Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

These Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches are made in the crockpot, shredded, tossed with BBQ sauce, and served on toasted buns with coleslaw!

These Crockpot BBQ Chicken Sandwiches make a great easy weeknight meal or can be served during the summer at a potluck. They're piled high with shredded chicken, crunchy coleslaw, and pickled jalapenos.

There's no way around it - BBQ chicken sandwiches are delicious. They're tangy, smoky, slightly sweet, super messy bundles of joy. This version is prepared in the slow cooker, making it a super easy recipe.

The slow cooker (or crockpot as we call it in Minnesota) is a wonderful cooking appliance that helps us get through the hot and humid summer months by allowing us not to turn on the oven.

Whoever invented the slow cooker is a genius. You can create fantastic meals that make your house smell amazing with seriously minimal effort. That is certainly the case with these sandwiches.

They're made with bone-in chicken breasts that are slow cooked with a blend of savory spices, shredded, and tossed with your favorite BBQ sauce. You can serve the BBQ chicken any way you like, but I love it served on toasted buns loaded with slaw.

Jump to:

• Which Chicken Is Best For BBQ Chicken Sandwiches?
• How Long Does It Take To Make Slow Cooker Chicken?
• Ingredients For Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
• How To Make Slow Cooker Chicken
• How To Shred The Chicken
• Which BBQ Sauce Is Best?
• How To Make Coleslaw
• What To Serve With BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
• How Long Does BBQ Chicken Last In The Fridge?
• Can The Chicken Be Frozen?
• Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Which Chicken Is Best For BBQ Chicken Sandwiches?

You can use either bone-in or boneless, skinless chicken breasts to make these Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches.

I prefer to use bone-in (also known as split) chicken breasts when using the slow cooker because they are meatier, more flavorful, and cheaper than boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

They are also more likely to stay moist and juicy and less likely to overcook and dry out than the boneless variety.

Split chicken breasts simply refer to a cut of chicken breast that includes part of the rib bones and the skin.

When making bone-in or split chicken breasts in the slow cooker, it's important to remove the skin first and then removing all of the bones after the chicken is cooked and before serving.

How Long Does It Take To Make Slow Cooker Chicken?

It takes 3-4 hours to cook chicken on High in the slow cooker and 5-7 hours to cook on Low. Cooking times may vary depending on the slow cooker and the type of chicken used.

It's important that the chicken is fully cooked through before serving. The safe internal temperature for chicken is 165 degrees Fahrenheit and can be checked using a food thermometer if needed.

Just as it's important not to undercook the chicken, it's also important not to overcook it. Overcooked chicken can be dry, stringy, and rubbery. To prevent overcooking the chicken, it can help to set the slow cooker to Low.

Using the Low setting can help the chicken to cook more evenly and prevent it from drying out. This is especially true if using boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Of course, you can cook the chicken on High if needed.

Ingredients For Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Here's what you'll need to make them.

• 3 lbs. Split Chicken Breasts (also known as bone-in chicken breasts)
• ¼ cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 2 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
• ¾ tsp. each Kosher Salt and Pepper (split)
• 1 ¼ cups BBQ Sauce
• 2 tsp. Sriracha Hot Sauce (optional)
• 3 cups Green Cabbage (shredded)
• 3 cups Red Cabbage (shredded)
• 2 Carrots (shredded)
• ½ cup Mayo
• ¼ cup Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp. Sugar
• 2 ½ tsp. Celery Seeds
• 1-2 packages Gluten Free Buns (or regular buns if not gluten free)
• 1 jar Pickled Jalapeno Peppers

How To Make Slow Cooker Chicken

The process of making this slow cooker chicken is easy. All that's needed is to remove the skin from the chicken breasts, toss them into the crockpot with some chicken broth and spices, and shred the chicken once it's cooked.

The coleslaw can be prepared while the chicken is cooking in the crockpot.

1. Start by removing the skin from 3 lbs. of bone-in (also known as split) chicken breasts and discard.
2. Turn the slow cooker on and add ¼ cup of low sodium chicken broth to it.
3. Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker and add 2 tsp. each garlic powder and onion powder, 1 tsp. each smoked paprika and Italian seasoning, and ½ tsp. each kosher salt and pepper.
4. Toss the chicken breasts in the spices and broth until completely coated.
5. Place the lid securely on the slow cooker and cook the chicken breasts for 3-4 hours on High or 5-7 hours on Low.

You can also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you prefer.

How To Shred The Chicken

As mentioned, cooking times may vary and you can always check the internal temperature of the chicken using a food thermometer if you have any questions.

The safe internal temperature for chicken is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board or a clean, flat surface (make sure to keep all the drippings in the slow cooker).
2. Allow the chicken to sit for a few minutes.
3. Shred the cooked chicken with two forks, removing it from the bones. Make sure to remove and discard the bones before serving.
4. Once the chicken is completely shredded, add it back to the slow cooker.
5. Add 1 ¼ cups BBQ sauce and 2 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce (optional) to the chicken and toss until completely coated in the sauce.
6. Return the lid to the slow cooker and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce has heated through.

Which BBQ Sauce Is Best?

The BBQ sauce used depends on your preference. I recommend a brand of BBQ sauce that you love.

Make sure that the brand used is gluten free if gluten is an issue for you.

I love the Stubb's line of BBQ sauces. They're super flavorful, made without high fructose corn syrup, and contain a wide variety of options.

Feel free to use a sweeter variety if you like more sweetness, mesquite if you prefer smokier flavor, a hotter variety if you prefer more spice, or the traditional variety if you like a tangier sauce.

Looking For More Slow Cooker Recipes? Don't Miss These!

• Crockpot Tortilla Soup
• Crockpot Buffalo Chicken
• Slow Cooker Barbacoa Tacos
• Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
• Crockpot Chicken Potato Soup
• Slow Cooker Ground Beef Chili
• Crockpot Chicken Corn Soup
• Slow Cooker Veggie Chili

How To Make Coleslaw

Adding coleslaw to these Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches is completely optional and preparing the coleslaw is an optional step.

If making the coleslaw, it can be prepared while the chicken is cooking in the crockpot. Alternately, it can be made the day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

This coleslaw is tangy and made with crunchy, fresh green and red cabbage. You can also use only green, red, or a mixture of both.

To make this step even easier, feel free to use packaged shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix in place of shredding the cabbage yourself.

1. To make the coleslaw, start by grating 2 large carrots using a box grater.
2. Chop 3 heaping cups of green cabbage and 3 heaping cups of red cabbage (or 6 heaping cups of one variety) by hand using a knife or in a food processor.
3. Place the shredded cabbage and carrots into a large mixing bowl.
4. For the dressing, combine ½ cup mayo, ¼ cup Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp. sugar, 2 ½ tsp. celery seed, and ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir until completely combined using a small whisk or fork.
5. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture a bit at a time, stirring to combine using a large spoon. Continue with the remainder of the dressing and toss until the coleslaw is completely coated in the dressing.

For more detailed instructions, check out this recipe for Light and Crunchy Coleslaw.

What To Serve With BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

This shredded BBQ chicken is perfect served on toasted buns. The buns may be toasted on a flat skillet over medium-low heat until the edges get nice and crusty. You can also brush them with butter or oil first to make them even toastier.

I recommend a quality brand of gluten free burger buns or any burger buns if gluten is not an issue for you. Canyon Bakehouse makes a great line of gluten free buns.

1. To make the sandwiches, toast the buns over medium heat on a flat skillet until the edges are crispy.
2. Spoon a generous amount of the shredded chicken and BBQ sauce onto each sandwich.
3. Add some of the coleslaw on top of the shredded chicken.
4. Top the sandwiches with a few pickled jalapeno peppers.

Alternately, you can serve the BBQ chicken sandwiches with the coleslaw on the side or without the coleslaw and pickled jalapenos.

You can also use sandwich bread to make a half or full sandwich, serve the shredded BBQ chicken in a wrap, or go low-carb and serve it in a lettuce wrap.

Feel free to add a few slices of your favorite cheese to the sandwiches. Cheddar, sharp cheddar, fontina, Havarti, Muenster, or Colby Jack are all great options.

For a rich and creamy sauce to drizzle over the top, you can't go wrong with this Homemade Ranch Dressing or Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing.

Sliced pickles, red onions, shredded lettuce, and tomatoes are more great topping ideas.

If you prefer an alternative coleslaw, check out this kohlrabi slaw, blue cheese coleslaw, southwest coleslaw, or Asian cabbage slaw.

I love BBQ chicken with potato salad and this Mediterranean potato salad and Spanish potato salad are tasty options.

Pasta salad like this dill pickle pasta salad or creamy pesto pasta salad are delicious choices.

You can also use the shredded BBQ chicken any way you like. BBQ chicken can be used as a topping for pizza or flatbread, added to a salad, stuffed in a quesadilla, or tossed with pasta.

How Long Does BBQ Chicken Last In The Fridge?

Any leftover shredded BBQ chicken may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Make sure to allow the chicken to cool completely before transferring to the fridge for storage.

Leftover coleslaw can be stored for 2-3 days in a separate airtight container in the fridge.

Can The Chicken Be Frozen?

Yes! This Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken actually makes a great freezer meal.

How To Freeze

1. Prepare the shredded BBQ chicken as directed. Allow it to cool completely before freezing.
2. Once cooled, place the shredded BBQ chicken in heavy-duty freezer bags, label with the date, and store in the freezer up to 3 months.

How To Thaw

1. Place the freezer bag in the fridge for 24 hours to thaw.
2. Heat the chicken on the stove top with a little bit of chicken broth until warm.
3. You can also heat it up in the oven on a baking sheet or warm it in the slow cooker with a little extra chicken broth.

Prepare the coleslaw and other toppings just before serving.

Love BBQ? Check out these recipes!

• Slow Cooker BBQ Turkey Meatballs
• BBQ Sweet Potatoes
• BBQ Chicken Pizza
• BBQ Chicken Sloppy Joes
• Dutch Oven Pulled BBQ Chicken

Want More BBQ Recipes? Don't Miss These!

Crockpot BBQ Pork Chops

BBQ Chicken Pinwheels

BBQ Turkey Burger Sliders

Skillet BBQ Beef Sandwiches