This slow cooker hunters chicken is an easy family dinner made with juicy chicken breasts wrapped in smoky bacon, cooked in a rich homemade BBQ sauce, then finished with bubbling cheddar and mozzarella. With just 10 minutes of prep, the slow cooker does all the hard work, making this an ideal recipe for busy weeknights.
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Quick Summary - Slow Cooker Hunters Chicken
If you're looking for an easy family dinner that everyone will enjoy, this recipe never lets me down. The slow cooker keeps the chicken tender, and the final blast under the grill transforms it into a proper pub-style Hunters Chicken. - Beth (Effortless Foodie)
🕒 Ready In: Prep time: 10 mins, Cook time: 3-4 hours
👪 Serves: 4
🍽 Calories: 528
🥣 Main Ingredients: Chicken, bacon, BBQ sauce, ketchup, cheddar, mozzarella
📖 Dietary Info: High in protein (56g)
👌 Difficulty: Easy
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Unlike many recipes that use bottled barbecue sauce on its own, this recipe boosts the flavour with Worcestershire sauce, garlic, honey and a touch of liquid smoke (or smoked paprika). The result is a richer sauce that tastes much closer to the Hunters Chicken served in British pubs.
Love slow cooker chicken recipes? You might also like to try my slow cooker chicken fajitas and slow cooker chicken curry recipes!
Jump to:
- Quick Summary - Slow Cooker Hunters Chicken
- ✔️ Why you'll love this slow cooker hunters chicken
- 🥘 Key Ingredients
- Need to substitute an ingredient?
- 📖 Variations
- 🔪 How to make Hunters Chicken in slow cooker
- Top Tips
- 🍴 Serving suggestions
- Storage
- ❓ Slow Cooker Hunters Chicken FAQs
- 😋More slow cooker recipes
- Recipe
- 💬 Comments
✔️ Why you'll love this slow cooker hunters chicken
- No browning required - simply wrap the chicken, mix the sauce and let the slow cooker do the work.
- Great for meal prep and freezes well.
- Perfect for busy families because everything can be prepared in minutes.
🥘 Key Ingredients
Chicken Breasts - 4 plump free-range chicken breasts.
Streaky Bacon - you'll need 2 streaky bacon rashers per chicken breast.
Pepped Up BBQ sauce - made using bottled BBQ sauce, tomato ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic granules, salt, and optional liquid smoke!
Grated Cheese - a combination of cheddar and mozzarella for the best flavour.
Panko Breadcrumbs - an optional extra that adds a nice crunchy texture to the chicken.
Parsley - finely chopped to add colour and vibrancy to the dish.
Need to substitute an ingredient?
Have an allergy or dietary preference? Let AI customise the recipe for you.
📖 Variations
- Keep things simple and just use a BBQ sauce straight out of the bottle.
- Use pork steaks or pork chops instead of chicken breasts for hunters pork!
- Swap the cheddar and mozzarella for different cheeses such as gruyere, or even crumbled Stilton.
- Cut the fat by using reduced-fat cheese and rindless back bacon.
- Spice it up by adding 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes to the BBQ sauce.
🔪 How to make Hunters Chicken in slow cooker
One: Wrap two rashers of streaky bacon around each chicken breast.
Two: Place the chicken into your slow cooker basin.
Three: Mix together the BBQ sauce, tomato ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic granules, salt, and optional liquid smoke and pour it over the chicken. Cook on high for 3-4 hours.
Four: Transfer the chicken and BBQ sauce to an oven-proof dish.
Five: Sprinkle over the optional panko breadcrumbs, grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese, and place under the grill for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Six: Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve!
Top Tips
- Use evenly sized chicken breasts so they cook at the same rate and stay juicy.
- Wrap the bacon tightly around the chicken to help it stay in place during slow cooking.
- Don't skip the final grilling step. It crisps up the bacon, melts the cheese beautifully, and gives the dish its classic pub-style finish.
- If the sauce is thinner than you'd like, spoon some away or simmer it in a saucepan for a few minutes before pouring it back over the chicken.
- No slow cooker? No problem! You can cook this dish in the oven too. Place the bacon-wrapped chicken breasts into an oven-proof dish, pour over the sauce, and bake at 180°C/160°Fan/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked the whole way through. Sprinkle with grated cheese and return to the oven for a few minutes until the cheese has melted.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Slow cooker hunters chicken can be served with polenta roast potatoes, creamy mashed potato, air-fryer sweet potato fries, air fryer baked potatoes, rice, or green veggies such as roasted tenderstem broccoli, or crispy air fryer broccoli.
Storage
Store - Allow the Hunters Chicken to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheat - In the microwave until piping hot throughout, or warm in a covered ovenproof dish at 180°C (160°C fan/Gas 4) for 15-20 minutes. Add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.
Freeze - In a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating. For the best texture, add fresh cheese before reheating rather than freezing with the cheese already melted.
❓ Slow Cooker Hunters Chicken FAQs
Yes, boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well. They may need slightly longer to cook.
Unfortunately, frozen chicken breasts are not suitable for use in a slow cooker. If your chicken breasts are frozen, make sure you have defrosted them thoroughly in the fridge before use.
Chicken naturally releases liquid during cooking. If needed, simmer the sauce in a saucepan for a few minutes to reduce and thicken it.
😋More slow cooker recipes
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Recipe
Slow Cooker Hunters Chicken
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Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Breasts
- 8 Streaky Bacon Rashers
- 250 g Barbecue Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 3 drops Liquid Smoke or use 2 teaspoon of Smoked Paprika instead
- 4 tablespoon Panko Breadcrumbs optional
- 50 g Grated Cheddar
- 50 g Grated Mozzarella
- 1 tablespoon Parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Wrap two rashers of streaky bacon around each chicken breast. Place in your slow cooker basin.8 Streaky Bacon Rashers, 4 Chicken Breasts
- Mix together the barbecue sauce, tomato ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, sea salt and liquid smoke if using. Pour over the chicken and cook on high for 3 hours.250 g Barbecue Sauce, 2 tablespoon Tomato Ketchup, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce, 1 teaspoon Honey, 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder, ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt, 3 drops Liquid Smoke
- Transfer the chicken and BBQ sauce to an oven-proof dish.
- Sprinkle over the optional panko breadcrumbs, grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese, and place under the grill for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted.4 tablespoon Panko Breadcrumbs, 50 g Grated Cheddar, 50 g Grated Mozzarella
- Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve!1 tablespoon Parsley
Notes
- Wrap the bacon tightly around the chicken to help it stay in place during cooking.
- Don't skip the final grilling step - it crisps the bacon and gives the cheese a delicious golden finish.
- Chicken releases liquid as it cooks, so if the sauce is thinner than you'd like, simmer it for a few minutes before serving.
- A combination of mature Cheddar and mozzarella gives the best balance of flavour and melt.
- Always check the chicken is cooked through and has reached an internal temperature of 75°C (165°F) before serving.
Carole says
Hi there. We love hunters chicken and wondered if I could make this using my homemade BBQ sauce?
Thanks 😊
Beth Sachs says
Hi Carole, yes you can use homemade bbq sauce in this recipe. Enjoy!
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says
LOVE hunter's chicken! Such fab flavours 😀
Cat | Curly's Cooking says
This is one of my husband's favourite meals, but I haven't thought to do it in the slow cooker. Great idea - thanks!
Kate says
Aren't slow-cookers amazing? Such an easy and delicious dinner.
Corina Blum says
It looks delicious! I still haven't tried anything with liquid smoke in but keep thinking I need to get some - I love all the flavours in this though!
Janice says
I love a slow cooker recipe and this looks just perfect!
Karen says
I love Hunters chicken and often order it when we eat at the local pub! I’m also still using my slow cooker during the warmer months too - for easy evening meals. Karen
Marie-Charlotte Chatelain says
LOVE this! This is like the British answer to Chicken Cacciatore! I'll try it this week
Petro says
I love, love cooking in the slow cooker, can't wait to give these a try! Looks incredible!
Angela says
I love the pepped up BBQ sauce. This recipe is easy to make and a true crowd pleaser!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
This was amazing and such a treat! Thank you!
Emily Flint says
I had never heard of Hunters Chicken until now but I know my family is going to go crazy for this dish. Anything with liquid smoke and melted cheese is a winner in my house. Thanks for sharing!