Tender Slow-Cooked Chicken (Printable)

Slow-cooked, tender chicken shredded and coated in tangy barbecue sauce, ideal for main dishes or sandwiches.

# What You'll 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 needed)
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)

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the slow cooker base.
02 - Sprinkle the finely chopped onion and minced garlic over the chicken evenly.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, smoked paprika, black pepper, salt, and chili powder if using. Stir until uniform.
04 - Pour the prepared sauce mixture over the chicken and onions, ensuring thorough coverage.
05 - Cover and cook on low heat for 4 to 5 hours until chicken is tender and easily shredded with a fork.
06 - Remove the chicken from the cooker and shred thoroughly using two forks.
07 - Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker, stir to coat with sauce, and heat through for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
08 - Serve hot as a main dish or piled onto sandwich buns.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It requires barely any hands-on time and transforms simple chicken into something that tastes like you spent all day cooking.
  • The meat becomes so tender it falls apart with a fork, no knife required, which somehow makes eating it feel easier and more satisfying.
  • You can serve it three different ways—as a main with sides, stuffed into sandwiches, or even shredded over nachos—making it endlessly flexible for different moods and occasions.
02 -
  • Don't use chicken breast that's too thin or it'll shred to bits—look for breasts that are at least an inch and a half thick so they stay intact enough to pull apart intentionally.
  • If your sauce seems thin or watery halfway through cooking, leave the lid off for the last thirty minutes to let excess liquid evaporate and flavors concentrate.
  • Taste it before serving because every barbecue sauce has its own baseline saltiness and sweetness, and you might need to adjust seasoning to make it sing.
03 -
  • If you're cooking for a crowd, use a Dutch oven in the oven at 325°F for the same time instead of a slow cooker—it works just as well and looks more intentional when you bring it to the table.
  • The moment the chicken becomes shredable is the moment you stop cooking, not five minutes later, because overcooked chicken becomes mushy even if it's covered in sauce.
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