Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken.
I can’t get enough of the stuff.
If I’m telling the truth, I really enjoy cooking with beer much more than I like drinking it. I do like to drink it on occasion, but it’s not always my beverage of choice. However, when it comes to cooking with it?
Best
flavor
ever.
Basically, I love replacing water with alcohol. Always and forever.
And now… a peek into what a mess my kitchen appliances really are.
You don’t even want to see my stand mixer. Or my toaster. Or my food processor. Or my fridge. Or my… everything. I’m a train wreck.
Look at that bun. (Or bum, since that’s what I really just typed.) Don’t you want to do a big trampoline jump on it? So puffy and fluffy and fat.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that this is the best chicken I have ever made in the crockpot. It might be the best chicken I’ve made, period. And… I make a ton of crockpot chicken. Like really, a ton.
People… I live with a man who seriously eats chicken at least five days a week for lunch and dinner. Sometimes I get insanely creative, but most weeks he gets the short end of the stick when I throw chicken in the slow cooker with, uh… nothing else, just so I don’t have to deal with making him something delicious only to stuff it in five giant tupperware containers. Maybe I do wish you could see my fridge.
So, I’m convinced it’s a combination of the perfect marriage between beer, spices (I freakishly love onion powder and smoked paprika together… give it a whirl) and sauce (Bone Suckin‘ is the best) that makes this so amazing. It’s a great meal for a crowd but if you’re smart, you’ll make a big crock for yourself and freeze a bunch for the days when wine drinking and pie eating takes precedence over dinner.
Or is that just me?
Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken
serves about 8-10
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 large)
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces of beer (I used a classic amber)
32 ounces of barbecue sauce
Season chicken with onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Add to crockpot, then add beer and 24 ounces of barbecue sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours, tossing once or twice if desired. After 8 hours, shred and add remaining barbecue sauce. Toss chicken to coat and let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving to absorb everything. Serve as desired.
Notes:
1. I’ve found that *thinner* barbecue sauce works better (such as Bone Suckin’ Sauce) than thicker sauce (like Sweet Baby Ray’s). If you choose to use a thicker sauce, you may want to add a little more beer (or liquid) in order for the sauce not to burn and thicken on the edges of the pot. This is also the reason I don’t use my homemade barbecue sauce.
2. If you don’t want to use beer, you can try a ginger ale, chicken stock, or even water.
3. This makes a ton of chicken and I usually freeze immediately freeze a container for later.
I wish I was sandwiched between those buns.
496 Comments on “Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken.”
Jessica, I will send you a recipe that was given to me by a friend from Philly. It is just Sausage and sauerkraut, with beer, but is great!
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I made this last weekend for our pumpkin carving party, and it was a hit! I don’t think it could’ve been any easier to make. I felt like one of those infomercials, “set it and forget it”. I didn’t have time to prep anything and this made entertaining a breeze. By 8 hours, the chicken was falling apart (the sign of all that is good). Thank you so much for this recipe. I’m definitely making this one again.
HELP! I am making this for a cooking club tonight! I put it on low this morning at 6:15am. I just got home (been almost 7 hours) and it smells great, BUT it is crazy watery!! Is my crock pot not heating up enough?? I just turned it on high in hopes that it will boil down, but it doesn’t seem to be boiling too quickly. Any suggestions?? They would be greatly appreciated!!
Did you made any changes or add less chicken/more liquid?? I would turn it to high too and see what happens!
i followed it exactly! But, turning it on high seems to be working! I just shredded the chicken and it seems much thicker. My roommate taste tested it and said it is delicious! thanks for your quick response!! LOVE your blog!
Can’t wait to try this out!! It is crockpot season after all! If you are in need of a good drink and have beer on hand already, check out: http://sarahsjoys.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/ginger-rum-shandies/
Always looking for new ways to expand my meagre cooking range, this sounds ideal.
This looks delicious!
It reminds me of a Pittsburgh tradition… Chipped Ham BBQ. It’s just Coca~Cola, Heinz Ketchup, and Chipped Ham. Maybe some relish if you’re fancy.
I think I’m gonna try this for the weekend!
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Sounds delicious. I am going to try it. Nice that you could be Freshly Pressed by proxy!
I just tried this with bourbon and some extra chili spices and it was amazing. (added 1tspn Cumin, 1 tspn chili powder/ Used 4 oz Bulliet bourbon/4 oz Sam Addams Light for beer, 24 oz Sweet Baby Ray’s because I like my pulled chicken a little dryer). I also added a lb of pre cooked, crispy bacon because bacon makes everything better.
Great football food.
I make something similar with brisket of beef but I never thought of using chicken. Can’t wait to try this, thanks.
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I’m halfway through making this on a cold snowy day in Boulder, CO and I can’t wait to eat it tonight! Smells amazing! I used Sweet Baby Rays and Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale!
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Jessica, I wanted to let you know I’ve made not 1, but FOUR batches of this in the last week. Ok, not JUST for my family, for an event.
Anyone reading this, this is a GREAT recipe!!!! My ONLY suggestion: know you crockpot! My crockpot cooked this, on low, in 3.5 hours. So if your chicken turns out dry (which happened my 1st batch), it’s not the recipe, it’s your crockpot. The remaining 3 batches were, as my husband described, “melt in your mouth, deeeelicious!”
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This sounds soooo YUMMY and I’m so glad you gave a substitute for beer !!!! (I want to send the recipe to my daughter who’s pregnant) She loves cooking in her crockpot and is always asking me for new recipes. (and to think she never ever would cook with raw meat before much less eat it…lol ) Thanks again and will definitely try the beer version for my hubby. :)
So you don’t brown the chicken before you throw it in the crockpot?
Nope, I never brown my chicken for the crockpot if I’m going to shred it. I do with beef/meat and sometimes pork, but not this chicken. It’s really juicy all on it’s own.
Found this recipe on Pinterest and I am making it today! It sounds delicious and so does everything else on your blog – following you now!
This recipe is sooo simple. I love it. I’m reaching my third decade on this plantet and have realized I’m not a good cook…yet. My previous recipe for pulled pork has a dozen things in it..turns out great…but expensive and for a crockpot meal it was very labor intensive. This sounds simple, inexpensive and best of all yummy. I’ll be giving it a try this week. Thanks for posting!
Would that be Leinenkugel’s Classic Amber?
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I made this last night and it was delicious….even though I overcooked it by 2 hours because I couldn’t get home from work on time and I used Sweet Baby Ray’s bbq sauce even though you said not to :-D heehehe. it was delicious and bf approved! sorry i didn’t get to take any pics of it though.
I’m so excited about this, mine is in the crockpot right now and smells wonderful! I turned it on high for an hour and then set it on low for 6 hours, it’s got about 3 hours to go but it looks very watery and I’m a little worried it’s not going to turn out well. Also, my chicken feels too hard and I’m concerned it’s not going to fall apart like everyone else’s did…do you think it should still turn out okay?
im having this problem right now! with about 3 hours left to go to….how did yours turn out??
What size crockpot did you use?
Mine is 7 quart but this could probably fit in a 5 quart too.
This was really delicious! My husband loved it – why wouldn’t he – beer and BBQ sauce!? I think next time I’ll use pork though instead of chicken.
Question about shredding the chicken – did you take it out of the crockpot and put it on a cutting board, or shred it in the crock pot?
Do it in the crockpot.
*Whew!* You replied just in time. I’m 20 minutes out from shredding time. The house smells *wonderful* – mouthwatering.
Thanks for posting this recipe! Had friends over for dinner last night but had to work all day. Threw this together the night before in the crockpot, put it in the fridge, and then plugged it in this morning! Came home after a long day to an amazing smelling house and dinner done and ready for my friends and I! Perfect crockpot recipe… thanks for posting!
Now I know what my monitor tastes like. :D
I <3 BBQ!
A couple of ideas. First, use chicken thighs rather than breasts – they have a lot more flavour and cost lest. Second, using real onion and garlic isn’t that hard – give it a try.
Can you put the chicken in frozen and put the seasoning on top? I want to make it in the next hour! Please reply soon! Thanks!
If you want to do the chicken frozen, I would possibly add a little less liquid because it will release a lot of water. I haven’t tried that. I really suggest putting it in thawed if you can!
Thanks! I made a buffalo chicken last week and it went in frozen! Just double checking! Thanks, I will thaw it!
hmmm is that why mine is so watery? I used frozen and a normal amount of beer i have about 2 hours until its done. i hope i can save it :(
Cooking this as we speak!
I just found your recipe and I have it in the crock pot as I type this email! YUMMY!!! I am so excited to try it and I am sure my kids and husband will like it too! I am going to look through your other recipes too and see what I can make tomorrow with steak! :)
Mine had so much liquid it still just about covered the chicken from sight. If I shred the chicken in that much sauce it will be more like soup than BBQ. I used a 6 qt Crockpot. Did I do something wrong?
I made this last night when I had my in-laws over and it was a huge hit. I used chicken stock instead of beer but it was still tasty. Mine had a bit of liquid still left so I might cut back on the liquid next time but we all loved it.
http://lexslifeasanewwife.blogspot.com/2011/12/crockpot-bbq-chicken.html
This sounds really good! I make an easy pulled BBQ pork with sliced onions and ROOT BEER and a boneless pork roast… just put it all in the crock pot. It cooks for hours on low and then you shred the meat and make a BBQ sauce with more root beer and a few other ingredients. It is really good too. Have to go find the recipe…. i have even made it with diet root beer for fewer calories and it is good.I think it was a Better Homes and Garden recipe originally. My kids used to love it!
If I don’t have 8 hours can I do this on high and if so for how long?
I’ve made this a couple times and cooked it on high for 5 hrs with no problem using completely frozen chicken breasts…but I used more sauce and beer so I don’t know if that makes a difference
I just made this tonight and was a great hit with the Mr. :) SO easy! Thanks a lot!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is the first recipe I have ever made in a crockpot, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. I took it to a New Years Eve soiree and it was a smashing success. I completely wanted to dive into the crockpot and just swim in its amazingness. I’m also now a bone suckin’ convert. :)
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Talk about easy, EASY! This makes the decision between pulled pork, barbecue beef and chicken that much more difficult the next time. No gristle or fat to wade through with chicken breasts, had it for the plethora of Monday college football games including the Michigan State overtime win, yahoo, and the guests all liked it alot. Thanks for sharing this one with us. On the short list for tailgate parties in the future, and any other group party where the cook wants to relax. We served the sandwiches on slider size rolls, noone just ate one, for sure.
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Hello! First of all, I LOVE your website!!! I am making this chicken tomorrow. My grocery store didn’t have the bone sucking sauce in stock, so I am using Sweet Baby Ray’s….how much extra beer should I add over the 8 oz to keep the sauce from burning?? Any help you could give me would be great!! Thanks!!! :-)
I haven’t tried it with Sweet Baby Ray’s but I think a few other commenters have and haven’t had a problem! Maybe add 10 ounces and go from there? Any chance you will be home at all to check on it?
I will be home hopefully about 5 hours into cooking. I will try using 10 oz of beer. Thank you for your help! I can’t wait to make this!!!! :-)
I am going to make this either this weekend or Monday! I do have one question though… Where would I buy that Bone Suckin’ Sauce? Do they carry it at Walmart? Also, if I include real onions, do you think a whole onion would be too much?