Making slow cooker BBQ chicken is a classic dish that’s easy to prepare, and it yields delicious results. It’s perfect for Sunday dinner, potlucks, or even your next tailgate party. You can make this recipe with any cut of chicken you like—just make sure not to use boneless skinless breast meat because it will dry out in the slow cooker.
The benefits of slow cooking
Slow cooking is a great way to cook meat. It’s especially good for those expensive cuts of meat that you want to cook slowly, like pork shoulder or brisket. The slow cooker allows you to control the temperature and cooking time, so you can leave it alone while you’re at work or busy with other things.
You can also use cheaper cuts of meat in your slow cooker–something that many people don’t realize! For example: chicken thighs are often cheaper than breasts, but they taste just as good when cooked over low heat for hours on end in liquid (such as barbecue sauce).
Use the right cut of chicken
When it comes to slow-cooking, chicken thighs are the way to go. They’re more forgiving than boneless breasts, which tend to dry out easily in a slow cooker. And as we’ve seen above, using bone-in chicken adds more flavor to your dish too!
Salt and pepper your chicken
- Salt and pepper your chicken.
- Use a generous amount of salt and pepper, as both will help to break down the proteins in your chicken. This makes it more tender, which is what we’re going for here!
Add liquid to the slow cooker
- Add liquid to the slow cooker. You can use water or chicken broth to keep your chicken moist and flavorful. The moisture from the liquid helps to tenderize it as well, which is especially important if you’re using an older cut of meat (like a whole chicken). If you want more flavor in your sauce, consider adding some type of liquid seasoning like vinegar, lemon juice or soy sauce–just be sure not to overdo it!
Cook your chicken low and slow
- Cook on low for 4 hours.
- Cook on high for 2 hours. If you’re using a slow cooker with a timer, set it to 8 hours; if not, 6 hours should do the trick.
Making BBQ chicken in the slow cooker is easy, delicious, and yields moist meat.
Slow cooking is a great way to make BBQ chicken. The meat is juicy, tender and smoky.
The first step for slow-cooked BBQ chicken is choosing the right cut of chicken. For this recipe, I used boneless skinless thighs because they are inexpensive and have enough fat content to keep them moist during cooking. You can also use bone-in thighs or breasts if that’s what you have on hand!
Next comes salting and peppering each piece before adding it into your slow cooker (this will give it extra flavor). Then add about 1 cup of liquid like water or broth into each side of your slow cooker followed by all 4 pounds worth of seasoned meat; cover with lid; cook low 6 hours until done (or cook high 3 hours).
Conclusion
Slow cooking is a great way to make BBQ chicken, and it’s also very easy. You can use your slow cooker to make this delicious dish any time of year. If you have never tried making BBQ chicken in a slow cooker before, now is the time!
