Recipe: Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Chicken

I speak from experience when I tell you that once you make a batch of saucy BBQ shredded chicken in your slow cooker, you’ll never make it another way again. If you’re already doing this, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s a weeknight win that delivers juicy shredded meat infused with a smoky-sweet sauce. You get all that by tossing some chicken and BBQ sauce in the slow cooker.

Eat it paired with your favorite sides, layered on a pillowy roll, or stuffed in a taco, then freezer the leftovers for another night.

This recipe gives you the option to use chicken breasts, thighs, or a combination of the two. All three options work incredibly well, use the same cook time, and produce a delicious and saucy (although slightly varied) result. Here’s what to expect from each cut of chicken.

• Boneless, skinless chicken breast: As you’d expect from the slow cooker, the chicken is juicy and super tender, and falls apart with the slightest touch into thick shreds. Because this cut is so lean, it also has the most mild-mannered flavor of the three versions.
• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: If you’re after a batch of shredded chicken that’s ultra rich and flavorful, using boneless, skinless thighs just might be the best option for you. Like chicken breast, the meat is super tender and falls apart easily, although the pieces are considerably thinner.
• Combination of chicken breast and thighs: This is my favorite version of the three! The meat falls apart easily, with a nice balance of thin and thick shreds, and a balanced, super-flavorful taste.

For the fastest, easiest way to shred three pounds of chicken, get out your stand mixer or large bowl and an electric hand mixer. I recommend this as someone whose first instinct is to always just use a couple forks.

The slow cooker leaves the chicken so tender that it is transformed into thin shreds in well under a minute. The sauce stays in the slow cooker, so you don’t have to worry about lots of splattering, but I still like to use the splash guard just in case. Yes, it will dirty a couple more dishes, but it’s totally worth it to turn this big batch of chicken into perfect shreds.