Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

Slow cooker pulled chicken with smoky bbq sauce and tender shreds you can pile high on a bun in 6 hours hands off. ♡

This easy slow cooker pulled chicken does the work while you do other stuff. Boneless thighs simmer in a tangy bbq base until they fall apart with a fork, then shred right in the pot and soak up every drop of the sauce. For more ideas, see our Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs.

Set it and forget it dinner that feeds the family or a backyard crowd. Let’s make it together.

Ingredients

Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

• 2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup bbq sauce, plus more for serving
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 8 brioche buns, for serving

How to Make Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

1. **Whisk.** Stir bbq sauce, broth, vinegar, brown sugar, dijon, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker insert.
2. **Layer.** Add chicken thighs and turn to coat in the sauce. Cover with the lid.
3. **Cook.** Set on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Do not lift the lid during cooking.
4. **Shred.** Use 2 forks to pull the chicken apart right in the pot. The shreds will drink up the sauce.
5. **Rest.** Leave the lid off for 10 minutes so the sauce thickens and clings to the chicken.
6. **Serve.** Pile onto toasted brioche buns with extra bbq sauce and pickles or slaw.

Why This Recipe Works

Boneless skinless chicken thighs are the only cut that should touch a slow cooker for pulling. Breasts dry out and turn stringy after 4 hours of moist heat, while thighs stay juicy thanks to their higher fat and connective tissue. That collagen melts into gelatin during the long cook, which is exactly what makes pulled chicken silky.

A layered bbq base does more than dump sauce in a pot. Apple cider vinegar tenderizes the meat from the inside, brown sugar caramelizes against the chicken in the slow cooker walls, and a spoon of dijon mustard emulsifies the fat that renders out so the sauce never breaks into greasy pools.

Shredding the chicken back into the pot and letting it sit 10 minutes uncovered is the difference between bland and craveable. The shreds drink up the cooking liquid like a sponge, and the open lid lets a little steam escape so the sauce thickens and coats every piece instead of pooling at the bottom. For more ideas, see our Crispy Honey Garlic Shrimp.

Tips

• Use boneless skinless chicken thighs not breasts for the juiciest shreds.
• Sear the thighs 2 minutes per side first if you want extra deep flavor (optional).
• Use a quality bbq sauce you actually like since it carries the dish.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
• Reheat with a splash of water or extra bbq sauce in a covered pan over low heat.
• Common mistake: do not lift the lid early. Every peek adds 20 minutes to the cook.

Variations

• Use buffalo sauce instead of bbq for buffalo pulled chicken.
• Stir in 1/2 cup pickle juice with the sauce for extra tang.
• Make a chipotle version with 2 chipotles in adobo blended into the sauce.
• Swap bbq for salsa verde and cumin for pulled chicken tacos.
• Add 1 sliced onion to the pot for sweet onion flavor in the sauce.
• Serve over baked potatoes instead of buns for a low carb dinner.

Looking for more recipes? Try our Sheet Pan Greek Lemon Chicken Potatoes or Italian Wedding Soup next.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using chicken breasts: Switch to thighs. Breasts get stringy and dry after a long slow cook.
• Adding too much liquid: 1 cup is plenty. The chicken releases its own juices and you do not want soup.
• Shredding outside the pot: Shred right in the slow cooker so the meat soaks up all the sauce.
• Cooking on high to save time: Low for 6 hours gives juicier shreds. High in 4 hours can dry the edges.

Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

Slow cooker pulled chicken with smoky bbq sauce and tender juicy shreds in 6 hours hands off. Easy crockpot dinner.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 320

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup bbq sauce plus more for serving
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar packed
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 8 brioche buns for serving

Method

 

1. **Whisk.** Stir bbq sauce, broth, vinegar, brown sugar, dijon, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker insert.
2. **Layer.** Add chicken thighs and turn to coat in the sauce. Cover with the lid.
3. **Cook.** Set on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Do not lift the lid during cooking.
4. **Shred.** Use 2 forks to pull the chicken apart right in the pot. The shreds will drink up the sauce.
5. **Rest.** Leave the lid off for 10 minutes so the sauce thickens and clings to the chicken.
6. **Serve.** Pile onto toasted brioche buns with extra bbq sauce and pickles or slaw.

Notes

Use boneless skinless chicken thighs not breasts for the juiciest shreds. Sear the thighs 2 minutes per side first if you want extra deep flavor (optional). Use a quality bbq sauce you actually like since it carries the dish.

Sources: USDA FoodData Central for nutrition data and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Nutrition Source.

FAQ

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