Ingredients
Method
Prepare the Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker.
- In a mixing bowl, combine BBQ sauce, chicken broth or water, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
- Pour the BBQ sauce mixture over the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and easily shredded with a fork.
- Once cooked, shred the chicken using two forks and mix it back into the sauce in the slow cooker.
Prepare the Tangy Cabbage Slaw
- Place the sliced cabbage in a large bowl and cover with 4 cups of hot water and a pinch of salt. Let it soak for 30 minutes to soften.
- In a separate bowl, add the thinly sliced red onion and pour 1 cup of vinegar over it. Let it soak for at least 30 minutes to pickle.
- Drain the cabbage and squeeze out excess water. Add the drained pickled onions. Toss the slaw with a drizzle of olive oil, a splash of vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste.
Assemble the Sandwiches
- Toast your burger buns if desired.
- Place a generous amount of BBQ pulled chicken on the bottom bun. Top with a scoop of the tangy cabbage slaw. Finish with the top bun and serve immediately.
- Serve these delicious sandwiches with a side of your choice, like fries or a simple salad.
Nutrition
Notes
Pro Tips:
Use chicken thighs instead of breasts, even if the recipe calls for breasts. After making this hundreds of times, thighs never dry out like breasts do, and their higher fat content means they absorb the BBQ flavors deeper while staying incredibly juicy. Look for BBQ sauce with molasses or brown sugar listed in the first three ingredients – not high fructose corn syrup. The natural sugars caramelize better during the long cooking process, creating deeper flavor layers that artificial sweeteners simply can't match. Shred the chicken while it's still hot using two forks in opposite directions. Cold or room-temperature chicken fibers tighten up and won't pull apart in those perfect, long strands that make pulled chicken so satisfying to eat. Don't lift the lid for the first 4 hours, no matter how tempting. Each peek releases steam and drops the internal temperature by 15-20 degrees, which means your chicken won't break down properly and you'll end up with stringy, tough meat instead of tender pulled chicken.
Use chicken thighs instead of breasts, even if the recipe calls for breasts. After making this hundreds of times, thighs never dry out like breasts do, and their higher fat content means they absorb the BBQ flavors deeper while staying incredibly juicy. Look for BBQ sauce with molasses or brown sugar listed in the first three ingredients – not high fructose corn syrup. The natural sugars caramelize better during the long cooking process, creating deeper flavor layers that artificial sweeteners simply can't match. Shred the chicken while it's still hot using two forks in opposite directions. Cold or room-temperature chicken fibers tighten up and won't pull apart in those perfect, long strands that make pulled chicken so satisfying to eat. Don't lift the lid for the first 4 hours, no matter how tempting. Each peek releases steam and drops the internal temperature by 15-20 degrees, which means your chicken won't break down properly and you'll end up with stringy, tough meat instead of tender pulled chicken.
