The
Homegrown Kitchen Table
Slow Cooker Kid-Friendly Shredded BBQ Chicken (No Heat)
This slow cooker shredded BBQ chicken is built for real families and real kids — all the classic sweet-savory BBQ flavor with absolutely no heat. It cooks low and slow until the chicken shreds easily, then finishes uncovered so the sauce tightens up into that perfect sandwich texture. This is an easy, flexible dinner that works for sandwiches, wraps, and freezer meals.
Ingredients
🧺 INGREDIENTS
2–2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
2 cups BBQ sauce 1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper 1
tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional, only if sauce isn’t sweet)
Instructions
🥣 INSTRUCTIONS / DIRECTIONS
Place chicken in the slow cooker.
In a bowl, mix BBQ sauce, garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika (if using), salt, black pepper, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar if using. Pour mixture over the chicken.
Cook on LOW for 4–5 hours for thighs or 3–4 hours for breasts, or on HIGH for 2–3 hours, until chicken is tender.
Shred chicken directly in the slow cooker.
Remove the lid and cook on HIGH for an additional 15–25 minutes to reduce the sauce until thick and sandwich-ready.
🍽️ SERVING IDEAS
Serve on sandwich buns with fruit and chips, or use the shredded chicken for wraps or BBQ chicken quesadillas.
❄️ FREEZER NOTES
Freeze shredded chicken in meal-size portions with sauce. Reheat and simmer briefly to tighten the sauce back up.
🧊 STORAGE
Refrigerator: up to 4 days
Freezer: up to 3 months