Quick and Easy Pulled Chicken (Crock Pot)

Quick and Easy Pulled Chicken (Crock Pot) recipe is super easy and tasty! Makes the perfect weeknight dinner meal and is kid-friendly.This easy pulled BBQ chicken can be served on hamburger buns or lettuce leaves and top with some delicious homemade (or store-bought) coleslaw.

Yum. This recipe is low carb and keto-friendly too! Perfect if you have a variety of dietary needs in your house. 

Recipe Video

Why You Will Love This Pulled BBQ Chicken

Perfect For Everyone 

This pulled BBQ chicken recipe is perfect of you have a family with different dietary needs in your house. Serve on lettuce leaves for the low-carb and keto followers (using sugar-free BBQ sauce) and regular buns for the others. 

Best Pulled BBQ Chicken Recipe

I'm not partial or anything, but my family LOVES this recipe. If my family loves it - I think it's the BEST! 🙂 This recipe has gotten a lot of positive feedback over the years and I wanted to share with you! My favorite way to make this is with chicken thighs. They add such good moisture and depth to this recipe.

Easy Slow Cooker Recipe

Who doesn't love a dump and go recipe? When I used to work full time outside the house I would literally make this before running out the door in the morning - super easy. I loved coming home to a finished recipe in the evening. Such a lifesaver when you and your family are busy. 

Can Easily Serve A Crowd

Need an easy recipe that serves a crowd. This is perfect. Simply double or triple the recipe and voila - food for a crowd. 

Low Carb and Keto Slow Cooker Chicken 

Both my husband and I are low carb followers, but our kids are not. To accommodate everyone I came up with my own sugar-free BBQ sauce recipe that everyone in my house loved.  I then serve this with buns for the kids and lettuce leaves for my husband and I. 

Other favorite low carb/keto BBQ sauce brands that you might like:

• Primal Kitchen Classic BBQ Sauce (unsweetened). This sauce is on the spicy side and is unsweetened. Unfortunately, when I last checked Amazon it was almost $10 a bottle. You may be able to get it from Thrive Market or your grocery store for cheaper!
• G Hughes Sugar Free BBQ Sauce (Original Flavor) 18 oz bottle

6.7 g fat | 5.4 g net carbs | 10 g protein

Ingredients and Tools

Here are the ingredients and tools you'll need to make pulled chicken in your crockpot:

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion, chopped finely
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (8 oz) bottle of BBQ sauce OR 1 recipe of our homemade BBQ sauce (you can make this ahead of time! :-))
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional: 1 tsp hot sauce if you want some spice!

Tools

• crockpot
• nonstick spray
• cutting board
• chef's knife
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• mixing spoon
• 2 forks or shredders

What To Serve With This Recipe

• Serve pulled chicken on hamburger buns or toasted garlic bread.
• Low carb/keto serve on lettuce leaves or a basic chaffle. The chaffle idea is AMAZING!! Here's our recipe: 20+ Best Chaffles To Make (Keto Waffle Recipes) 
• Top with coleslaw - here is our recipe (you will LOVE): Dill Pickle Slaw
• If you don't like coleslaw try our easy Overnight Layered Salad. You can make this ahead of time and eat on it over a few days at a time. It's also literally the perfect salad to serve a crowd. It's one of our most popular recipes on the blog!

How To Make

Spray crockpot with nonstick spray. Add onions, chicken, garlic, 1/2 of the bottle of BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, and liquid smoke to the slow cooker (#1 & #2).

Cover, cook on Low 4 to 6 hours or until chicken easily shreds (#3). Remove chicken from the crock.

In a separate bowl shred, then add some of the juices from the slow cooker, remaining BBQ sauce, and hot sauce if desired. Mix all together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (#4). Mix with sauce.

Common Questions 

Can you overcook chicken in a crock pot?

Yes, you can overcook chicken in a crock pot. If it is cooked too long it will become dry and tough, instead of tender. Chicken breasts will dry out faster that chicken thighs due to the higher fat content in the thighs. 

How do you cook chicken so it falls apart?

Cooking chicken until if falls apart means that you can easily pull it apart with a fork. Boneless chicken can will usually fall apart easily after 4 to 6 hours depending upon the thickness of the chicken and the type (chicken breast or thigh). Bone-in chicken will take a little longer. 

What Goes With Shredded BBQ Chicken?

Lot's of things go with shredded BBQ chicken! My favorite thing is to serve the shredded BBQ chicken on a hamburger bun, then top with coleslaw and serve a side of baked beans. 

How do I keep chicken from drying out in the crockpot?

The best way to keep chicken from drying out in the crockpot is to not overcook it. Chicken will typically cook in 4 to 6 hours depending upon the type of chicken and whether it is boneless or bone-in. The safe internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees. 

Is 4 hours on high the same as 8 hours on low?

Yes and no. 4 hours on high is usually the same as 8 hours on low, but not always. Tthere are a lot of factors - the power of the crockpot, how full the crockpot is, if the meat is boneless or bone-in, how large the pieces of meat are, etc. 

Can you put raw chicken in slow cooker?

Yes, you can put raw meat in the slow cooker. Slow cookers are intended to cook meat from raw. Follow the recipe instructions for temperature setting and ingredients.

How long should you cook chicken in the crockpot?

Chicken is usually cooked in a crockpot for 4 to 6 hours and should reach a temperature of 165 degrees.  While many recipes state an 8 hour cooking time, I always start to checking once an hour starting at 4 hours. Chicken should be cooked to a temperature of 

USDA Minimum Internal Temperature Chart 

Does meat need to be submerged in slow cooker?

Your meat does not need to be submerged in a slow cooker. The coils of the slow cooker maintain a steady heat and the juices are released from the meat itself, and juices from condensation will build within the crockpot keeping the meat moist. 

Should you flip chicken in slow cooker?

You do not need to flip chicken in slow cooker. It is best to leave the lid on and only remove if you need to add an ingredient per recipe instruction, or to check the doneness of your meat. 

Do you put water in bottom of slow cooker?

You do not need to put water in the bottom of a slow cooker. The juices are released from the meat itself, and juices from condensation will build within the crockpot keeping the meat moist. 

Related Recipes

• Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork (Instant Pot BBQ Pork)
• Easy Slow Cooker Pork Butt Roast (Low Carb Pork Roast)
• Green Enchiladas Chicken Soup (Keto Slow Cooker Mexican Soup)
• Italian Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs (Low Carb and Keto Slow Cooker Chicken)
• Juicy Turkey Recipe (Homemade Shake and Bake Seasoning Turkey – Keto)
• Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff (Low Carb Keto Beef Stroganoff)

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