
- Spread on store-bought or homemade pizza dough, top with shredded cheese, and bake until golden for a family-favorite BBQ chicken pizza.
Recipe Modifications
- Use Chicken Thighs: Swap the chicken breasts for boneless skinless chicken thighs. Keep in mind you will need to cook the chicken a bit longer, as thighs become tender once they reach an internal temperature 185°F.
- Lower Sugar: Omit the brown sugar and use your favorite low-sugar BBQ sauce.
- Money-Saving Tip: I find it is often less expensive to drain a can of pineapple canned in 100% juice. Use the juice to slow cook the chicken and enjoy the pineapple as a snack.
- Hawaiian-Style: Add 15-ounces of drained crushed pineapple along with BBQ sauce and serve over rice. You will want to use a sweet, tomato-based BBQ sauce for this preparation as well. Tip: Use the juice from the crushed pineapple as the cooking liquid.
- For Really Picky Eaters: Set some of the pulled chicken aside before tossing with with BBQ sauce and serve the sauce on the side.
- Use the Instant Pot: Follow my Instant Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken recipe.
Storage + Reheating Tips
- Refrigerate: Store leftover BBQ chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze 1 to 2 cup portions in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Defrost overnight in the refrigerator if needed. Reheat gently in a small saucepan over low heat or in the microwave in a heat-safe dish covered with damp paper towel. Add extra BBQ sauce to keep the chicken moist if needed.
More Crockpot Chicken Recipes
If you love the flavors of this crockpot pulled BBQ chicken, you will especially love Crockpot BBQ chicken thighs and Crockpot chicken drumsticks. But for even more easy crockpot dinner ideas starring chicken, don't miss the following recipes:
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Crockpot BBQ Pulled Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1½ tablespoons brown sugar, dark or light
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- ½ cup 100% pineapple juice, or chicken stock
- 2-2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and gristle
- 1-2 cups BBQ sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Lightly spray the insert of your slow cooker with cooking spray, pour in the pineapple juice, then add the chicken in a single layer. Sprinkle half the seasoning blend over the chicken, flip, and sprinkle the opposite side of the chicken with the remaining seasoning.
- Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours. The chicken breasts are fully cooked when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (73℃) and easily shred.
- Once the chicken is fully cooked and tender, remove it to a clean cutting board or large mixing bowl and shred it with two forks.
- Return the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker, add ½ cup of BBQ sauce, and stir to combine, adding more sauce as needed, desired to ensure the chicken is well coated in the BBQ sauce.
- Return the lid to the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 10-15 minutes to warm through.
- Serve as desired with additional BBQ sauce.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Put chicken in crockpot this morning, quick and easy. Had to use the chicken broth instead of pineapple juice, other than tat followed receipe as written. Spent the day mowing grass and sat down to an excellent dinner tonight! Will definitely be making again!
Love hearing you were able to accomplish what you needed to do while dinner cooked (and that you enjoyed it!) Thanks for sharing, Kate!
Any different substitute other than chicken broth that would give more flavor. I have someone allergic to pineapple.
Thank you!k
Hi Kate! Apple juice would work well here, but honestly with the rub, chicken stock is a great substitute as well.
Easy and delicious. Even my picky eater loved it.
Absolutely thrilled to hear this and appreciate you taking the time to leave a review 🙂