Crockpot BBQ Chicken - Super, super easy! (and tasty!) With just a few minutes prep time you can come home to a nice home cooked meal of tangy Crock pot BBQ Chicken goodness. Shred it and serve over buns with this healthy coleslaw.
But that’s not all…there are so many things you can do with BBQ chicken! If you have a package of chicken (breasts or thighs) and a few pantry staples you can whip up this versatile Crockpot meal.
Ways to serve Crockpot BBQ Chicken:
- Pile on top of an artisan bun and top with Healthy Coleslaw ( recipe below)
- Serve in lettuce cups
- Add chopped celery and a touch of mayo and make a BBQ chicken salad
- Stuff into taco shells
- Roll up in a tortilla ( with healthy coleslaw)
- Add it to Enchiladas, tostadas or even Mac & Cheese
- Serve over crisp greens
- Make a healthy "bowl"- serve over brown rice with steamed broccoli ( or other veggies)
- ?? there are SO many ways to serve this tasty BBQ chicken. I'd love to hear how you decide to serve this easy, tasty crockpot meal.
The best part is the slow cooker does all the work (while you work or play). So many answers to the ever present “What’s for dinner?” dilemma.
No need to fire up the BBQ ...you can enjoy the tangy, lip smacking goodness of this BBQ Chicken year round.
Recipe Tip:
In an ultra hurry?...you can also substitute the BBQ sauce ingredients for a store bought bottle. Just make sure to read the list of ingredients- high fructose corn syrup (yuck!) is the first ingredient of many popular brands but if you read the labels you should be able to find one that is made with real ingredients.
So fire up the "Barbie"...crock pot style!
Crock pot BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
For the BBQ Chicken
- 2 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
- 1 can 16 oz. tomato sauce
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons honey or agave nectar
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder
- 1 teaspoons liquid smoke *
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 hamburger buns or artisan rolls
If you want to keep things ultra simple, you can use store bought BBQ sauce instead of preparing your own. You'll need the chicken + 1 ½-2 cups of prepared BBQ sauce.
For the Healthy Coleslaw
- ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons honey or agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon reduced fat mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ head green cabbage shredded
- ½ head red cabbage shredded
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into matchsticks (or use a julienne peeler)
Instructions
For the BBQ Chicken
- Combine all ingredients, except chicken, in the crockpot and mix thoroughly.Add chicken and spoon sauce over chicken to cover. (if using prepared BBQ sauce, place chicken in crockpot and over with BBQ sauce) .Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 6-7 hours.
- When chicken is cooked, transfer chicken to a bowl or plate (leaving BBQ sauce in the crockpot).
- Use two forks to shred the chicken. Return the chicken to the crockpot and let cook for another 5-10 min.
For the healthy coleslaw
- In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, vinegar, honey, mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Add cabbage and carrots and continue to mix . Set aside in the refrigerator.
Assembly
- Split buns or rolls in half. Spoon BBQ chicken mixture over the bottom half of bun or roll. Drizzle any extra BBQ sauce from crockpot and top with healthy coleslaw. Top with other half of bun/roll.
Notes
Nutrition
Looking for other Crockpot meal ideas? You might also like:
Elle
Thank you so much!!! You just made my Memorial Day BBQ work in an apartment kitchen with no stove...or grill!?
Susan
Yeah! Crockpot BBQ Chicken for the win! Hope you have a great Memorial Day!
Elle
Do you have nutrition information? Looks wonderful!
Susan
Hi Elle...I just updated the recipe with nutritional info. Hope you enjoy!
Mary
Made without liquid smoke but added extra smoky paprika and a squeeze of BBQ sauce. Worked a treat and a squeeze of lime made it even better!
Laura
What kind of canned tomato sauce is best for this recipe? Would canned tomato purée work or is tomato sauce better?
Can't wait to try this! Looks delicious!
Susan
Hi Laura...
You can really use any type of tomato sauce. I usually look for a brand that doesn't contain any extra sugar (but that's just personal preference). Muir Glen (organic), Whole Foods 365 or Hunts are some I buy regularly. Hope you enjoy!
Oana
My son saw this and asked me to make it so I suppose I have no choice right now. It looks incredible!
Susan
Thanks Oana- hope you both enjoy!
Thalia @ butter and brioche
Craving this burger right now - that barbecue chicken looks SO good and I just love the addition of liquid smoke.