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Sweet Baby Ray's Crockpot Chicken

Sweet Baby Ray's crockpot chicken delivers pull-apart tender shredded chicken soaked in a thick, smoky BBQ sauce that turns dark and glossy in the slow cooker. The result is set-and-forget BBQ crockpot chicken with every shred glistening from a caramelized, sticky glaze.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season the chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts or thighs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika so the spices cling to all surfaces.
  2. Preheat nothing; place the seasoned chicken directly into the slow cooker.
Mix the BBQ sauce
  1. Mix Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar in a bowl until the brown sugar dissolves into the liquid.
  2. Pour the BBQ sauce mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker so the top is fully covered.
Slow cook
  1. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours until the chicken is completely tender and shreds easily.
  2. For faster cooking, cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours until the chicken is completely tender.
Shred and glaze
  1. Shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker using two forks, then stir it into the sauce until evenly coated.
  2. Let the mixture sit covered for 5 minutes off-heat so the BBQ sauce thickens slightly and coats every shred more heavily.
Serve
  1. Serve the shredded BBQ chicken on brioche buns with coleslaw and drizzle with extra BBQ sauce if desired.

Notes

For extra pull-apart texture, avoid stirring early—wait until the chicken is fully tender, then shred and mix in the thick glaze. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 4 days; reheat on low until hot and saucy. Freezing is yes—freeze shredded chicken with sauce up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight. Dietary swap: use bone-in skinless chicken thighs and shred after cooking (extend LOW time by about 30-60 minutes if needed) or use a lower-sugar BBQ sauce to reduce sweetness.