Crockpot BBQ Pulled Chicken
It's made with tender flavorful chicken thighs, a simple spice rub, and robust store-bought sauces to save time. This chicken makes for the ultimate BBQ chicken sandwiches and it's incredibly easy!
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt, then more to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated yellow onion
- 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce (recommend Bullseye original), divided
- 2 Tbsp steak sauce (recommend A1)
- 8 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Place chicken in 5 - 7 quart slow cooker (I use this one).
- In a small mixing bowl whisk together chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.
- Pour spice mixture over chicken and add grated onion. Toss well to evenly coat chicken with spices.
- Evenly pour 3/4 cup BBQ sauce over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low heat 4 - 6 hours until chicken shreds easily and registers 165 degrees in center.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board, reserve liquid from the slow cooker. Skim fat from the liquid and discard the fat.
- Shred chicken with two forks (I do it a little larger than I want it to end up because as you toss again in the next step it shreds up a bit on it's own).
- Return chicken to slow cooker. Heat remaining 3/4 cup BBQ sauce with 2 Tbsp steak sauce in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave until warm (about 1 - 2 minutes).
- Pour 3/4 cup of the reserved liquid and the BBQ sauce mixture over the chicken then toss to evenly coat. If you feel it needs a little more moisture you can add another splash of the reserved liquid (or more BBQ sauce), also season to taste with a little more salt if needed.
- Serve the pulled bbq chicken in hamburger buns (I also like to add coleslaw, with a little blue cheese mixed in sometimes too).