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Dinner doesn’t get much easier than this 3-ingredient Crock Pot pulled chicken! With a bbq seasoning rub and a bottle of Italian dressing, you’ll have tender, juicy, shredded slow cooker chicken to serve on sandwiches, with potatoes, rice, cornbread, or coleslaw.
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Crock pot chicken recipes will always be weeknight winners! Whether we’re whipping up a batch of this 3-ingredient Crock Pot pulled chicken, or slow cooking one of our other favorites — like chicken stew, garlic brown sugar chicken, or chicken and stuffing — these easy meals are sure to please both kids and adults.
This flavorful shredded chicken is one of my go-to dinner options on busy weeknights when I don’t have time to cook. All you need to do is dump the simple ingredients into the pot and go! When you get home at the end of the day, you’ll have tender, juicy, fall-apart pulled chicken ready for sandwiches, cobb salads, tacos, nachos, or your favorite veggies and sides. You can even use the pulled chicken on a flatbread BBQ chicken pizza!
Ingredients for Quick Crock Pot Pulled Chicken
This is just an overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a batch of this quick crockpot pulled chicken. As always, specific measurements are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken: you’ll need about 2 – 2 ½ pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs. The dark meat thighs tend to stay juicier over the long cooking time, but either option is great.
- BBQ seasoning: I keep a jar of homemade bbq rub in my pantry so that it’s readily available for recipes like this. If you prefer, you can use a store-bought bbq seasoning rub.
- Italian dressing: use any variety and brand that you enjoy. I typically grab Wishbone dressing, but you can even use a homemade vinaigrette or homemade Italian dressing if you like.
How to Avoid Overcooked Chicken in a Slow Cooker
Chicken that’s cooked for too long in the Crock Pot will become dry and tough. Since every slow cooker runs at a slightly different temperature, it’s important to keep an eye on your chicken the first time you prepare this easy recipe. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken
This simple pulled chicken recipe is about as quick as it gets! I’ve included detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the short version:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker.
- Cover and cook until the chicken is done.
- Shred the meat with two forks.
The Best Way to Shred Chicken
There are a few easy ways to shred Crock Pot chicken. The first and most basic is with two forks. Slow-cooked, tender chicken will shred easily with forks. You can either shred the chicken right in the crockpot or remove it from the slow cooker and shred it in a bowl or on a cutting board.
Another easy way to shred chicken is with an electric mixer. Put the cooked chicken in a bowl and use the electric hand mixer on low speed, or use a stand mixer. You can also use a chicken shredder tool — it may seem kind of gimmicky, but it certainly works!
Serving Suggestions
Pile the shredded chicken on hamburger buns with barbecue sauce (for bbq chicken sandwiches), use it on pizza, nachos, tacos, salad, or offer the tender, flavorful meat on its own with your favorite side dishes. It’s also a great recipe to use for meal prep, as you can make a large batch at once and it stores well.
Here are some easy options that go well with pulled chicken:
- Sour Cream Cornbread, Honey Butter Cornbread, Jalapeno Cheddar Mexican Cornbread, Cast Iron Cornbread, Fluffy Bakery-Style Corn Muffins, Broccoli Cornbread, Southern Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Sweet Cornbread, Pumpkin Cornbread, Cake Mix Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, or Corn Sticks
- Hush Puppies or Hoe Cakes
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Southern Cornbread Dressing
- Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins, Pumpkin Bread, or Pumpkin Muffins
- Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, 4-Ingredient Butter Swim Biscuits, 7UP Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Pumpkin Spice Biscuits, Cheddar Biscuits with Chives and Bacon, or Drop Biscuits
- No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread, Jalapeño Cheddar Bread, No-Knead Honey Beer Bread, or Cheddar Chive Beer Bread
- Baked Potato Wedges, Twice Baked Potatoes, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives, Skin On Mashed Red Potatoes, Baked Potatoes, or Easy Potato Salad
- Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, Stovetop Shells and Cheese, Broccoli Mac and Cheese, or No-Boil Easy Mac and Cheese
- Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Southern Caesar Salad, Classic Caesar Salad, Wedge Salad, or House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Homemade Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
- Refrigerator Dill Pickles, Cucumber Salad with Vinegar, Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad, or Cucumber Dill Salad
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
- Southern Succotash
- Southern Collard Greens or Sweet and Spicy Collard Greens
- Fried Okra
- Broccoli and Cheese
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon
- Charleston Red Rice
- Okra and Tomatoes
- Southern Squash Casserole
- Cheese Grits
- Fried Cabbage with Apples and Onion, Braised Red Cabbage, or Roasted Cabbage
Preparation and Storage Tips for Pulled Chicken in Crock Pot
- Storage: Leftover shredded chicken will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- How to Freeze: To extend the life of your pulled chicken, store the leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Crock Pot Freezer Meal: You can freeze the raw ingredients together in a large Ziploc freezer bag if you’re prepping a batch of freezer meals. Thaw the bag in the refrigerator overnight, and then dump everything from the bag into a slow cooker when you’re ready to cook the meat.
- How to Reheat: Place the cooked chicken and sauce in a saucepan on the stovetop. Cover with a lid and warm over low heat, just until the meat reaches the desired temperature (stirring regularly). Alternatively, you can reheat individual servings in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
Recipe Variations
- For a different flavor, swap out the bbq rub and use herbs and spices of your choice. For instance, try a combination of kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
- Give it a Mexican-inspired twist by using taco seasoning mix and salsa instead of the bbq seasoning and salad dressing. The Mexican chicken is great in tacos or enchiladas, served with lime juice or fresh limes, hot sauce, jalapenos, cheese, sour cream, and plenty of extra salsa.
- Serving a larger group? Double all of the ingredients. (Keep in mind the capacity of your slow cooker.)
- Make it spicy by adding extra cayenne pepper to the dry rub.
- Want to make pulled chicken in the Instant Pot? My root beer barbecue chicken recipe is my favorite way to cook chicken in an Instant Pot.
Tips for the Best Crock Pot Pulled Chicken Recipe
- Use either boneless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. We find that the dark meat thighs stay a bit juicier during the slow cooking process, but they are both great.
- Be careful not to overcook your chicken. I find that the chicken breast or thighs have the best texture when cooked in my slow cooker on HIGH for about 1-2 hours, or on LOW for 2-4 hours. That keeps them moist and juicy, and prevents them from drying out. The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Also remember — every slow cooker runs at a slightly different temperature (which is why the recipe gives you general time ranges, rather than exact times). Since my slow cooker tends to cook at a relatively high temperature, I find that the meal is best when cooked on HIGH for about 1 ½ hours. Just get familiar with your pot and adjust accordingly.
- Use the meat to make slow cooker bbq chicken sandwiches, adding any of your favorite toppings — such as cheese, slaw, pickles, mayo, or barbecue sauce.
More Pulled Chicken Crock Pot Recipes to Try
Crockpot BBQ Chicken
3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Crock Pot Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken
2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Crock Pot Chicken and Gravy
4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
3-Ingredient Crock Pot Pulled Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 – 2 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or sub with chicken breast)
- 2 tablespoons bbq dry rub seasoning (or use a store-bought bbq seasoning blend)
- 1 cup Italian dressing (I use Wishbone brand, but a homemade vinaigrette will also work)
- Optional, for serving: coleslaw, sandwich buns, bbq sauce, biscuits, cornbread, or pickles
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker. Rub the bbq seasoning all over the chicken. Pour the Italian dressing over top.
- Cover and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 1-2 hours on HIGH or 3-4 hours on LOW.
- Shred the chicken with two forks and serve.
Notes
- Use either boneless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. We find that the dark meat thighs stay a bit juicier during the slow cooking process, but they are both great.
- Be careful not to overcook your chicken. I find that the chicken breast or thighs have the best texture when cooked in my slow cooker on HIGH for about 1-2 hours, or on LOW for 2-4 hours. That keeps them moist and juicy, and prevents them from drying out. The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Also remember — every slow cooker runs at a slightly different temperature (which is why the recipe gives you general time ranges, rather than exact times). Since my slow cooker tends to cook at a relatively high temperature, I find that the meal is best when cooked on HIGH for about 1 ½ hours. Just get familiar with your pot and adjust accordingly.
- Use the meat to make slow cooker bbq chicken sandwiches, adding any of your favorite toppings — such as cheese, slaw, pickles, mayo, or barbecue sauce.
Can I use balsamic vinaigrette for this recipe?
You can always try it, but probably wouldn’t recommend it as the flavor profile is very different from Italian vinaigrette.