Tender BBQ Pulled Chicken (Printable)

Slow-cooked, shredded chicken breast in tangy barbecue sauce, perfect for hearty main dishes or sandwiches.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 3.3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

→ Sauce & Seasoning

02 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce (gluten-free if necessary)
05 - 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
06 - 1 tbsp brown sugar
07 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
08 - 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
09 - 1/2 tsp salt
10 - 1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)

# How-To:

01 - Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker insert.
02 - Scatter chopped onion and minced garlic evenly over the chicken.
03 - Combine barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, smoked paprika, pepper, salt, and chili powder in a bowl. Stir until well blended.
04 - Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and onions, ensuring thorough coverage.
05 - Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours until chicken is tender and shreds easily.
06 - Remove chicken and shred it using two forks.
07 - Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker, stir to evenly coat with sauce, and heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
08 - Serve hot as a main course or piled onto sandwich buns.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Minimal prep work means you can get dinner started in about ten minutes, then forget about it while life happens.
  • The chicken comes out so impossibly tender it shreds with barely any effort, which feels like cheating in the best way.
  • One slow cooker, one meal, barely any cleanup—it's the kind of recipe that makes you feel smarter than you actually are.
02 -
  • Don't skip the shredding step and just leave the chicken in chunks—the shreds absorb the sauce in a way whole pieces never will, and it makes all the difference between good and unforgettable.
  • Taste the sauce before you cook and adjust the vinegar or sugar to your preference; every barbecue sauce is different, and you might need to balance yours slightly differently than the recipe suggests.
03 -
  • If you're in a hurry, this actually works fine on high for two to three hours, though the texture won't be quite as melt-in-your-mouth tender as the low-and-slow method.
  • Make this the night before and reheat it gently the next day—the chicken will have absorbed even more sauce, and you'll have one less thing to worry about when guests arrive.
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