This Sweet Baby Ray’s Crockpot Chicken recipe requires only boneless chicken breasts, a bottle of BBQ sauce, some seasonings, and spices. What could be better than making tender meat coated in a thick, sweet, and tangy sauce when it’s conveniently cooked in the crock pot so you can avoid the work?
Sweet Baby Rays Crock Pot BBQ Chicken
Our easy Sweet Baby Ray’s Crockpot Chicken recipe is made using the slow cooker method to cook a delicious main dish meal – simply pour the barbecue sauce mixture over the poultry, and walk away until dinner is done. Serve the pieces intact or shed them to use in sandwiches.
I love a kitchen appliance that can create all the moisture you need for fall-apart tender poultry pieces. Each barbecue chicken breast is so soft that you can cut it with just a fork. This crock pot chicken recipe is a fuss-free way to bathe chicken breasts in a sweet and slightly spicy sauce. It is filled with all the flavor of its faster Instant Pot counterpart, but instead, it is cooked low and slow, so the meat is infused with robust, rich flavor.
Sweet Baby Ray’s Crockpot Chicken Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: I used chicken breasts to keep this meal light, but boneless skinless chicken thighs will also work well if you prefer dark meat. Just remember to use 2 pounds of chicken.
- Sweet Baby Ray’s Original barbecue sauce: This recipe used Sweet Baby Ray’s Original sauce, but you can certainly substitute its sweet heat or honey barbecue flavors. Keep in mind that the taste will be slightly different from the original version.
- Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar adds a tangy, slightly sweet flavor to the dish, which balances the richness of the BBQ sauce and enhances the overall taste and texture.
- Light brown sugar: Unlike white sugar, brown sugar contains molasses, which helps caramelize the chicken as it cooks and creates a rich, savory-sweet flavor and a beautiful glaze.
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Red pepper flakes: If you like a little extra spice, you can increase the amount of red pepper flakes to your liking.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Sweet Baby Ray’s Crockpot Chicken
- Make The Sauce Mixture: Whisk together the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes.
- Smother With Sauce: Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in the slow cooker insert. Pour sauce mixture over the chicken to coat.
- Cover and Cook: Cover and cook for 4 – 5 hours on low or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165* F.) and is tender.
- Cook Uncovered: Remove the lid and spread the remaining barbecue sauce over the chicken. Continue to cook on high, uncovered, for 30 – 45 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve: Garnish with finely chopped parsley, serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This slow cooker barbecue chicken is best served warm. The poultry can be served as whole pieces with your other favorite bbq sides. Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ chicken pairs perfectly with potato or macaroni salad, mashed potatoes, homemade coleslaw, broccoli slaw, baked beans, or corn on the cob.
BBQ crock pot chicken can also be shredded and served sloppy joes style between buns. Simply shred the cooked chicken, add it back to the crockpot with all the sauce and juices, and serve it as shredded bbq chicken sandwiches. Pulled chicken can also be spooned over a bed of rice, piled on top of salads, stuffed in tacos or burritos, rolled in a wrap, or even mixed in with mac and cheese.
Leftover crockpot barbecue chicken can be used to make chili, as a filling for enchiladas, as a topping for pizza and nachos, or simply eaten straight from the spoon!
Tips & Variations
- For fresh chicken: Make sure that the pieces are at room temperature before placing them in the crockpot for even cooking and best consistency to the sauce.
- For frozen chicken: When adding frozen chicken to a slow cooker, you will need to adjust the cook time to allow the chicken to cook thoroughly. The frozen chicken will also give off a lot of excess moisture to the sauce making it a very thin consistency.
- I love using crockpot liners –they make cleanup so much easier.
- Pick Your Protein: Instead of chicken, feel free to use pork roast or beef in your slow cooker.
- Substitute The Sauce: You can use your favorite brand of BBQ sauce or a homemade BBQ sauce to smother or mix with your meat. Or if you want a bbq sauce with a bite, try my Fireball BBQ Sauce or Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce.
Proper Storage
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for 2-3 days.
- To Freeze: For longer storage, you can freeze the chicken once it has been cooked and cooled completely in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- To Reheat: Reheat in a slow cooker on low or in the microwave. If you are reheating from frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge first before reheating.
Other Easy Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Enchilada Bake
- Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken
- Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Hasselback Chicken
If you tried this Sweet Baby Ray’s Crockpot Chicken Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
Sweet Baby Ray’s Crockpot Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (4 large) boneless skinless chicken breasts room temperature
- 1½ cups Sweet Baby Ray’s Original barbecue sauce 18 oz. bottle, divided (1 cup to make sauce for cooking and ½ cup to brush onto cooked chicken for serving)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- To a 4-5 quart crockpot slow cooker, add the boneless skinless chicken breasts in a single layer.2 pounds (4 large) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s original barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, light brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder and red pepper flakes.1½ cups Sweet Baby Ray’s Original barbecue sauce, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts inside the slow cooker. Be sure to evenly coat all the chicken with the sauce.
- Place the lid onto the slow cooker and set to LOW. Cook for 4 – 5 hours or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165* F.) and is tender.
- Remove the lid to the crockpot slow cooker and add the remaining ½ cup Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce to the chicken. Spread over the top of the chicken.
- With the lid removed, turn up the setting to HIGH and cook, uncovered, for 30 – 45 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat to the crockpot slow cooker, remove the chicken from the crockpot and place it onto a serving plate. Garnish with finely chopped parsley if desired and serve.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for 2-3 days.
- To Freeze: For longer storage, you can freeze the chicken once it has been cooked, and cooled completely, in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- To Reheat: Reheat in a slow cooker on low or in the microwave. If you are reheating from frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge first before reheating.
- For fresh chicken: Make sure that the pieces are at room temperature before placing them in the crockpot for even cooking and best consistency to the sauce.
- For frozen chicken: When adding frozen chicken to a slow cooker, you will need to adjust the cook time to allow the chicken to cook thoroughly. The frozen chicken will also give off a lot of excess moisture to the sauce making it a very thin consistency.
- I love using crockpot liners –they make cleanup so much easier.
- Pick Your Protein: Instead of chicken, feel free to use pork roast or beef in your slow cooker.
- Substitute The Sauce: You can use your favorite brand of BBQ sauce or a homemade BBQ sauce to smother or mix with your meat. Or if you want a bbq sauce with a bite, try my Fireball BBQ Sauce or Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce.
