Craving a flavorful and versatile chicken dish that’s easy to make? This Zesty BBQ Chicken is easy to prepare and bursts with tangy goodness. Only a 5-Minute Prep using 5 Simple Ingredients found in most kitchens – Chicken, BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Serve the pulled chicken piled high on buns or hoagie rolls, over rice or noodles, potatoes and more – the possibilities are endless. Perfect for a busy day, parties, game days and more!
Read rave reviews from people who tried this recipe from Pinterest!
Original Post Date, May 3, 2016. Post Updated, April 14, 2024
CROCK POT ZESTY BBQ CHICKEN RECIPE
This easy-to-make pulled chicken has just 5 simple ingredients and a 5-minute prep, letting your slow cooker do all the work! My favorite way to serve this awesome chicken is piled high on a roll with french fries, my favorite coleslaw, baked beans, and cucumber salad. And if you love coleslaw on your pulled chicken and pork sandwiches, you’ll love it on this zesty chicken too!
This is another great find from way back on AllRecipes.com -with over 3600 reviews. This recipe is a 5-star winner! Swapping to fresh chicken breasts and adding chopped onion took it to the next level. So good!
INGREDIENTS FOR SLOW COOKER ZESTY BBQ CHICKEN
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- barbecue sauce
- Zesty Italian dressing
- Worcestershire sauce
- onion, chopped (optional, but highly recommended)
- brown sugar
Don’t let the unexpected combo of zesty Italian dressing and barbecue sauce fool you – they create an explosion of flavor in this Slow Cooker Zesty Barbecue Chicken!
How to Make Zesty BBQ Chicken: Slow Cooker Perfection!
Lightly spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
Place chicken in single layer in slow cooker. Top chicken with diced onion (optional). Mix remaining ingredients (bbq sauce, Italian dressing, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar). Pour sauce over chicken.
Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, until chicken is tender and easy to shred. When ready, shred with two forks. Reduce slow cooker temperature to low and cook an additional hour. Cooking the extra hour allows the yummy sauce to absorb into the chicken.
Serve this zesty bbq chicken pilled high on your favorite rolls along with your favorite barbecue sides – coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, baked potatoes, french fries, veggies, salad and more. Enjoy!
My whole family loved this recipe! Even my picky youngest daughter raved about it. Even my husband was excited about leftovers!
How to Serve Zesty Barbecue Pulled Chicken
- Buns or rolls: Pile the zesty bbq chicken high with your favorite toppings.
- Over rice or noodles: Top with the chicken for a flavorful meal.
- Baked potatoes: Load up with pulled chicken, cheese, and your favorite toppings.
- Salad: Add a cool and refreshing touch to your zesty chicken.
- Pizza topping: Sprinkle over your pizza for a fun twist.
- Wraps: Fill with the pulled chicken and veggies.
- Nacho topping: Pile on nachos with all your favorite toppings.
- Tacos: Fill tortillas with pulled chicken and taco fixings.
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Give this awesome recipe a try – you won’t be disappointed by the burst of sweet and tangy flavor!
WANT MORE SLOW COOKER RECIPES LIKE THIS ONE?
Slow Cooker Zesty BBQ Chicken
Equipment
- 6-Quart Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 - 2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fresh)
- 1 cup onion, chopped (optional)
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce I highly recommend Sweet Baby Ray’s
- ½ cup Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
Instructions
- Lightly spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place chicken in single layer in slow cooker. Top chicken with diced onion (optional). Mix remaining ingredients (bbq sauce, Italian dressing, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar). Pour sauce over chicken.
- Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, until chicken is tender and easy to shred. When ready, shred with two forks. Reduce slow cooker temperature to low and cook an additional hour. Cooking the extra hour allows the yummy sauce to absorb into the chicken.
- Serve chicken pilled high on your favorite rolls along with your favorite barbecue sides – coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, baked potatoes, french fries, veggies, salad and more. Enjoy!
Notes
- Serve the chicken pilled high on buns, over rice, noodles, baked potatoes, salad, pizza, wraps, nachos and more.
- You can cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Be sure to adjust cooking time according to how fast/slow your slow cooker cooks.
Lori
How could I double the recipe? What I have to cook it longer?
Betty Bilnoski
I have this cooking in my slow cooker today. Thank you so much for the recipe! ❤️
Mary Neumann
Enjoy, Betty! Love this recipe. And thank YOU. 🙂
Linda Henderson
Could I dice chicken pieces 1st instead of shredding at the end??????
Roberta Marsh
Sounds good. I will be busy today and this dish will make dinner a lot easier. LOVE bbq chicken 🐔.
Mommytoboys
How many calories are in this per serving and how many grams is a serving size?
APeacock
This recipe exceeded my expectations. We ate it on toasted hamburger buns with dill pickles. It was very good.
Beth
Could you cook this on low for 6-8 hours instead of high?
Mary Neumann
Sure – just adjust the cooking time to how fast/slow your cooker cooks on low, Beth.
Linda
This also makes awesome BBQ Chicken Nachos. Place a layer of white corn tortilla chips on cookie sheet covered with non stick Reynolds Wrap, then put a layer of shredded cheddar cheese on top of chips, a layer of chicken, a layer of cheese, repeat layers once or twice more, ending with cheese. Bake in preheated 400 Oven until cheese is melted and bubbling. You may top with jalapeño slices before baking if desired. These are always a hit. This works great with pulled pork too! Just make sure to add BBQ sauce to the pulled pork if it doesn’t already have it.
Roberta Marsh
My mouth is watering already. It’s only 4AM
Carolyn Rosenberg
I’ve tried it and enjoyed, but will not use suggested BBQ sauce…. it still contains high fructose corn syrup!!
beck
I bought the no sugar added bbq sauce with no high fructose corn syrup.
Anonymous
WITH the zesty Italian dressing, is it spicy?
Debbie
No, it’s not spicy.
marysweetlittlebluebird
Hi Elisa! Yes, you can use dark brown sugar.
Elisa McGinn
Can you use dark brown sugar?
Elisa McGinn
Can you use dark brown sugar?
Anonymous
Can you use another kind of Bbq sauce
Anonymous
Would it still turn out the same if I cook it on low for 6-8 hours?
Thank you!
Ginger L.
This flavorful recipe is the very BEST! It's so easy, too. Thank you for sharing it!
Anonymous
thanks for the prompt response. definitely want to try this.
marysweetlittlebluebird
If you used 2 lbs of chicken chicken and each serving is 1/4 lb, that makes 8 servings. To be safe, I'd say it makes 6 "healthy" servings.
Anonymous
Can you tell me how many this recipe feeds? Want to hold a "non BBQ" barbecue and this would be perfect.
Thanks!