A delicious and easy slow cooker BBQ pulled chicken recipe with a homemade BBQ sauce.
With just a few simple ingredients and a little bit of patience, you'll have a mouth-watering slow cooker pulled chicken dish to serve up for any occasion.
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Whether you're feeding a crowd or just looking for a tasty weeknight dinner, pulled chicken recipe is sure to be a hit with the whole family.
So why not give it a try and see for yourself how easy and delicious it can be?
Love your slow cooker? Then you'll also like slow cooker pulled beef, slow cooker chicken curry, and slow cooker hunter's chicken!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- This BBQ pulled chicken recipe is a simple and delicious meal that you can make in your slow cooker. Simply mix everything together in the slow cooker, switch it on, and let it cook on low for several hours
- The recipe calls for just a few basic ingredients, including boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and a homemade BBQ sauce made with storecupboard ingredients.
- By cooking the chicken on low for several hours, you'll end up with tender, juicy meat that's easy to pull apart.
- It's perfect for filling rolls, wraps, flatbread, or serving with homemade wedges, coleslaw, and baked beans!
🛒 Ingredient notes
Chicken - Boneless skinless chicken breasts, when cooked correctly, are juicy and tender. However, they can quickly become dry if overcooked, which is why slow cooking is a fantastic method for preparing chicken breasts.
Tomato Ketchup - Forms the base of the BBQ sauces, providing depth of flavour and a subtle sweetness.
Dijon Mustard - Known for its tangy, and slightly spicy flavour, it packs a punch in the BBQ sauce.
Garlic Powder - Offers the distinctive taste and aroma of fresh garlic without the hassle of peeling and mincing. It's a must-have pantry staple due to its long shelf-life and convenience and adds a lovely flavour to the BBQ sauce.
Honey - Runny honey is a natural sweetener when used in BBQ sauces, and helps balance out the tanginess and adds a glossy finish to the sauce.
Worcestershire Sauce - With it's tangy, sweet, savoury, and slightly spicy flavour, thanks to its unique combination of ingredients like vinegar, molasses, anchovies, garlic, tamarind, and secret seasonings, a dash of Worcestershire sauce can significantly enhance the depth of flavour in BBQ sauces.
Cayenne - known for its considerable heat, adds a subtle spicy kick to the BBQ sauce, amplifying its overall flavour.
Salt & Pepper - for seasoning.
🔪 Instructions
One: Place the chicken breasts at the bottom of your slow cooker basin.
Two: Mix together all of the BBQ sauce ingredients in a jug then pour it over the chicken.
Three: Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Pull apart with two forks to shred the chicken before serving.
Top Tips
- You want to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe. Avoid using chicken with bones or skin.
- Make sure you set your slow cooker to the right temperature. Cooking on high will result in dry and tough chicken, while cooking on low will ensure tender and juicy chicken. Set your slow cooker to low and cook for 6-7 hours for best results.
- Once you've shredded the chicken, let it sit in the BBQ sauce in the slow cooker for a little while longer. This allows the chicken to absorb more flavour.
- Feel free to adjust the seasonings in the BBQ sauce to suit your personal taste. You might prefer it sweeter, tangier, or spicier - so experiment!
🍴 Serving suggestions
The classic way to serve BBQ pulled chicken is on a soft bun. Flatbreads and wraps also work well.
Adding coleslaw gives a refreshing crunch. This apple coleslaw recipe is the one I always make and you could also serve pickles and salad with it too.
Baked beans make a hearty side that complements the BBQ flavour of the chicken and you might want to add some air fryer chips to make the meal stretch even further.
Tacos, burritos, and nachos are some other great serving options.
📖 Variations
- Swap chicken with a pork shoulder. Keep in mind that pork may take a bit longer to cook thoroughly.
- Use a beef brisket in place of the chicken for a more robust flavour. You might like this easy pulled beef recipe made in the slow cooker.
- Use boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts.
- Add more cayenne to the BBQ sauce, or throw in some hot sauce or chopped jalapenos for an extra kick.
🥡 Storage
Store - Let it cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. You can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat - When you are ready to reheat your slow cooker BBQ pulled chicken, there are a few different methods you can use:
- Microwave: Place the pulled chicken in a microwave-safe dish and cover it with cling film (plastic wrap). Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through.
- Oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Place the pulled chicken in an oven-safe dish and cover it with foil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
- Hob/Stovetop: Heat the pulled chicken in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Yes, you'll need 375ml.
Yes, you can prepare the recipe and store it in the fridge overnight.
Yes, you can make pulled chicken in a pressure cooker. Simply cook it in the pressure cooker with the BBQ sauce for about 20-25 minutes on high pressure.
Yes, you can cook raw chicken in a slow cooker.
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Recipe
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken (Easy Pulled Chicken Recipe)
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We'll email you this post for easy access later! You'll also join the Effortless Foodie mailing list and receive my popular 'No Bake Bars and Slices' eBook for free!
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Breasts skinless and boneless
- 250 ml Tomato Ketchup
- 2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 125 ml Honey
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts at the bottom of the slow cooker basin.4 Chicken Breasts
- Mix together the BBQ sauce ingredients in a jug and pour it over the chicken.250 ml Tomato Ketchup, 2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard, ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder, 125 ml Honey, 2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce, ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, 1 teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours then shred the chicken with two forks.
Notes
- You want to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe. Avoid using chicken with bones or skin.
- Make sure you set your slow cooker to the right temperature. Cooking on high will result in dry and tough chicken, while cooking on low will ensure tender and juicy chicken. Set your slow cooker to low and cook for 6-7 hours for best results.
- Once you've shredded the chicken, let it sit in the BBQ sauce in the slow cooker for a little while longer. This allows the chicken to absorb more flavour.
- Feel free to adjust the seasonings in the BBQ sauce to suit your personal taste. You might prefer it sweeter, tangier, or spicier - so experiment!
- Swap chicken with a pork shoulder. Keep in mind that pork may take a bit longer to cook thoroughly.
- Use a beef brisket in place of the chicken for a more robust flavour. You might like this easy pulled beef recipe made in the slow cooker.
- Use boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts.
- Add more cayenne to the BBQ sauce, or throw in some hot sauce or chopped jalapenos for an extra kick.
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