Crockpot Apple Butter BBQ Pulled Chicken Recipe
This Crockpot Apple Butter BBQ Pulled Chicken is a flavorful and tender dish made by slow-cooking boneless skinless chicken breasts in a blend of BBQ sauce and sweet apple butter. Perfect for an easy meal, it can be served on buns, mashed potatoes, or wraps for a delicious comfort food experience.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3-7 hours (depending on slow cooker setting)
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes to 7 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
Sauces
- 2 cups BBQ sauce, divided (recommended: Baby Ray’s)
- 1 ½ cups apple butter
Instructions
- Prepare the slow cooker: Add the chicken breasts, 1 ½ cups of BBQ sauce, and the apple butter to the bottom of a 5 quart or larger slow cooker, ensuring the chicken is well coated with the sauce mixture.
- Cook the chicken: Cover the slow cooker and set it to high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-7 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and the internal temperature reaches 165°F, indicating it is safe to eat.
- Shred the chicken: Use two forks to shred the cooked chicken directly in the slow cooker, mixing it thoroughly with the sauce to distribute the flavors evenly.
- Add remaining BBQ sauce: Stir in the remaining ½ cup of BBQ sauce to enhance the taste and moisten the shredded chicken further.
- Serve: Serve the pulled chicken immediately by itself, over buns as a sandwich, on top of mashed potatoes, or wrapped in tortillas for a versatile and tasty meal.
Notes
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure chicken reaches 165°F for food safety.
- For thicker sauce, remove the shredded chicken and reduce the sauce on the stove before mixing back in.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Swap apple butter with regular or spiced apple sauce for variation.
- Choose your favorite BBQ sauce to customize sweetness or smokiness.
Keywords: Crockpot pulled chicken, apple butter BBQ chicken, slow cooker BBQ chicken, easy chicken recipe, pulled chicken sandwiches
