Sweet Baby Ray’s Crockpot Chicken

Sweet Baby Ray’s Crockpot Chicken is one of those magical three-ingredient dinners that feels almost too easy to be this good. The chicken slow-cooks all day in rich, smoky-sweet barbecue sauce until it’s tender, juicy, and falls apart with a fork. It’s the perfect no-stress meal for busy days when you still want big, bold flavor on the table.

Love More Crockpot Recipes? Try My Crockpot Chicken and Gravy or this Crockpot Chicken Fajitas next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Three ingredients — it does not get simpler than this and still taste this good.
• Smoky, tangy BBQ flavor soaks all the way through the chicken during the slow cook.
• Shreds perfectly for sandwiches, tacos, rice bowls, pizza, and baked potatoes.
• Kids love it unconditionally — it is basically impossible not to.
• Weekend leftovers feed the whole week — this is meal prep without the planning.

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Ingredients You’ll Need

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (chicken thighs work just as well and stay even juicier — use whichever your family prefers)
• 1 bottle (18 oz) Sweet Baby Ray’s Original BBQ Sauce (any flavor of Sweet Baby Ray’s works beautifully — Honey BBQ and Hickory Brown Sugar are especially popular)
• 1/4 cup chicken broth or water (just enough to thin the sauce slightly and prevent any scorching on a long LOW cook)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Optional additions: 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika — mix directly into the sauce before pouring

Why These Ingredients Work

Sweet Baby Ray’s Original BBQ Sauce is the star of this recipe for good reason — it has a perfectly balanced combination of brown sugar sweetness, tomato tang, and a gentle smokiness that slow-cooks into the chicken beautifully without burning or turning bitter the way thinner sauces sometimes can. The thick consistency clings to the chicken and keeps it basted throughout the entire cook.

Boneless skinless chicken breasts absorb the bold BBQ sauce flavor completely during the long slow cook and shred into tender, saucy strands that work in absolutely any application — sandwiches, bowls, tacos, casseroles. If you use thighs, the shredded meat has a slightly richer, juicier texture that many families prefer for sandwiches especially.

The small amount of chicken broth thins the thick BBQ sauce just enough to keep it from scorching against the bottom of the slow cooker during a long LOW setting cook. It also creates a little more total sauce volume so every piece of chicken stays coated and basted throughout the day.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• 5 or 6-quart slow cooker
• Two forks for shredding (or a hand mixer on low — shreds chicken in under 30 seconds)
• Tongs for removing chicken
• Ladle or large spoon for scooping
• Cutting board
• Hamburger buns, rolls, or serving bowls

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Season and Place the Chicken

Season the chicken breasts lightly with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika if using — just a light, even coating on both sides. Place the seasoned chicken in a single layer in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Step 2: Pour on the Sauce

Stir the chicken broth into the bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s until combined, then pour the mixture evenly over every piece of chicken in the slow cooker. Use a spoon to make sure every surface is coated.

Step 3: Slow Cook

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Do not open the lid during the cook. The chicken is ready when it reaches 165°F internally and pulls apart very easily when pressed with a fork. Do not overcook — overcooked chicken on LOW goes from tender to dry and stringy quickly.

Step 4: Shred the Chicken

Remove the cooked chicken breasts to a cutting board and shred them thoroughly with two forks or place them in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on low with the paddle attachment for 20 to 30 seconds. Return all the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir it into the BBQ sauce. Let it rest on WARM for 10 minutes so every shred absorbs the sauce completely.

Step 5: Taste and Serve

Taste the shredded chicken and adjust. Add a splash more BBQ sauce if you want it saucier, a pinch of smoked paprika for more smokiness, or a teaspoon of hot sauce for heat. Pile generously onto toasted brioche buns for the ultimate BBQ chicken sandwich, spoon over baked potatoes, or serve in bowls over creamy coleslaw and rice for a complete meal.

You Must Know

Do not cook chicken breasts on LOW for longer than 7 hours — after that point the meat crosses from tender and juicy into dry and stringy no matter how much sauce surrounds it. Set a reminder and check the temperature at the 6-hour mark to catch it at peak tenderness before it overcooks.

Shred the chicken while it is still hot — cold or room-temperature cooked chicken is significantly harder to shred and the strands do not pull apart as cleanly or evenly. Work fast right when the lid comes off for the best result.

Personal Secret: After shredding and returning the chicken to the slow cooker, stir in 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of brown sugar directly into the sauce. The vinegar brightens the bottled BBQ flavor and makes it taste like a made-from-scratch sauce

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on LOW to shred the chicken in 20 to 30 seconds — the fastest shred method that exists.
• Toast the brioche buns in a dry skillet or under the broiler for 90 seconds — a toasted bun holds up to the saucy chicken without getting soggy.
• Stir 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon brown sugar into the sauce after shredding — it makes bottled BBQ sauce taste homemade.
• For extra smoky flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of liquid smoke to the sauce before cooking.
• Freeze shredded BBQ chicken flat in zip-top bags for up to 3 months — the easiest weeknight meal prep in existence.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Use Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey BBQ sauce for a sweeter, more family-friendly version that kids go absolutely crazy for. Honey BBQ has a gentler, less tangy profile than Original that works especially well with chicken thighs and tastes incredible on a Hawaiian roll slider.

For a spicy BBQ version, stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce directly into the Sweet Baby Ray’s before cooking, or add a generous pinch of cayenne pepper. The heat mellows significantly during the long slow cook — start with more than you think you need if your family loves heat.

Mix half Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce with half of your favorite salsa for a Tex-Mex BBQ chicken version that works brilliantly in tacos, burrito bowls, and quesadillas. Serve with shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, and a squeeze of fresh lime for a completely different meal from the same simple slow cooker technique.

Make-Ahead Options

This is one of the best meal prep recipes that exists. Cook a full batch of BBQ chicken on Sunday and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 5 days — it feeds the family all week in sandwiches, rice bowls, baked potatoes, pizza toppings, and quesadillas without any additional cooking required. The flavor actually improves on day two as the sauce soaks deeper into the shredded meat.

Freeze fully cooked shredded BBQ chicken in gallon-size zip-top bags in 2-cup portions for up to 3 months. Press the bags flat before freezing for easy storage and fast thawing. Thaw a bag overnight in the refrigerator or submerge in cold water for 30 minutes — reheat in a saucepan over medium-low with a splash of water or extra BBQ sauce until steaming hot.

What to Serve With Sweet Baby Ray’s Crockpot Chicken

Toasted brioche buns with creamy coleslaw piled right on top of the saucy BBQ chicken makes the ultimate sandwich — the cool, crunchy slaw provides the perfect textural and temperature contrast to the warm, tender chicken and keeps the whole sandwich from feeling heavy. This is the combination worth making on every game day.

Serve over a baked potato loaded with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and sliced green onions for a hearty, totally satisfying dinner that requires zero extra dishes and earns genuine applause at the table. The starchy potato soaks up the smoky BBQ sauce in all the right ways.

Spoon over steamed white rice with a side of corn on the cob and buttered green beans for a complete Southern-style dinner that feels like a backyard cookout without anyone ever having to leave the house or fire up a grill in the rain.

Pair with cold sweet tea, an ice-cold root beer, or a cold lager — all three are the natural drinks of BBQ country and they each provide the sweet, slightly bitter balance that cuts through the rich, smoky chicken sauce and refreshes the palate between bites.

Allergy Information

• Contains: Soy (Sweet Baby Ray’s contains soy), Gluten (Sweet Baby Ray’s original contains modified starch — check the specific bottle label)
• Gluten-free: Sweet Baby Ray’s is generally considered gluten-free but verify the specific variety’s label — some contain modified food starch
• Dairy-free: Naturally dairy-free as written
• Lower sugar: Use a reduced-sugar BBQ sauce variety — several brands offer good low-sugar options

Storage & Reheating

• Refrigerate shredded chicken and sauce in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low with a splash of water or extra BBQ sauce, stirring occasionally.
• Microwave covered in 60-second intervals, stirring between each, until heated through.
• Freeze in portioned zip-top bags for up to 3 months — press flat before freezing for easy storage.

FAQs

Can I use other BBQ sauce brands?

Yes — any thick, quality BBQ sauce works in this recipe. Sweet Baby Ray’s is recommended for its balanced sweet-smoky flavor and thick consistency, but your family’s favorite brand will produce equally delicious results.

Can I use frozen chicken?

For food safety, always thaw chicken completely before adding to a slow cooker. Frozen chicken takes too long to reach a safe temperature in a slow cooker and increases the risk of foodborne illness.

My chicken seems dry. What went wrong?

The chicken cooked too long. Chicken breasts in a slow cooker overcook quickly — always check the temperature at the lower end of the time range and pull them the moment they hit 165°F. Chicken thighs forgive extra time much better than breasts.

How do I get the chicken to shred easily?

Shred while the chicken is still very hot — cold chicken is significantly harder to pull apart cleanly. Two forks, bear claws, or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on low all work well.

Can I make BBQ chicken sandwiches ahead for a party?

Absolutely — make the shredded BBQ chicken up to 2 days ahead, refrigerate in the sauce, and reheat in the slow cooker on LOW for 1 to 2 hours right before the party. Set on WARM to keep it perfect throughout the event.

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