Crockpot BBQ Chicken is flavor packed, fall apart tender, and melt in your mouth good!  Everyone loves this quick and easy to make weeknight dinner recipe!

crockpot bbq chicken

Crockpot BBQ Chicken:

This is one of my family’s favorite crockpot dinners!  I love it because it’s perfect for a small group, or it can be doubled to take to potlucks in the summer.  It’s a delicious recipe that works well year round.  We have this one at least twice per month!  If you have made my Pulled Pork, you’re really going to love this chicken because it’s modeled after that recipe.  I’ve perfected my blend of seasonings and spices over the years to be perfect for any meat!  You won’t find a more juicy and flavor packed crockpot chicken than this one.  I have tried over the years just cooking my chicken in the bbq sauce, but it really has better flavor to slow cook in a seasoning blend then add your fave bbq sauce when it’s done!

What Goes Into BBQ Chicken?

I tend to always use boneless skinless chicken breasts here, but thighs work great too!  You could honestly use bone-in (skinless) chicken and just get rid of the bones when you shred your meat!  For the liquid mixture we use broth, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and a bit of liquid smoke.  Don’t be intimidated by the liquid smoke, it’s easy to find at any store and is a great flavor addition here!  Our seasonings are a simple mix of brown sugar, onion powder, garlic, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, cumin and a pinch of cinnamon.  Don’t skip the cinnamon, it’s so good!  It’s optional, but you can add the dry rub to the chicken and refrigerate over night before adding to the slow cooker.  It just allows the seasonings to sink in more, but it’s good either way!  NOTE:  Your chicken will have more liquid than you see in the photo below.  I had drained the excess liquid from the slow cooker before taking my pictures.

bbq chicken in the crockpot

What Goes With BBQ Chicken:

  • You can serve this with your favorite sauce and rolls!  We really love the Hawaiian style buns with this!  I do love homemade BBQ Sauce but if not using homemade Sweet Baby Ray’s is the best!  It’s good with a simple coleslaw, dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, pickled jalapeno’s and even some melted cheese!
  • I also really love serving this chicken in tacos!  You can use whatever burrito shells/wraps that you like.  It is really, really good with a side of Mango Salsa or Pineapple Salsa to put on top.  Trust me it’s the perfect combo!
  • You can make this into cheesy quesadillas, your favorite wraps with whatever veggies and cheeses you love, or throw some over rice!  I like to have leftovers for lunch on a salad, sometimes with Black Bean Salsa!
  • Some of our favorite sides to serve with bbq chicken are the very best homemade Baked Beans, a simple but amazing Potato Salad, or a classic Macaroni Salad is great too.

crockpot bbq chicken on a bun

Enjoy!

~Nichole

5 from 11 votes

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

Crockpot BBQ Chicken is flavor packed, fall apart tender, and melt in your mouth good!  Everyone loves this quick and easy to make weeknight dinner recipe!
 
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 8 hours
Total 8 hours 10 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Add the chicken broth, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke to the bottom of a 6 quart or larger slow cooker and whisk to combine.
  • Lay the chicken breasts out on a large cutting board.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, cumin, and cinnamon.
  • Season the chicken well, rubbing the seasoning into the meat on all sides.
  • Place the chicken into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours until tender.
  • Shred the chicken and serve in rolls for sandwiches, or tortillas for tacos with your favorite toppings.

Notes

NOTE:  Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.  You can freeze this cooked/shredded chicken for up to three months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cup, Calories: 244kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 121mg, Sodium: 773mg, Potassium: 795mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 391IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
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Hey! Nice to meet you! I'm Nichole!

Welcome to The Salty Marshmallow! I'm a mom, animal lover, photographer, & kitchen mess-maker. Here you will find the result of my decades-long passion for chasing the best flavors in the kitchen, all meant to be cooked by regular people with busy lives just like you and me.

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11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Easy to make and tastes great! I was out of Worcestershire sauce so I substituted with soy sauce and it turned out great. The whole family enjoyed so I printed out the recipe for future use. Thanks!’

  2. 5 stars
    Really good! I halved the broth and used thighs instead of breasts. Also chickened out and didn’t use the cinnamon. I will definitely use it next time.

  3. Can you use frozen chicken? I’m using the slow cooker function on my instant pot. Thanks! My wife and I love your recipes!

  4. 5 stars
    I don’t have a BBQ so I love this recipe! I’ll be making it over and over again I’m sure, because I just love BBQ chicken! Adding liquid smoke is genius!

  5. 5 stars
    Yummy! This is definitely on our dinner list for the week. Can’t wait to try this BBQ chicken. Looks so tasty and very delicious. My family and I are going to devour this!

  6. 5 stars
    I love using my crockpot in the summer so I don’t have to heat up my oven! This is a great recipe for a hands off BBQ!

  7. 5 stars
    I love that this is full-on party food BUT quick and easy enough to make on a weeknight evening. SO many gorgeous flavours – love it!