Make a large batch of this delicious Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken on the weekend and enjoy it in a variety of dishes throughout the week!
In an informal poll that I recently took on Facebook, I asked what kinds of recipes people wanted me to post. The most popular response was slow cooker dishes. It's not surprising considering how convenient slow cooker recipes are. And now that I have a toddler, I appreciate these recipes even more! With most slow cooker recipes, there's minimum prep- you can simply toss all of the ingredients into the bowl of the slow cooker and turn it on in the morning. When you get home in the evening, dinner is ready to serve.
These Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Sandwiches are so easy to make! Simply throw all of the ingredients into a slow cooker and let it simmer away. When it's done, you'll end up with a pot of tender chicken coated in a delicious homemade barbecue sauce which has a little heat, a little sweetness, and tons of flavor! I like to pile the chicken high on whole wheat buns and top it with plenty of sauce and a simple homemade coleslaw. Just be sure to serve these sandwiches with extra napkins on the side!
Besides sandwiches, this pulled chicken can be used in soups, salads, omelets, burritos, pasta dishes, casseroles, you name it! It also freezes well so it's great to have on hand when you need to make a quick meal on short notice. In my next post I will feature this delicious chicken in my Pulled Chicken Quesadillas.
Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
- 8 whole wheat hamburger buns (can use gluten-free buns)
- Optional toppings: Summer Coleslaw (see recipe in "Notes" section below), pickles or other toppings
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients except the chicken in the bowl of a slow cooker. Add the chicken and turn to coat the pieces with the sauce.
- Cover and cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or low heat for 6-7 hours. Remove the chicken and place it on a cutting board. Shred the meat with two forks.
- Place the chicken in a large bowl and stir in enough sauce to coat all of the meat well. Save remaining sauce to serve on the side.
- To make sandwiches, serve the pulled chicken on whole grain rolls and top with desired toppings like Summer Coleslaw (see recipe in "Notes" section) or pickles.
Hayleigh says
Does the nutrition info include the buns or is it just the pulled chicken ?
sonaliruder says
Hi! Yes, the nutrition information includes whole wheat buns (118 calories each) and the chicken. Enjoy! 🙂
Brittany says
Have you tried replacing the brown sugar with coconut Sugar?
sonaliruder says
Not in this particular recipe but I do use coconut sugar a lot in my cooking. I think it would work great in this dish!
Marissa L Jenkins says
I made this and all I can say is WOW!!! I used my own slaw recipe, but your sauce recipe is absolutely spot on and delicious...I don't eat pork since finishing my Chemo and this tasted so similar...won't even miss pulled pork. Thank you for that and I will be using this sauce recipe for all my BBQ/Tangy sauce needs.
sonaliruder says
Thank you, Marissa! I'm so glad to hear that you liked the recipe! I think the combination of chicken thighs along with breast adds richness to the dish so that, like you said, you won't even miss pork. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you're doing well!
Anonymous says
I've been reading your website and enjoying your recipes and approach to cooking and eating for just over a year and thought I'd check in to say hi! I've set a little goal of cooking my way through your all your recipes during the next year.. For tonight's dinner were having Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Summer Coleslaw (my husband helped me assemble the ingredients this morning). Katrina
sonaliruder says
Wow, thank you so much for your comment! This is amazing, I can't believe your cooking all my recipes, I'm so flattered. Enjoy and please keep me posted with how it's going 🙂
plasterer bristol says
yummy. this sounds awesome. Thank you for posting this up. going to give this a go.
Simon
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much!
Matt Robinson says
These look so incredibly good, they would be a huge hit with my sons for sure!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Matt! I hope you and the family have a wonderful Halloween!
bedriye yortanlı says
i am cooking the chicken now. i am sure it will be a great dinner! 🙂
sonaliruder says
Sorry, I just saw this comment now! I hope you enjoyed it 🙂
Rachel @LittleChefBigAppetite says
I can't get over how incredible these look! Definitely making this for dinner tomorrow!
sonaliruder says
Thanks for stopping by, Rachel! I hope you like them!