Fuss-free slow cooker hunters chicken! A British pub classic which you can easily make at home.
Plump chicken breasts are wrapped in streaky bacon and slow-cooked in a pepped-up store-bought barbecue sauce. The chicken is then transferred to an oven-proof dish, topped with grated cheese, and popped under the grill until the cheese is melted and gooey.
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This hunter's chicken is such a simple slow cooker recipe and a real crowd-pleaser too.
After all, who doesn't love a chicken, bacon, bbq sauce, and cheese combo! It's one of the most requested meals in our house.
👩🍳 If you love your slow cooker as much as I do, you might want to check out my slow cooker chicken fajitas too!
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- An easy slow cooker meal.
- A delicious family favourite.
- Freezer-friendly.
- Perfect with roast or mashed potatoes, rice, or salad.
🥘 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.
🔪 How to make Hunters Chicken in slow cooker
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
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 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
- If you don't have liquid smoke, use 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika instead.
- 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
The slow cooker hunters chicken is perfect 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.
📖 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 hunter's 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.
🥡 Storage
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 48 hours and reheated in the microwave until piping hot.
Alternatively, the hunter's chicken can be frozen for up to 3 months. Place the chicken in a freezer-safe container and pop it in your freezer. Defrost thoroughly in the fridge before reheating in the microwave.
❓ FAQs
Slow Cooker Hunters Chicken tastes best when served fresh. However, you could wrap the bacon around the chicken and store it in the fridge until needed. You could also mix together the BBQ sauce ingredients ahead of time.
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.
😋Related recipes
More delicious chicken dinners to enjoy!
- Creamy Paprika Chicken Pasta
- Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
- Creme Fraiche Chicken
- Garlic Butter Chicken
- Chicken Stroganoff
- Creamy Cider Chicken
- Slow Cooker Diet Coke Chicken
🍽️ More family-friendly recipes
Love your slow cooker? Check out these delicious 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
- If you don't have liquid smoke, use 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika instead.
- 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 180C/160Fan/350F/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.
- 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 hunter's 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 chili flakes to the BBQ sauce.
Emily Flint
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!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
This was amazing and such a treat! Thank you!
Angela
I love the pepped up BBQ sauce. This recipe is easy to make and a true crowd pleaser!
Petro
I love, love cooking in the slow cooker, can't wait to give these a try! Looks incredible!
Marie-Charlotte Chatelain
LOVE this! This is like the British answer to Chicken Cacciatore! I'll try it this week
Karen
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
Janice
I love a slow cooker recipe and this looks just perfect!
Corina Blum
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!
Kate
Aren't slow-cookers amazing? Such an easy and delicious dinner.
Cat | Curly's Cooking
This is one of my husband's favourite meals, but I haven't thought to do it in the slow cooker. Great idea - thanks!
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
LOVE hunter's chicken! Such fab flavours 😀
Carole
Hi there. We love hunters chicken and wondered if I could make this using my homemade BBQ sauce?
Thanks 😊
Beth Sachs
Hi Carole, yes you can use homemade bbq sauce in this recipe. Enjoy!