Staaahhhppp I’m in love.
So obsessed with this chicken. This is seriously the EASIEST recipe ever, yet it yields probably the most flavorful and moist chicken I have ever eaten in my life. Again…I’m obsessed.
You know how sometimes when you cook just meat (rather than soups/stews/etc…) in a Crock-Pot, it turns out pretty dry? Tender, yes – but also dry! It makes me sad when this happens. I was concerned that would be the result of this chicken but hoped that transferring it back into the sauce after shredding would fix this potential issue.
Ohhhhhhhhh MY GOSH, it is not dry at all. It is moist and succulent and flavorful and perfect and everything that equals happiness in life. This BBQ Chicken = my world. I am shameless in my obsession. JUDGE ME, I DON’T CARE. Just kidding…but really.
Oh…don’t mind me. I am just drooling on my keyboard over here.
I am actually very surprised how BOMB this recipe turned out to be. I mean, I thought it would be tasty because…well, BBQ sauce. It’s just good. But I never expected it to be so amazing. This is seriously one of my favorite things I have ever posted on The Garlic Diaries.
Okay so let’s talk about what makes this chicken so painfully delicious.
- The sauce. You start with a base of BBQ sauce and amp it up a little. I always use Sweet Baby Rays as my BBQ sauce…it is so, so, so good. I’m not even sure I could make a better homemade version. Start with a good base BBQ sauce and you are setting yourself up for deliciousness.
- The sauce-y add ins. Brown sugar. Apple cider vinegar. Onion powder. So simple right? Simple, yes, but absolutely mouthwatering. Whisk these three extra goodies into your base BBQ sauce before letting everything cook away for several hours.
- The chicken. If you think your BBQ sauce is good before, just wait until it cooks together with the chicken for four hours in the Crock-Pot. So much flavor development going on here…so…much…flavor…development.
So after four hours of sauce-y, simmer-y, BBQ-y, chicken-y goodness, you pull your chicken breasts out, shred the meat, and stir everything back together in the Crock-Pot.
And then take a bite and go cry in the corner because you are overwhelmed with emotion from the flavor explosion that just assaulted your taste buds.
I’m telling you guys…it doesn’t get any better than this chicken. It just doesn’t. If you are one of those families that buys a lot of chicken (because hellooooo…SUPA cheap) but is so sick of doing the same thing over and over again, this is the ultimate recipe for you. Super, SUPER easy, and absolutely mouthwateringly delicious.
There are many things you can do with the finished chicken:
- Eat it totally plain with a side (veggies? Salad? Whatevs). This is probably my personal fave just because I am so obsessed with the chicken – I don’t want any other flavors or textures taking away from its awesomeness.
- On a salad.
- On a sandwich (second fave. Toasted potato bun [doesn’t have to be potato…but yum], coleslaw, chicken…YAS).
- In a wrap
- In a quesadilla (kind of like this!!!)
- With your fingers straight from the tupperware in your fridge (um…yeah. That happened).
Me + this chicken = ❤️ 4eva.
PrintEasy Crock Pot BBQ Chicken
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken breasts
- 3 cups BBQ sauce (I highly recommend Sweet Baby Ray’s)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- In a Crock-Pot, whisk together the BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and onion powder
- Add the chicken breasts, and toss/flip until all the chicken breasts are liberally coated in BBQ sauce
- Turn the Crock-Pot on low and cook for 4 hours
- When the 4 hours are up, remove the chicken breasts from the Crock-Pot and shred using 2 forks
- Add the meat back into the BBQ sauce in the Crock-Pot and stir until the chicken is all evenly coated
*This recipe is gluten free*
If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries!
In the mood for more yummy BBQ recipes? Check these out:
I stumbled across this thanks to the wonderful internet. Made this last night and my husband RAVED about how good it was. Thank you!
Yay! So glad you guys liked it!!! Thanks for the comment :).
Can u use pork
Pork would probably work just fine, yeah!
When I have made this in the past it has come out very liquidity. Can I cook the chicken first then pour off some of the juices and add the BB?
Even once you’ve shredded the chicken and stirred it back in with the sauce it’s liquidy? Are you using a thinner BBQ sauce or are you using one of the traditional thick ones (like Sweet Baby Rays)? I’m not sure why it’s turning out liquidy for you – sorry about that! I would say still cook it all together like the recipe says because as the chicken cooks together with all that sauce, it imparts a lot of that flavor into the meat. Maybe cook it all together and if it’s liquidy, drain some of the liquid out post cooking and add more bbq sauce if more flavor is needed? That would be my best guess!
Thanks for the delicious and easy recipe! It was a big hit at our Fourth of July celebration. My friend taught me to use my stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to shred cooked chicken breasts. It’s so simple and fast! Definitely worked for this dish!
Ohhh good tip! I will absolutely try that next time. The “shred with two forks” step can be a bit tedious! I’m so glad you loved this recipe, Whitney!
This is is absolutely delicious. Can it be frozen?
★★★★★
This was scrumptious. Is it ok to freeze?
★★★★★
Hey Ruth! I think it would probably be okay to freeze! It may dry out a little bit, but you could add more BBQ sauce if that happens!
Can I use chopped onions instead of onion powder?
You could try that! I think it would change the flavor and texture a bit, but it might be just as yummy! Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Should this be 4 hours on high? Low doesn’t seem like it would cook 4lbs of meat.
4 hours on low cooks this perfectly! If that sketches you out a little bit, you can totally extend the cook time on low or switch it to 4 hours on high. Crock pots are super flexible!
I have a question i have a small family, so 4 lbs of chicken is way to much. With using 2 lbs would i just cut all the ingredients in half?
Yeah I think that would work! If you want it extra saucy you could keep the rest of the ingredients the same :).
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I made it for my boyfriend who is a very picky eater! It was a huge hit! And super easy for my first time slow cooking.
★★★★★
Yay! So glad it turned out well for you, Nicole, and that your boyfriend loved it :). That’s always good!
Can you use chicken thighs in this recipe?
You totally can! Make sure they are boneless and skinless, and just use the same weight amount (4 pounds).
Hi! Is the chicken frozen when put in crock pot?
Good question! No, it should be thawed chicken.
I love the simplicity of this chicken and I bet it’s fab! My mouth is watering!
Keri @ Fashionable Foods recently posted…Healthy Super Bowl Snacks
Thanks, Keri! You would love it :).
Crock pot chicken is just the best! I love how easily is shreds up. And it’s so versatile for using in all kinds of meals. Love this BBQ version! I wanna dive into your crock pot face first. :)
I totally agree! It’s wonderful :).
When we ate meat, we used to make a big batch of this up once a week, and add it to meals throughout the week. It saved us so much time.
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Awesome idea! It’s just the best :).