How long should I slow cook the chicken?

Wait wait wait! We want to make sure you don't overcook your chicken. For a long time, I chronically overcooked and dried out chicken breast in the slow cooker. After testing hundreds of recipes in the crockpot, we've honed in on the perfect timing: 2 1/2 - 3 hours on low. Yes, you read that right. Chicken breast only takes 2 1/2 - 3 hours on low to be fully cooked. It makes us cringe when we see recipes out there that tell you to cook chicken for 6-8 hours. In fact, we have written an entire post about how long to cook your chicken in the crockpot if you want to read about it in more detail.

Can I use frozen chicken in the crockpot?

As cookbook authors and freezer meal experts, we commonly get the question, "Can I cook frozen food in the crockpot?" I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but simply put, the answer is no. You should not put frozen food in a crockpot. I know, we are sad too.

BBQ Chicken Sliders

Name: BBQ Chicken Sliders
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: PT-481199H52M14S
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; ⅛ teaspoon cayenne (do not use if using a spicy BBQ sauce); About 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx. 4 medium chicken breasts); 1 1/2 cups Homemade BBQ Sauce (or store-bought sauce), plus more for serving; 8 slider buns or wheat rolls, sliced in half; Optional Toppings: 5-Ingredient Coleslaw, Pickled Red Onions, pickles, and/or cheese slices.

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews

BBQ Chicken Sliders

With three simple steps, you’ll have this finger-licking good BBQ Chicken Sliders recipe on the table. Make it in the crock pot or Instant Pot as a dump-and-go meal. Be sure to double and freeze the recipe to save your future self time!

Yield: 4 servings (2 sliders per person) 1x

Prep: 5 minutesCook: 2 hours and 30 minutesTotal: 0 hours

Scale:

Ingredients

1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (do not use if using a spicy BBQ sauce)
About 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx. 4 medium chicken breasts)
1 1/2 cups Homemade BBQ Sauce (or store-bought sauce), plus more for serving
8 slider buns or wheat rolls, sliced in half
Optional Toppings: 5-Ingredient Coleslaw, Pickled Red Onions, pickles, and/or cheese slices.

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

Make It Now:

Season: In a small bowl, stir together the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Season the chicken breasts on all sides with this rub. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
Cook: Cook using one of these methods until the chicken is done (reaches an internal temperature of 165°F or no longer has any pink inside):
1. Crock Pot: Place the seasoned chicken in the crockpot and top evenly with 1 cup of BBQ sauce (turn the chicken to coat). Cover and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 – 3 hours.
2. Instant Pot: Add 1 cup of water or chicken broth and the steamer rack in the bottom of the pot. Put the seasoned chicken breasts in a single layer on the rack and cover all sides of the chicken with the 1 cup of BBQ sauce. Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes and quick release the remaining pressure. (Chicken is done when there’s no more pink or it’s 165°F internally.)
Shred: Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5-10 minutes. Use two forks to shred it. (If making in the Instant Pot, discard the liquid and remove the rack in the Instant Pot.) Return the shredded chicken to the cooker to keep warm and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup BBQ sauce.
Serve: Use a slotted spoon or tongs to add the shredded chicken to slider buns. If desired, set out slider toppings like more BBQ Sauce, 5-Ingredient Coleslaw, Pickled Red Onions, pickles, and/or cheese slices.

Freeze For Later: Follow Step 1. Add the seasoned chicken and 1 cup of BBQ sauce to the bag. Seal, squish around to distribute the sauce, squeeze out any excess air, and freeze alongside the buns (and extra sauce in a small bag, if desired). (Note: If you want to cook this from frozen in the Instant Pot, place the bag in a round container in the freezer until frozen and then remove. Try not to stack the chicken, but place it in one flat layer.)

Prepare From Frozen: Two options for cooking:

Thawed in either cooker: Thaw completely and follow Steps 2-4.
From frozen in the Instant Pot: Do not thaw. Place the frozen meal in the Instant Pot with 1 cup of chicken broth. Lock and seal the lid. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Follow Steps 3-4.

Notes/Tips

Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten-free buns.
Chicken breasts only need to cook about 2 1/2 hours on LOW in the crock pot. Do not let them cook much longer!
It isn’t safe to cook this meal from frozen in the slow cooker, because the chicken will sit in the “danger temperature zone” for too long. However, it’s safe and works great in the Instant Pot.
Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves.

Cuisine: american Method: Slow cooker

Find it online: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/bbq-chicken-sliders/