Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

These slow cooker barbecue chicken sandwiches are perfect for busy weeknights! Grab a store-bought coleslaw mix for an easy dose of veggies. Add your favorite toppings to make these sandwiches your own!

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Crock pot chicken recipes are my weeknight secret weapon, and these sandwiches are easily in the top five for "things I cook when I have no time to cook". Start the BBQ chicken in the morning, then let it hang out in a slow cooker all day for a low-effort, high-coziness meal.

We're using store-bought slaw mix and a quick Greek yogurt dressing here, but you can use any toppings you like! (PS - For more recipe inspo, check out our full collection of easy dinner ideas!)

Ingredients

Scroll to the recipe card below for a full ingredients list with exact quantities.

We want to highlight a few things before you get started:

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts are our go-to here, but you can use chicken thighs if you prefer. You can also use bone-in chicken, but you may need to extend the cook time.
• Your favorite barbecue sauce adds a ton of flavor and moisture to these sandwiches! My go-to brands lately have been Stubb's Bar-B-Q Sauce and Sweet Baby Ray's.
• Store bought slaw mix is an easy shortcut to a crunchy, veggie-packed sandwich topping. Look for a mix with cabbage, carrots, and red cabbage for plenty of color (or shred your own veggies if you have time!) I typically use a rainbow slaw mix or this cole slaw mix.
• We used brioche burger buns in these photos, but use any bun or sandwich roll you like! Hoagie rolls, sourdough rolls, or homemade wheat burger buns are all good here. You can also grab a pack of Hawaiian rolls (or use our salted dinner roll recipe!) and turn these sandwiches into sliders.
• Greek yogurt and lime juice form a quick dressing for our slaw mix. If you're out of Greek yogurt, you can use sour cream, mayonnaise, or labneh in its place.

Step by Step Instructions

Cook the Chicken

Throw some boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the bowl of a slow cooker (we love our 5 qt. Crock-Pot!), along with your favorite barbecue sauce and a pinch of kosher salt (Image 1, above). Use a pair of tongs to toss everything together until the chicken is evenly coated in the sauce (Image 2).

Cover the crockpot and cook for 6-8 hours on low heat, until chicken is cooked through and tender (Image 3, below).

Pro Tip: If you're in a hurry, cook the chicken on the crock pot's high heat setting for 3-4 hours.

When the chicken is cooked and you're ready to eat, use two forks to shred the meat (Image 4). Set the shredded chicken aside while you prep the rest of the sandwich ingredients.

Don't worry if the barbecue sauce looks a little watery! The chicken will soak up a lot of that sauce as it sits, and it'll help keep the sandwiches moist.

Pro Tip: Taste the shredded chicken and add seasonings as necessary. Depending on the barbecue sauce, the chicken may need a bit of salt or pepper - or even more barbecue sauce! - to help the flavors pop.

Make the Slaw

Add Greek yogurt, lime juice, and a pinch of salt to a small bowl (Image 5). Whisk it all together to form a smooth dressing (Image 6).

Pour the dressing over the slaw mix and toss it all together (Image 7, above).

Toast the Sandwich Rolls

When you're ready to eat, toast your sandwich rolls. Don't skip this step - it adds SO much texture to these sandwiches!

How to Toast Sandwich Rolls: We like to lay our hamburger buns on sheet pan, drizzle them with olive oil, and bake them in the oven at 400° F for about 7 minutes until they're lightly browned. You can also toast your burger buns in a toaster oven, or in a cast iron skillet with a bit of butter. Use whatever method you like best!

Assemble

Top one half of each toasted slider roll with a scoop of barbecue chicken (Image 8) and a scoop of slaw (Image 9). Add any other toppings you like, top with the other half of the roll, and serve!

FAQs

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📖 Recipe

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review

• Author: Jessie
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Inactive Time: 8 hours
• Cook Time: 8 hours
• Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: Makes 4-6 sandwiches 1x
• Category: Slow Cooker
• Cuisine: American

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Description

These shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches are made in the slow cooker for an easy weeknight dinner!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Chicken:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large pieces)
• ⅔ cup barbecue sauce
• kosher salt to taste

To Assemble the Sandwiches:

• 4-6 brioche hamburger buns, halved
• 2 Tablespoons Greek yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• kosher salt, to taste
• 2 heaping cups store bought slaw mix

Optional Toppings:

• White cheddar cheese slices
• Fresh cilantro
• Mayonnaise
• Ranch dressing
• Extra barbecue sauce
• Lettuce or mixed greens

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Instructions

Make the Chicken:

1. Toss chicken breasts, barbecue sauce, and a pinch of salt together in the bowl of a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, until chicken is cooked through and tender.
2. Use two forks to carefully shred chicken (do this right in the bowl of the slow cooker: this helps the chicken soak up any extra sauce as it cools!) Set aside while you prep the rest of the sandwich ingredients.

Assemble the Sandwiches:

1. Toast burger buns using your preferred method. You can use the oven (lay the buns out on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and bake at 400° F for 4-8 minutes until toasted), a toaster oven, or a cast iron skillet over medium high heat for this! Just don't skip the toasting step: Toasting the slider rolls adds some much-needed texture to these sliders.
2. In a small bowl, whisk greek yogurt and lime juice together with a pinch of salt. Pour over slaw mix and toss to combine.
3. Time to assemble! Top the bottom half of each toasted bun with a big scoop of shredded barbecue chicken and a scoop of slaw (along with any other toppings you like!). Add the top half of the bun and serve immediately.

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Notes

Additions and Substitutions. Add cheese (white cheddar, blue cheese, mozzarella), greens (arugula, mixed greens, your favorite lettuce), chopped cilantro, or sliced pickles if you like. If the sandwiches feel too dry, spread each bun with a bit of mayonnaise or add an extra drizzle of barbecue sauce (ranch and blue cheese dressing are also good on these sandwiches!)

In a hurry? Cook chicken on the crockpot's high heat setting for 3-4 hours.

Which burger buns should I use? We used brioche burger buns in these photos, but use any bread you like! Hoagie rolls, wheat hamburger buns, and pretzel rolls are all good. You can also use hawaiian rolls or small dinner rolls to turn these into sliders, or serve the chicken and slaw in a lettuce wrap for a lighter option.

Store cooled chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. This chicken also freezes well - it will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for 3-4 months (you may want to toss it with some fresh barbecue sauce once it's defrosted for extra flavor!)

Ingredients and Equipment. We used a 5 quart Crock Pot slow cooker in these photos. We've tested this recipe with a variety of barbecue sauces - use whatever you like! We typically have Stubb's or Sweet Baby Ray's sauces on hand.

Food Safety Tip: Always make sure chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165° Fahrenheit.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 sandwich
• Calories: 390
• Sugar: 24 g
• Sodium: 910.7 mg
• Fat: 5.6 g
• Carbohydrates: 50.6 g
• Protein: 27.3 g
• Cholesterol: 84.4 mg

Keywords: slow cooker, sandwich, chicken breast