Crock Pot Coca Cola Chicken

Tender, juicy, savory, and sweet — this Coca Cola chicken is an easy slow cooker dinner with just 10 minutes of prep!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword chicken coca cola, chicken in coca cola, coca cola chicken, coca cola chicken slow cooker

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 10

Servings people

Calories 421kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs (or sub with boneless skinless chicken breast)
¼ cup homemade barbecue rub (or store-bought brand of choice)
2 large onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 (12 ounce) can Coca-Cola
1 cup barbecue sauce, plus extra for serving
Optional, for serving: chopped fresh parsley; sandwich rolls; coleslaw; cooked rice; noodles; mashed potatoes; baked potatoes; biscuits or cornbread

Place the onion and garlic in the bottom of a slow cooker.
Pat chicken dry with paper towels; season liberally with barbecue rub on all sides. Nestle the chicken in the slow cooker on top of the onions.
Add 1 ½ teaspoons salt, Coca-Cola, and barbecue sauce. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Shred the chicken with two forks. Stir the meat back into the sauce. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chopped scallions, drizzle with additional barbecue sauce, and serve on sandwich rolls with coleslaw; over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes; tucked inside baked potatoes; or with biscuits or cornbread.

Adjust the amount of bbq dry rub to suit your taste. I know that ¼ cup sounds like a lot (and it is), but remember that you have a lot of meat to season. The flavor will also be diluted by the condensation in the slow cooker, as well as the Coca Cola and other cooking liquid. Crock Pot meals require a lot of seasoning so that they don't taste watered-down.
Use either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs. We find that the dark meat thighs stay juicier during the slow cooking process, but either works.
Pick a thick store-bought barbecue sauce, which won’t get too watered down and thin in the Crock Pot. We like Sweet Baby Ray’s brand for this dish.
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 2-3 hours (at the most — sometimes they’re done in just 90 minutes). 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 2 hours or on LOW for about 4 hours. Just get familiar with your pot and adjust accordingly.