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Who doesn’t love an easy, no fuss meal in the crockpot? Mix the ingredients, dump in the pot, and leave it. After several hours you come back to meat that is tender, juicy and falls apart with the poke of a fork. Some people say chicken breasts are not meant to be cooked in the slow cooker, but I disagree. This gluten free chicken recipe makes the most tender and juicy chicken. Get ready to meet the newest recipe in your meal prep rotation!
In my previous life (aka pre-COVID) I used to commute to work 45 minutes each way, then go to the gym in the evening. It was 7:30 or 8pm by the time I returned from the gym & showered. That left little-to-no time to cook dinner, so I began meal prepping on Sundays. Having healthy meals ready to eat throughout the week helped me stay on track with my diet and save a little money, especially after I started tracking my marcos. One serving of the below recipe contains 46 grams of protein!
After I dried out several chicken breasts in the oven, I set out on a quest to make a juicy and flavorful chicken recipe. Through some trial and error I developed the perfect combination. In this recipe the barbecue sauce adds just the right amount of sweetness, balanced perfectly by the tang from the Zesty Italian Dressing. The vinegar in the dressing plus the addition of apple cider vinegar tenderizes the chicken while it cooks.
This chicken is a perfect meal prep option for busy people. It is versatile and can be used in endless ways. You can literally eat a new dinner every night of the week. My husband likes to eat his chicken on a bun with cheese or over rice. I like to eat mine on a salad or on top of a sweet potato. Sometimes I eat the chicken by itself if I am feeling a low carb day. But it doesn’t end there! With this chicken you can make BBQ chicken pizza, tacos and nachos. Not to mention kids love it!
Start by pouring 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of the crock pot. Chicken is very lean so I like to add a little oil to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom. Next, add the chicken breasts directly to the crock pot. I do believe the quality of the chicken breasts makes a difference. Better quality organic chicken breasts typically yields better results. For this recipe I used 3 large chicken breasts, about 2.20 lbs.
In a separate bowl combine BBQ sauce, Italian Dressing and apple cider vinegar. Mix then sauce, then pour on top of the chicken. Use tongs to move the chicken breasts until they are evenly coated in sauce. Cover crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours. For reference, I have a 5 quart crock pot. If yours is much larger you may need to decrease the cook time or add more chicken to the recipe. I have found that chicken breasts can dry out if the crock pot is empty, so adding more chicken to a larger crock pot will slow the cooking time.
After 4 hours remove the lid and place one chicken breast on a plate. Shred chicken with 2 forks. If the chicken is not the desired doneness (165 degrees) you can return to pot to cook on high for 30-60 minutes until done. If chicken is done continue to shred remaining chicken. Return shredded chicken to the pot with remaining sauce. Allow chicken to sit and absorb sauce for 10 minutes before serving. This chicken tastes even better on day 2 after marinating in the saucy goodness!
One of my favorite parts about using my crock pot is that I can store the pot in the fridge. No need to transfer everything to a plastic Tupperware container for storage. Sometimes it’s the small things. I hope you and your family enjoy this no fuss, versatile, gluten free dinner option! Comment below if you have any questions or if you have made this recipe.
Crockpot Barbecue Pulled Chicken
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (about 3-4 large chicken breasts)
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 cup Barbecue Sauce of choice (I used Stubb's Stick Sweet sauce which is GF)
- 1/4 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
- Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom of the crock pot, then add chicken breasts.
- In separate bowl combine BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, and apple cider vinegar. Pour over chicken. Move chicken with tongs until evenly coated in sauce.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, remove chicken 1 breast at a time and shred with 2 forks. Once all chicken is shredded return to pot. Allow chicken to sit in pot and soak up sauce for 10 minutes before serving. If chicken is not done after 4 hours (internal temperature of 165 degrees), return to pot before shredding. Continue cooking on high for 30-60 minutes until done.
[…] with my simple crock pot shredded barbecue chicken. Have you made this chicken yet? It is SO good! Linking the recipe here. 3 large chicken breasts make 6+ servings of shredded BBQ chicken. It is so versatile and can be […]