Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Name: Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lbs of Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts; 18 oz BBQ Sauce (any kind, I use G. Hughes Hickory BBQ Sauce); 10 oz of Frozen Chopped Bell Peppers; 1 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder; 1 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder; 1 Tsp Black Pepper; 1/2 TB Dried Parsley

Published: Nov 22, 2014 · Modified: Aug 8, 2023 by Rebecca Pytell · This post may contain affiliate links.

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This easy Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken recipe is just 2 ingredients! Grab your favorite bottle of bbq sauce and chicken breasts for a crowd-pleasing dump-and-go dinner. Customize this sweet and smokey Crockpot chicken with seasonings and veggies or shred it for pulled bbq chicken sandwiches! It's gluten-free, keto, paleo, allergy-free, and perfectly kid-friendly! Great to meal prep and freezer-friendly!

Who doesn't love delicious, fall-apart tender, and juicy bbq chicken? Who also doesn't love a beyond-easy dump-and-go recipe? For those busy weeks when there's no time to cook dinner or when you just want to make one dish you know the entire family (even the kids) will love to eat, there's this succulent barbecue chicken! Just grab your slow cooker, favorite bbq sauce, and skinless boneless chicken breasts, dump it all, come back a few hours later and dinner is served!

Why You'll Love This Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Yes, you really only need two ingredients, beyond that, it's up to you for any customizations! Add some veggies, extra seasonings, or whatever you want. This recipe is fit for any dietary need and is guaranteed to be a hit with adults, kids, and everyone in the family! This Crockpot bbq chicken recipe is:

Gluten-Free
Paleo & Grain-Free
Keto & Low-Carb
Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
Sugar-Free & Oil-Free
Kid-Friendly
Quick Prep & Easy
2 Ingredients & Budget-Friendly
Make-Ahead, Meal Prep, & Freezer-Friendly
Healthy Dinner or Lunch Idea, Great For Batch Cooking

Ingredients For Crockpot BBQ Chicken

Chicken Breasts: Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are what I use for this recipe. You can also use chicken tenders or skinless boneless thighs if that is your preference.
BBQ Sauce: You can use homemade bbq sauce or your favorite store-bought. My original recipe when this post was published in 2014 used G.Hughes sugar-free bbq sauce making this recipe low-carb and keto-friendly.

Customize Your BBQ Chicken

Bell Peppers: My original recipe uses a bag of frozen bell pepper strips! No chopping or slicing, just open the bag and dump in the peppers along with the bbq sauce and chicken.
Onions: You can slice up some yellow, Vidalia, or frozen onion to add to your slow-cooked chicken.
Other Veggies: Canned or frozen corn, tomatoes, or okra would be delicious!
Beans: Add a can of black beans or pinto beans for a great pulled chicken taco filling!
Seasonings: The original recipe calls for some garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and dried parsley. You can also use some dried oregano, chili powder, chipotle powder, or any other dried herb or spice you'd like to include.

What's The Best Gluten-Free BBQ Sauce For Chicken?

There's a multitude of options for the best barbecue sauce! It all depends on what flavor you're feeling. Smokey, sweet, spicy, or homemade, the choice is yours!

Best Smoky: Noble Made makes a great gluten-free smoky bbq sauce, it's keto and vegan!
Best Sweet: Stubb's Sticky Sweet BBQ Sauce is gluten-free and full of deep rich molasses flavor.
Best Spicy: Head Country makes a ton of fantastic gluten-free sauces, but their Hot & Spicy is perfect when you want an extra kick.
Best Golden: If you want the tanginess of a mustard bbq sauce, Primal Kitchen makes a spicy golden bbq sauce you'll love!
Best Homemade: I may be biased but, my homemade bbq sauce is beyond easy to make and o so fresh!
Best Sugar-Free: If you want the best bottled sugar-free bbq sauce, G. Hughes is the best option and the one used in this recipe. The Hickory Flavored bbq sauce is the BEST for chicken!

How To Slow Cook BBQ Chicken

Add the raw chicken to the slow cooker or Crockpot.
Dump in the bottle of bbq sauce over the chicken. Add in any extra veggies or seasonings as well.
Cover the slow cooker and set it to low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
Uncover the chicken and serve whole or use two forks to shred the chicken in the sauce before serving.

What To Serve With BBQ Chicken

This simple bbq chicken works as a fantastic weeknight entree served as whole chicken breasts or shredded and pulled bbq chicken for a healthy protein option in bowls, salads, tacos, or sandwiches. Serve it at summer potlucks, tailgating parties, or make it your new meal prep lunch staple! Some delicious side dishes that would go great with this chicken are:

How To Store & Freeze

Storage: You can store leftovers or meal-prepped batches of bbq chicken, once cooled, shredding the chicken cools it quicker, in the fridge in a closed container for 4-5 days.
Freezing: To freeze leftovers, allow the chicken to cool, shredding it helps cool it quicker, and store it in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 4-5 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. If you want to freeze the chicken before cooking, you can add the raw chicken breasts and a bottle of bbq sauce, along with any other additions to a bag and freeze. When ready to use allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before adding it to your slow cooker.
Reheating: You can reheat leftovers in the microwave until warmed through, sauteed in a pan on the stove, or warmed in the oven at 350°F in a baking dish until the chicken reaches 165°F.

More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipe: