There’s a odor which means summer time at my home, and it’s not sunscreen or fresh-cut grass — it’s BBQ sauce simmering low and sluggish all afternoon. This pulled rooster crock pot recipe is the dump-and-go dinner I attain for all season lengthy, whether or not I’m internet hosting a yard cookout, bringing a dish to a potluck, or simply going through a Tuesday when turning on the oven appears like an excessive amount of.
I maintain coming again to this one as a result of it’s not only a recipe I made as soon as and photographed — it’s genuinely my go-to for entertaining. I can season the rooster and begin the crockpot pulled rooster very first thing within the morning, stroll away, and by the point company present up, dinner is mainly finished. Meaning I’m truly having fun with the social gathering as a substitute of babysitting a range.
This pulled rooster crock pot recipe is tender, saucy shredded rooster breast slow-cooked in a easy spiced BBQ sauce till it falls aside with a fork. It’s naturally high-protein, low-fat, and endlessly versatile — pile it on a bun, right into a bowl, or on a salad. The sluggish cooker does all of the work, making it one of many best methods to feed a crowd or meal-prep dinner for the week.
⏱️ Whole: 2 hrs 15 min · 🍽️ Yield: 4 servings (simply doubled) · 📊 Stage: simple · 🥗 Weight loss program: gluten-free, dairy-free possibility
Why You’ll Love This Pulled Hen Crock Pot
- Arms-off: Season the rooster, pour within the sauce, and stroll away — no browning, no babysitting.
- Excessive-protein, low-fat: Naturally lean and macro-friendly with out sacrificing taste.
- Feeds a crowd: I double this recipe each summer time for yard get-togethers as a result of it’s the one dish I can prep hours forward and by no means fear about — it lets me truly be current at my very own social gathering as a substitute of caught within the kitchen.
- Endlessly versatile: Sandwiches, bowls, tacos, nachos, salads — one batch, every week of various dinners.
What You Want for Crock Pot Pulled Hen
The ingredient listing right here is brief and easy, which is precisely why this recipe works so properly as a repeat participant in my dinner rotation. You want boneless, skinless rooster breasts, a easy spice rub (chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, and Italian seasoning), your favourite BBQ sauce, and a splash of water or rooster broth to maintain every little thing from drying out.
If you need extra management over the sugar and sodium content material, swap in a lower-sugar or do-it-yourself BBQ sauce — the strategy stays precisely the identical both means.
Tips on how to Make Pulled Hen within the Crock Pot
This pulled rooster crock pot recipe comes collectively in 4 primary strikes: season the rooster with the dry rub, add it to the sluggish cooker with the BBQ sauce and broth, cook dinner it low and sluggish till it shreds simply, then toss the shredded rooster with a bit of extra sauce earlier than serving. Scroll right down to the recipe card under for the precise measurements and cook dinner occasions — I’m holding this part big-picture so what to anticipate earlier than you dive in.
Ideas for the Greatest Pulled Hen Each Time
Don’t skip the dry rub. It’s the place many of the taste on this dish truly comes from, for the reason that BBQ sauce alone will get diluted by the pure juices the rooster releases because it cooks. I additionally at all times examine for doneness with a meat thermometer — 165°F — relatively than going strictly by time, since each sluggish cooker runs a bit of in another way.
Right here’s the repair for the primary criticism I see about crockpot pulled rooster and shredded rooster crock pot recipes generally: the sauce turning skinny and watery after cooking. The trick is to shred the rooster instantly within the cooking liquid as a substitute of draining it onto a slicing board first — that means it reabsorbs the sauce because it sits, relatively than drying out. If it’s nonetheless thinner than you’d like, stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch whisked with 1 tablespoon chilly water) or let it simmer uncovered on low for the final 10-Quarter-hour to thicken again up. I’ve examined each fixes they usually work each time.
When you’ve obtained the bottom methodology down, it’s simple to vary up the flavour profile:
- Spicy: Stir in a spoonful of chipotle peppers in adobo together with the BBQ sauce for a smoky kick.
- Carolina-style: Swap in a tangy mustard-based BBQ sauce as a substitute of a conventional tomato-based one.
- Hawaiian-style: Add crushed pineapple to the sluggish cooker for a sweeter, tropical spin.
- Customized rub: Swap in my greatest rooster seasoning recipe for the dry rub in order for you a unique taste base solely.
Serving Recommendations for BBQ Season
That is peak BBQ season meals. After I’m internet hosting, I arrange a build-your-own sandwich bar: a platter of soppy buns, an enormous bowl of the pulled rooster crock pot recipe, and small bowls of creamy coleslaw, pickles, and chips so company can construct their very own plate. It doubles because the hero photograph setup for the entire unfold — I’ve styled it this manner for years as a result of it appears to be like nearly as good because it tastes, and it means I’m not caught plating particular person dishes whereas everybody else is mingling.
Past sandwiches, this pulled rooster crock pot recipe is simply nearly as good spooned over rice or greens for a bowl-style dinner. To spherical out a full cookout unfold, I really like pairing it with the BEST loaded baked potato salad, On the spot Pot baked beans, or a cottage cheese pasta salad — all basic BBQ sides that maintain up properly sitting out on a buffet desk.
Meal Prep with Pulled Hen
This recipe is one in all my favourite proteins to portion out for the week. Divide it into containers with a starch and a veggie, and also you’ve obtained a fast high-protein lunch able to go. It additionally holds up higher than most rooster when reheated — the sauce retains every little thing moist as a substitute of drying out within the microwave. Attempt it over rice or greens for a straightforward lunch, or flip leftovers into my grilled BBQ rooster bowls or a BBQ rooster salad for a unique spin on the identical protein.
Retailer leftover pulled rooster in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3-4 days, or freeze it for as much as 3 months. To reheat, I like warming it on the stovetop with a splash of broth or additional BBQ sauce to revive moisture, although the microwave works too briefly bursts. This recipe reheats particularly properly in comparison with plain shredded rooster, for the reason that sauce prevents it from drying out — a small however actual perk if you’re consuming leftovers all week.
Troubleshooting
In case your rooster is shredding powerful as a substitute of falling aside, it’s virtually at all times undercooked — give it extra time within the sluggish cooker relatively than much less, and examine the interior temperature as a substitute of guessing by the clock. In case your sauce seems watery, that’s probably the most generally reported concern with any sluggish cooker BBQ rooster recipe — shred the rooster instantly within the sauce as a substitute of draining it, and simmer uncovered for a couple of minutes if it must thicken again up (see the Ideas part above for the complete repair).
Regularly Requested Questions
Sure — in truth, uncooked, thawed rooster is precisely what you need for this recipe. By no means begin with frozen rooster breast within the sluggish cooker (see under for why).
Cook dinner on excessive for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours, till the rooster reaches 165°F internally and shreds simply with two forks. I at all times examine doneness by temperature relatively than the clock, since each sluggish cooker runs a bit of in another way.
I don’t suggest it. Cooking rooster from frozen in a sluggish cooker means it spends too lengthy within the temperature “hazard zone” earlier than it heats by, which is a meals security danger. Thaw rooster breasts totally within the fridge earlier than including them to the crock pot.
That is the commonest hiccup with any sluggish cooker BBQ rooster — the rooster releases its personal liquid because it cooks, which thins out the sauce. The repair: shred the rooster instantly within the sauce (don’t drain it first) so it reabsorbs the liquid, then let it simmer uncovered on low for 10-Quarter-hour to thicken again up. A cornstarch slurry works too for those who’re quick on time.
Sure. Let it cool utterly, then freeze in an hermetic container or freezer bag with as a lot air eliminated as attainable for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.
They’re primarily the identical factor — rooster that’s been cooked till tender and pulled aside into strands with forks. “Pulled rooster” often implies it’s been coated in a sauce (like BBQ), whereas “shredded rooster” is extra typically the plain, unsauced model utilized in soups, tacos, or salads.
Sluggish Cooker Pulled Hen
First, put together your crockpot bbq rooster. Combine collectively chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Then, season each side of your rooster breasts.
Spray the underside of your crockpot with nonstick cooking spray after which add your rooster breasts.
Pour about 1/3 cup of bbq sauce on high of your rooster breasts (save the remaining for later) after which add 3 tablespoons of water. Cowl sluggish cooker.
Let cook dinner for round 2-3 hours on excessive for 4-6 hours on low.
As soon as the rooster has totally cooked and reached an inside temperature of 165ºF, use 2 forks to shred.
Hold the liquid from the rooster and bbq sauce within the crockpot and add about 1/3 cup extra bbq sauce and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. Combine sauce and shredded rooster till every little thing is coated.
Slaw & Sandwiches
Subsequent, put together slaw by mixing collectively all slaw components.
Put collectively your bbq rooster sandwiches by inserting a beneficiant quantity of slaw on the underside of your bun after which about 1/4 lb. of the shredded rooster. Add about 1 tablespoon extra of bbq sauce (or extra, if desired), and some pickles. Put the highest in your rooster sandwich and revel in!
- Vitamin info is JUST for the sluggish cooker pulled rooster utilizing Annie’s Authentic BBQ Sauce.
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Energy: 162 kcal, Carbohydrates: 9 g, Protein: 22 g, Fats: 4 g, Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 6 g
Vitamin info is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
