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Sweet Baby Ray's Crockpot Chicken

Sweet Baby Ray's crockpot chicken delivers pull-apart tender shredded chicken soaked in thick, smoky BBQ sauce with a lightly caramelized, dark glaze. Slow-cooked low-and-slow for an easy set-and-forget BBQ crockpot chicken dinner that’s glossy in every shred.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and seasoning
  • 2.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
BBQ sauce mixture
  • 1 bottle (18 oz) Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Serving
  • 1 brioche buns and coleslaw for serving

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Season and mix
  1. Season the boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. The surface should look evenly speckled with the spices.
  2. In a bowl, mix Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Stir until the brown sugar dissolves and the sauce looks uniform and glossy.
Slow cook
  1. Place the seasoned chicken in the slow cooker and pour the BBQ sauce mixture over the top. Make sure the chicken is largely submerged in sauce.
  2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours (or HIGH for 3-4 hours) until the chicken is completely tender. Visual cue: the sauce should darken and lightly caramelize around the edges.
Shred and serve
  1. Shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker using two forks, then stir it into the sauce. Each shred should glisten and turn evenly coated in the thick BBQ glaze.
  2. Serve the shredded BBQ chicken on brioche buns with coleslaw and extra BBQ sauce. Visual cue: add a final drizzle so the top layers look glossy.

Notes

Pro tip: for extra glossy sauce, keep the lid on while cooking and only shred at the end so the glaze thickens in the slow cooker. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; reheat in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of BBQ sauce or water. Freezing is yes—freeze shredded chicken and sauce for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until hot. For a lower-sugar option, use a reduced-sugar BBQ sauce and reduce the brown sugar to 1 tbsp.