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Enjoy this flavorful Shredded BBQ Chicken with my homemade BBQ sauce. This summer staple is easy enough for busy weeknights while being a guaranteed hit for cookouts. Serve it as a sandwich, make it into a wrap, or serve it on its own!
Why Make Shredded BBQ Chicken
The best thing about this shredded BBQ chicken is that it’s soft, juicy, and fall-apart tender, just like my BBQ chicken sliders. It’s super easy to make and perfect for both simple meals and potlucks.
- Quick and easy. This simple recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make, perfect for busy days when you still want to serve something everyone will love.
- Use it for almost anything. The options are endless when serving this shredded chicken. Serve it as a chicken sandwich, wrap, taco, on pizza or flatbread, or on its own with a side of bread or mashed potatoes.
- Make ahead and freezer-friendly. You can use this recipe for meal prep. Make it in advance and freeze it until you’re ready to serve it.
Ingredient Notes
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
- Chicken breasts. Either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs will work. Using chicken thighs will result in a juicier texture, and you’ll need less BBQ sauce.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter so you’ll have more control over the salt.
- Olive oil. For cooking the chicken.
- Seasonings. I used garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Honey BBQ sauce. You’ll need to double my homemade honey barbecue sauce for this recipe. You can also use your favorite BBQ sauce.
Steps To Make BBQ Shredded Chicken
Step One. Add the oil to a large skillet. Once the oil is hot and shimmers in the pan, carefully add the seasoned chicken to the skillet. Cook the breasts for about 7-10 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
Step Two. Once cool enough to handle, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred the chicken. You’ll want to use two forks or pop the chicken directly into a stand mixer and let the paddle attachment shred it. It’s quick and easy.
Step Three. In the same skillet with the chicken remnants, add the butter. While it’s melting, transfer the pulled chicken back into the skillet with the butter.
Step Four. Add in the BBQ Sauce and mix well. Add more sauce if needed. Serve immediately and enjoy!
What to Serve with this BBQ Chicken Recipe
Serve this shredded BBQ chicken on sandwich buns with coleslaw, over rice, in tacos, on pizza, as chicken nachos, or as a topping for baked potatoes. It also pairs well with sides like jalapeno cornbread, spicy mac and cheese, baked beans, or a simple mixed green salad.
Recipe Tips
- Use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165ºF to ensure the chicken is cooked through.
- If shredding with forks, shred the chicken while it’s still warm but not too hot to handle. Warm chicken shreds are easy to shred.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Store leftover shredded barbecue chicken in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat it gently on the stove or in the microwave, adding a little extra BBQ sauce if needed to keep it moist.
Shredded chicken freezes well. Store it in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can. When using a slow cooker, cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. To use an Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for about 10-12 minutes with a quick release. Shred the chicken and mix with BBQ sauce after cooking.
To avoid overcooking the chicken, use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165ºF. Let the chicken rest after cooking to retain its juices. Using chicken thighs instead of breasts can also help, as they tend to stay moist.
Other delicious chicken recipes to Try
Shredded Chicken BBQ
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (or both!)
- 1½ cups Honey BBQ Sauce, doubled for this recipe
- 1½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp salt & pepper
- 1 tsp olive oil, for cooking the chicken
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, to thin the sauce
Instructions
- Mix the seasonings.
- Cut the chicken breasts in half for a quicker cook. Rub the seasoning all over the chicken.
- Add the oil to a large skillet. Once the oil is hot and shimmers in the pan, carefully add the seasoned chicken to the skillet.
- Work in batches if needed, to avoid overcrowding the pan (which prevents proper cooking). Cook the breasts for about 7-10 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 165ºF
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.
- Once cool enough to handle, carefully shred the chicken. You can shred by using 2 forks OR pop the chicken directly into a stand mixer and let the paddle attachment shred it. It’s quick and easy.
- In the same skillet with the chicken remnants, add the butter. While it’s melting, transfer the pulled chicken back into the skillet with the butter.
- Add in the BBQ Sauce. Mix well! Add more sauce if needed. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
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- Double my homemade honey BBQ sauce for this recipe
- Use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165ºF to ensure the chicken is cooked through.
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- If shredding with a fork, shred the chicken while it’s still warm but not too hot to handle. Warm chicken shreds more easily.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So tasty we loved the homemade sauce I’ll be making that every time now!