Crockpot BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Crockpot BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes is guaranteed to be a family favorite! To make this easy recipe, a mix of zesty Italian dressing and BBQ sauce is added to the slow cooker with chicken breasts. The chicken is cooked until tender and then easily shredded. We love this stuffed in baked sweet potatoes with plenty of cheddar cheese. But there are so many tasty serving options! Change things up and serve it on sandwich buns, over a salad, on top of pizza or taco-style!
We just finished devouring your crockpot barbecue chicken, we all loved it ! We served it with a side salad, it was a great dinner! We used sweet potato and baked potato, both so yummy! I’m excited to add another recipe for dinners. Will be making it again soon!
— Jean
When I need an effortless dinner idea, I often rely on my slow cooker to do all of the work! Some of my go-to recipes are chicken tortilla soup, pulled pork sandwiches and this crockpot BBQ chicken.
With less than 10 minutes of prep, this recipe is perfect to add to the crock pot before heading out for the day. You’ll come home to tender, flavorful slow cooker barbecue chicken.
My family absolutely loves this simple, yet satisfying crockpot bbq chicken recipe. It has such a wonderful taste! And it makes for such an easy and versatile dinner option – it can be used in so many different ways. It’s a great option for a huge family dinner, for game day or even parties. Make it for dinner tonight!
Ingredients needed
With just 3 simple ingredients, you’re well on your way to a delicious meal!
- Boneless, skinless chicken. I always have chicken breast in my freezer or fridge, so that’s what I typically use. Chicken thighs are a great choice as well, and most of the time they actually cook up more tender and flavorful than regular chicken breast.
- Zesty Italian dressing. This gives the chicken an amazing flavor and is a delicious counterpart to the BBQ sauce.
- BBQ sauce. You can use any kind of BBQ sauce you like. You could even try making homemade BBQ sauce.
If you’re using this crockpot BBQ chicken to stuff sweet potatoes (highly recommend), you’ll also need 4 medium sweet potatoes and cheddar cheese. For even more deliciousness, try adding my favorite coleslaw over the top!
How to make this recipe
This dish might be one of the easiest on my site… and one of the tastiest! Below, you’ll find a rundown of the basic instructions and then you can find the full, printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Add chicken. Place chicken in the slow cooker.
- Add sauce & cook. Pour Italian dressing and BBQ sauce evenly over the top of the chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.
- Shred chicken. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the slow cooker, and shred or chop. With a sieve or fine mesh strainer (like this one), strain the cooking liquid into a large measuring cup or bowl. Place the sauce and the chicken back into the warming crock pot until ready to serve.
- Enjoy! Serve in sweet potatoes or on buns or another preferred way!
Expert tips
- Chicken breasts and chicken thighs both work fine for this recipe. You could even mix things up and use beef and pork for a little different flavor.
- Use any favorite brand of BBQ sauce, or if you have the time, make your own!
- This pulled chicken recipe feeds about 4 adults. If you are feeding a crowd, you can easily double or triple the recipe.
- If you only have frozen chicken available, that will work in a pinch. Cook the chicken on high rather than low heat, so that it comes up to the appropriate temperature at a faster rate.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Raw chicken is perfectly safe to cook in the slow cooker. The direct heat from the pot, lengthy cooking time and steam created from the tightly covered container destroys bacteria, making slow cooking safe. You can put frozen chicken in a slow cooker, too!
No, it won’t burn as long as it’s mixed with another liquid like broth, water, or (in this case) Italian dressing.
Always cook boneless skinless chicken breasts on LOW for the best results. We do not recommend cooking it on HIGH, as it can dry out quickly.
Serving suggestions
Besides the stuffed sweet potatoes that are featured, there are so many ways to make this pulled chicken into a meal! Here’s some options:
- BBQ chicken sandwiches. On a toasted bun, add a scoop of BBQ chicken and any other toppings you prefer for a delicious chicken sandwich.
- Main course. Serve chicken with a variety of sides, like mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, potato salad, rice, beans or whatever other side dishes you have available.
- Salad. For a lighter meal option, make a BBQ chicken salad.
- Nachos. Use leftover chicken to make BBQ chicken nachos along with cheese and other toppings.
- Pizza. Make your own pizza with leftovers, extra BBQ sauce, shredded cheese, and other toppings.
Storing recommendations
- Storage. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or bag and kept in the refrigerator for up to about 4 days.
- Freezing. Allow it to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer safe bag or container. It will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating. To reheat, you can place it in the slow cooker and place it on “warm” to warm it back up. Alternatively, you can simply reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
This pulled chicken recipe is honestly one of my favorite meals. It always comes out so tender, flavorful and delicious. It’s amazing stuffed in sweet potatoes or even regular baked potatoes, in a sandwich, on pizza, for tacos, or to simply eat as-is with some chips and potato salad. Using a crockpot makes it such an easy meal too! This one is definitely a crowd pleaser!
More slow cooker recipes
If you try this, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Crockpot BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighes
- 1 (16oz) bottle Zesty Italian salad dressing
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 4 medium sweet potatoes, skins scrubbed clean
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Arrange the chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker. Pour the Italian dressing and the BBQ sauce evenly over top. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.
- During the last hour of cooking the chicken, preheat the oven to 425°F. Rub the potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and prick them with a fork. Place them on a foil lined baking sheet and cook the potatoes for 45 to 60 minutes – until their skin is crispy and sticking one with a fork meets no resistance.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker, and shred or chop. With a sieve or fine mesh strainer (like this one), strain the cooking liquid into a large measuring cup or bowl. Place the sauce and the chicken back into the warming crock pot until ready to serve.
- To serve: slice the baked sweet potatoes lengthwise, and gently push the side inward to ‘plump’ up the insides of the cooked potato. Place 1/4 of the shredded BBQ chicken into the potato and immediately top with shredded cheddar (the heat of the chicken and potato will melt the cheese pretty quick). Drizzle with the strained BBQ sauce and serve immediately!
Notes
- Storage. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight bag or container and kept in the refrigerator for up to about 4 days.
- Freezing. Allow to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer safe bag or container. It will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating. To reheat, you can place it in the slow cooker and place it on “warm” to warm it back up. Alternatively, you can simply reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @kimscravings on Instagram and be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy and delicious recipes straight to your inbox!
We just finished devouring your crockpot barbecue chicken, we all loved it ! We served it with a side salad , it was a great dinner ! We used sweet potato and baked potato , both so yummy !
I’m excited to add another recipe for dinners 👍 Will be making it again soon !
So happy to hear that your family enjoyed! Thanks so much for taking time to comment!