Pulled BBQ Chicken Recipe

Pulled bbq chicken in a bun on a white plate.

This pulled BBQ chicken recipe couldn't get any easier. Made with 3 simple ingredients in the Crockpot or Instant Pot, it's the ultimate hands-off meal. This is serious dinner goals!

Course Main, Main Course, Main dish

Cuisine American

Diet Low Fat

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 6

Inactive time 6

Total Time 6 5

Servings servings

Calories 201kcal

Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup BBQ sauce + more for drizzling
½ cup apple cider (or apple juice)
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

Instructions

Slow Cooker:

Pour BBQ sauce and apple cider into the slow cooker and whisk together to combine.
Turn each chicken piece in the sauce to coat and place them in the pot.
Cover and cooking on high for 4-6 hours.
Remove chicken from the pot and shred.
Add some of the sauce left in the pot to the chick and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Instant Pot:

Pour BBQ sauce and apple cider into the Instant Pot and whisk together to combine.
Turn each chicken piece in the sauce to coat and place them in the pot.
Cover and turn set to "sealing." Set the Instant Pot to Manual High Pressure for 15 minutes
Once the 15 minutes is up, allow a 10 minute natural release and then do a quick release and remove the cover.
Remove chicken from the pot and shred.
Add some of the sauce left in the pot to the chick and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Don't even think about dirtying up another dish! Mix your favorite barbecue sauce and apple cider right in the pot. It's what makes this recipe so easy!

Turn the chicken in the sauce to coat before covering and cooking. It guarantees every bite is infused with flavor.

Add some onion to stretch the meat even further! Thinly slice a yellow or white onion, then nestle the slices around and under the chicken breasts.

Don't over-shred the chicken, or it will become stringy. It will naturally shred more when you toss it with the sauce.

Go slow when adding the sauce that's left in the pot. You want to moisten the chicken slightly, not drench it. You can always add more later.

Ingredients to prep ahead- You can mix the BBQ sauce and cider together if you want, but I don't see a reason to!

Leftovers and storage- Shredded chicken will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or up to 4 months in the freezer.

Nutrition