This Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich is sweet, warm, and smoky. It features a homemade Honey Bourbon BBQ sauce that balances honeyed sweetness with warm, smoky notes. The cayenne can be adjusted to taste, and crispy bacon boosts the smoky flavor. Cook it in a slow cooker, pile the tender shredded chicken onto toasted buns, top with sharp white cheddar, and enjoy a rich, satisfying sandwich.
Chicken: Thighs vs Breasts
For tender, shreddable chicken, boneless skinless thighs are the best choice. Slow cooking converts connective tissue into gelatin, producing moist, succulent meat. Chicken breast is very lean with little connective tissue, so it can dry out and become tough when slow-cooked. Thighs contain more connective tissue and fat, which yield better texture and more flavor after a long, gentle cook.
Sweet Smoky Honey Bourbon BBQ Sauce
This homemade Honey Bourbon BBQ sauce offers multiple layers of flavor. Honey and dark brown sugar provide sweet, deep caramel notes that plain sugar can’t replicate. Bourbon contributes caramel, vanilla, subtle spice, and a mild smoky character thanks to aging in charred oak barrels. Smoked paprika and bacon intensify the smoke element. The result is a rich, balanced sauce—sweet, warm, and slightly smoky—that complements slow-cooked chicken beautifully.
Hand-Mixer for Easy Shredding
Shredding cooked chicken with two forks can be tedious. A simple hack is to use a hand mixer: transfer the cooked chicken to a large bowl, insert the mixer on low, and move it around until the meat shreds. It’s fast and consistent. Make sure the chicken is fully tender and easily pulls apart by hand or fork first—otherwise you risk damaging the mixer.
Get the Recipe:
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich
Pin
Rate
Ingredients
Honey Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup Honey
- 1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Bourbon
- 5 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 3 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 tbsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne
- (Optional) 1 tsp Liquid Smoke
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich
- 1/2 lb Bacon, chopped
- 1-2 tbsp Reserved bacon fat
- 3 lbs Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 Onion, diced small
- 1-2 tbsp Corn starch
- 1-2 tbsp Water
- 8 Toasted buns
- 8 Sharp white cheddar slices
Instructions
Honey Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- In a medium bowl combine all sauce ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich
- In a large skillet, cook chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy. Transfer bacon to the slow cooker and reserve 1–2 tbsp of bacon fat; discard the rest.
- In the same skillet, sear the chicken thighs in 2–3 batches without overcrowding until each side is golden brown. Transfer seared thighs to the slow cooker.
- Drain most of the fat from the pan, add the diced onion, and cook over medium heat until translucent, using the onions to deglaze the pan. If brown bits remain, add 2–4 tbsp water to loosen them and pour into the slow cooker. Add the cooked onions to the slow cooker.
- Pour the BBQ sauce over the chicken and bacon, stir to combine, and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
- When the chicken is very tender, transfer it to a separate bowl and shred with two forks or a hand mixer.
- Combine the cornstarch and water, then slowly stir into the slow cooker to thicken the sauce to a gravy-like consistency. Add desired amount of sauce to the shredded chicken and mix well.
- Serve the shredded chicken on toasted buns, top with cheddar slices and additional toppings as desired.