Description
Crockpot BBQ Chicken is an easy and quick dinner with tender shredded chicken coated in a simple smoky sauce. It is one of the best healthy ideas for a busy weeknight dinner and it also works for meal prep or a party. The slow cooker handles the cooking while you prepare sides and the finished chicken is juicy enough for sandwiches bowls baked potatoes or wraps. Serve it for a potluck or holiday gathering when you need a simple crowd friendly meal with little hands on work.
Ingredients
- 4 medium breasts about 2 pounds Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 cups Barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons packed Brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Combine the barbecue sauce with apple cider vinegar and brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce until the sugar begins to dissolve. Stir in smoked paprika and garlic powder and onion powder and salt and black pepper until the sauce becomes evenly reddish brown with faint spice speckles.
- Arrange exactly four chicken breasts in a loose overlapping layer inside the slow cooker insert. Pour the mixed barbecue sauce over the chicken and turn the pieces until the tops and sides are coated while a few pale edges remain visible.
- Cook the four chicken breasts until their pale surfaces turn opaque and the edges become lightly caramelized. The sauce will loosen with the chicken juices before reducing into a darker bubbling mixture around the shifted pieces.
- Pull the four cooked chicken breasts into irregular strands and small tender chunks while keeping the meat inside the cooking juices. Fold the shredded chicken through the reduced sauce until most strands are coated and several lighter pieces remain visible for natural contrast.
- Spoon one serving of shredded barbecue chicken onto a white plate and let the strands form an uneven mound with glossy sauce between the pieces. Finish with chopped parsley so the green flecks sit casually over the darker caramelized areas without hiding the chicken.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Choose chicken breasts with similar thickness so all four pieces finish cooking at nearly the same time.
- Avoid lifting the slow cooker lid often because escaped heat can extend the cooking time and dry the chicken.
- Fold the chicken into the sauce gently so some larger juicy pieces remain among the thinner shredded strands.
- For a thicker finish leave the shredded chicken uncovered on warm for ten minutes so excess moisture can reduce.
Storage: Let the Crockpot BBQ Chicken cool until it is no longer steaming before transferring it to a shallow airtight container. Store the chicken with enough sauce to keep the shredded pieces moist and refrigerate it for up to four days. For longer storage divide the chicken into meal sized portions and freeze them in sealed containers for up to three months. Thaw frozen chicken overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it gently with an extra spoonful of barbecue sauce until hot throughout.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American