Pulled Chicken

This slow cooker bbq Pulled Chicken is a quick and easy weeknight meal the whole family will love. With just a few minutes of prep time, you can have dinner on the table in no time flat!

What’s the Difference Between Pulled Chicken and Shredded Chicken?

Both terms can be used interchangeably. Pulled chicken often implies that the chicken is barbecue in taste and flavor as in this recipe, whereas shredded chicken tends to be more simply seasoned. Shredded chicken is often used as an ingredient in casseroles, sliders, tacos, dips and burritos.

Ingredients to Make Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Recipe

This flavorful pulled chicken is smothered with a smokey homemade barbecue sauce that takes it to another level. You can enjoy this tender chicken on warm rolls, over rice or mashed potatoes, rolled up in warm tortillas or create BBQ chicken sliders for game day snacks. The uses are endless, and the simple prep will elevate this easy chicken recipe to one that you’re bound to make on repeat. Ingredients to make easy BBQ Pulled Chicken: (Scroll down for the full printable recipe card.)

• Chicken: 3-4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• Seasonings for the Chicken: Prepared barbecue seasoning i.e. Barbecue Magic or your favorite.
• Homemade BBQ Sauce: Two cups Ketchup, molasses, light brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, dark chili powder, seasoned salt, granulated garlic or garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes and liquid smoke.
• Thickener: One 5 ounce can of tomato paste.

How to Make the BEST Pulled Chicken Recipe

• Prep the Crockpot: Spray the liner of a 6-quart or similar slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
• Season the Chicken: Season the chicken thighs on all sides with barbecue seasoning. I used Barbecue Magic but you can use any bbq seasoning that you enjoy.
• Make the Sauce: Pour the ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, cider vinegar, liquid smoke and spices into the crockpot. Stir to combine.
• Coat the Chicken with the Sauce: Add the chicken to the sauce mixture, turning to coat. I use tongs to do this, to avoid piercing the chicken pieces with a fork.
• Cover and Cook: Lock the lid in place and cook on low or on high per the recipe. This depends solely on how much time you have to make it.
• Shred the Chicken Thighs: Uncover the chicken and use two forks to shred the chicken. Stir the pulled chicken into the sauce. Shredding the chicken will allow it to soak in all the flavors of the barbecue sauce.
• Serve: You can thicken the sauce at this point using tomato paste, or leave the sauce thinner, it’s completely up to you.

Tips for Making Pulled Chicken in a Slow Cooker

• Kitchen Tools You’ll Need: 6 quart slow cooker or similar size slow cooker, measuring cups, measuring spoons, whisk, spoons, platter, forks and tongs.
• Know How Your Appliance Performs: Crockpots are much like ovens in that they can vary wildly on how they cook depending on the age and size. Adapt the cooking times based on how your slow cooker performs.
• Thickening the Sauce is Optional: Sauce Thickening Tip: To thicken the sauce, turn the slow cooker to high. Stir in tomato paste 1 tablespoon at a time repeating until the sauce is thickened to your taste. The pulled chicken pictured, I used around 2/3 of the 5 ounce can of tomato paste. This can vary depending on your taste, or the amount of cooking liquid released by the chicken while cooking.
• Side Dishes to Serve with Pulled Chicken: Serve this pulled chicken with a side of coleslaw, Mexican street corn salad, Southern potato salad, macaroni and cheese or french fries.
• How to Serve BBQ Pulled Chicken: Serve on warm hamburger buns as chicken sandwiches, slider rolls, as chicken tacos, chicken salad over mixed greens, chicken burritos or create your own chicken bowl serving it over rice with your favorite toppings.

Recipe Variations:

• Protein: You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts in place of chicken thighs.
• Brown Sugar: You can adjust the sweetness of the barbecue sauce to your personal taste.
• Shortcut: You could make this chicken using your favorite barbecue sauce. You may still need to thicken the sauce at the end of cooking as the chicken will release liquid while slow cooking.
• Liquid Smoke: You can use hickory liquid smoke, mesquite liquid smoke, applewood smoke or any flavor that you enjoy. If you don’t care for liquid smoke, you can omit it altogether.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers: Store leftover bbq pulled chicken in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheating: Reheat gently in the microwave in single servings or in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat.
• Freezer: You can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat just before serving.

More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes to Make

• Crockpot Chili for game day and casual dining.
• My Crockpot Chicken and Rice is a one dish meal.
• Homemade Crockpot Barbecue Pork and Beans are a game changer.
• Cheesy Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese is a lifesaver on busy oven days.
• Crockpot Pulled Chicken Tacos make an easy homemade fiesta.
• Crockpot Chicken and Dressing is comfort food made easy.
• Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork is a classic!
• Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew from The Magical Slow Cooker.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Slow Cooker
• Kitchen Utensils
• Knives and Chopping Board
• Measuring Set

Print

Pulled Chicken (BBQ Chicken Recipe)

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword pulled-chicken, slow-cooker-bbq-chicken, slow-cooker-pulled-chicken

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 227kcal

Ingredients

• 3-4 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 1/2 Tbsp barbecue seasoning i.e. Barbecue Magic or your favorite
• 1 16 oz bottle ketchup (2 cups)
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp dark chili powder
• 2 tsp seasoned salt
• 2 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
• 1-2 tsp liquid smoke adjust to taste
• 1 5 oz can tomato paste

Instructions

• Spray the liner of a 6-quart or similar slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
• Season the chicken thighs with 1 1/2 Tbsp barbecue seasoning.
• To the crockpot add ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, cider vinegar, remaining bbq seasoning, chili powder, seasoned salt, garlic, onion powder, paprika and black pepper and liquid smoke. Stir or whisk to combine.
• Add the chicken to the sauce, turn to coat. Lock the lid in place and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
• Uncover and shred the chicken using two forks. Stir the pulled chicken into the sauce.
• Serve on warm rolls.
• Sauce Thickening Tip (Optional): To thicken the sauce, turn the slow cooker to high. Stir in tomato paste 1 Tbsp at a time repeating until the sauce is thickened to your taste. The pulled chicken pictured, I used around 2/3 of the can. This can vary depending on your taste, or the amount of cooking liquid released by the chicken while cooking.

Notes

• Chicken: You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts in place of chicken thighs.
• Brown Sugar: You can adjust the sweetness of the barbecue sauce to your personal taste.
• Shortcut: You could make this chicken using your favorite barbecue sauce. You may still need to thicken the sauce at the end of cooking as the chicken will release liquid while slow cooking.
• Liquid Smoke: You can use hickory liquid smoke, mesquite liquid smoke, applewood smoke or any flavor that you enjoy. If you don’t care for liquid smoke, you can omit it altogether.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 517mg | Potassium: 553mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 489IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3mg

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