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
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
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Lisa
OMGoodness, now this is my kind of recipe! I love pulled chicken, and this sandwich looks so juicy and good. I’ve never made it this way so, I’m excited to try your recipe, Beth.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lisa! Enjoy!
Steven M
Hi Beth – is 2-2.5 hours on low really enough to cook the chicken? Seems like it would need to be on high no??
Beth Pierce
You know Steven! I do think this might be an error! I would go with high too and check after 1.5 hours for tenderness and shredding. I will make it again over the weekend and report.
Allison D
I am obsessed with all of your recipes!! I am a new mom and I’ve never been a great cook, but you make everything so easy to understand and help build my confidence. Plus…your recipes are amazing!!!!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Allison! I am so happy that you enjoy cooking and that you like my recipe!
Ellen from Texas
Big hit for a friend gathering. Will be making again! Easy to make – hardest thing is shredding the chicken. Liked having the minced onions and other spices compared with other similar recipes. Did use spicier local BBQ sauce (Stubbs) as it does not have high fructose corn starch like many sweet BBQ sauces. If use Hawaiian Rolls, then best to toast as otherwise gets soggy fast. Cole slaw is the best side /topping – used combo of Broccoli slaw and regular slaw kit (lightly dressed). Friends asked for the recipe, so that speaks for itself.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Ellen! I am so glad tha you liked it. I love spicy BBQ sauce with it. It adds a nice touch!
Dawn Berard
Hi Ellen, tip I learned years ago and I love passing it along. To shred the chicken use an electric hand mixer. Done it seconds. So easy!!!
Claudia Krusch
Such a great recipe and so incredibly easy to make. It is perfect for busy weeknights!
Tammy
So tender and juicy this looks absolutely delicious! I’ve not made pulled chicken before but it’s a great variation to pork. Yum!
chad
This looks so so good! Time to pull out the crock pot! I love pulled chicken, your recipe looks amazing…
Mary
Can I double this recipe? If so, do I increase the cook time?
Beth Pierce
Yes, you sure can. You do not have to increase the cooking time.
Kamil
This recipe looks so yummy. Can I sub the sugar with honey??
Thanks in advance ☺️
Beth Pierce
Yes but I would cut it back to 2 teaspoons as honey is sweeter than sugar.
JoAnn
I made this and loved it, I cheated because used a pan in oven for about 2 hours/ My crock pot is way to big. But it is one of my all time favorite bbq chicken recipes. I used a mix of Stubbs bbq sauce half spicy and half sweet heat. Wow.
Beth Pierce
Thanks JoAnn! So glad that you like it.