Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

This easy slow cooker pulled chicken is shredded chicken with BBQ sauce cooked up tender and juicy in the crockpot. Use this chicken in tacos, salads, burrito bowls, chicken enchiladas, and lettuce wraps. 

I love to serve it with broccoli coleslaw and homemade mac and cheese.  We love it piled high on soft brioche buns, but if you are watching your carbs, simply spoon some of the broccoli slaw on top of your pulled chicken and get at it.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best for this recipe.
• Kansas City barbecue sauce: I love less sweet semi-spicy barbecue sauce with tons of flavor, but use what makes you happy.
• Apple cider vinegar: You can substitute rice vinegar, sherry vinegar, or champagne vinegar.
• Brown sugar: Dark or light brown sugar.
• Smoked paprika: This is not to be confused with sweet or hot paprika. Smoked paprika has a rich smoky flavor from smoking the peppers over a wood fire.

How To Make Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

Simply add barbecue sauce, onion, tomato paste, Worcestershire Sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika to a small crock pot and stir to combine. Then, cook on high for 2-3 hours or until it shreds easily with two forks.

Preparation Tips

• If your barbecue sauce is really sweet, skip the brown sugar and add a little lemon juice or lime juice. 
• Kick up the heat with a little cumin, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, or minced jalapeno.
• Making coleslaw with this is a must. I find that the crunchy broccoli slaw holds up better to the warmth and hardiness of this chicken. For extra flavor, toss in a few red onions.
• I like to toast the buns right before I serve.  Once I layer the chicken and the slaw on the buns, I serve them immediately, as no one likes a soggy bun.
• Use the pulled chicken for nachos, quesadillas, soups, and casseroles.

Make Pulled Chicken In An Instant Pot

Place all the ingredients in the Instant Pot. Seal and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. Then, turn the Instant Pot off and let it naturally release for 10 minutes. Use the quick release and open the pot. Shred the chicken using 2 forks.

Serving Suggestions

• Potatoes: air-fried potato wedges, roasted red potatoes, or pan-fried potatoes
• Pasta: parmesan pasta, angel hair pasta with garlic, or potato pancakes
• Salad: summer succotash salad, creamy coleslaw, or creamy pea salad

More Chicken Recipes

Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

Mouthwatering, good slow cooker pulled chicken made easy with six simple ingredients in the crock pot.  Serve on toasted buns with coleslaw, or for a lower-carb version, simply add the slaw to a layer of pulled chicken.

5 from 35 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal chicken

Cuisine: Southern

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 270kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
• 2 cups Kansas City style barbecue sauce
• 1 medium onion minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Add barbecue sauce, onion, tomato paste, Worcestershire Sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika to a small crock pot and stir to combine.  I use a 3-quart crock pot.
• Add chicken and spoon a little of the sauce over the top.
• Cook on high for 3-3½ hours or until it shreds easily with a couple of forks.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste 

Notes

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave at reduced power.
• Double the recipe and freeze half of it for up to 2 months. Completely cool the dish and spoon it into a zipper freezer bag, removing as much of the air as possible. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. 

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 928mg | Potassium: 670mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 288IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

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