Grab a napkin and dig into this easy BBQ Chicken in the Crock Pot recipe! This dinner recipe is sponsored by Smart & Final stores.
You can’t beat a pot of succulent, tender BBQ chicken that is pretty near effortless. That’s what you get with this slow cooker recipe. It’s perfect for feeding a big group because it’s just as easy to make four pounds of chicken as it is one (as long as it will fit in your crock pot)! The homemade BBQ sauce is made with a few common ingredients including applesauce, and it has a nice sweet, tangy flavor you’ll love.
You can get everything you need for this chicken recipe at your local Smart & Final store, which is great for shopping for group events because they sell most of their items in bulk. They have the value of a warehouse store but without the membership fee. Their stores are also manageably sized, so you don’t have to be in there for two hours to find what you need. I always look for their store brand, First Street, for the best value. Not only is the price right, buying this brand also supports their First Street, First Percent Program.
The Smart & Final Charitable Foundation supports four important areas – health and wellness, education, hunger relief, and team sports and youth development. Through their new First Street, First Percent program, when you buy First Street products, Smart & Final will give the first percent of net profit to their Smart & Final Charitable Foundation which supports local community nonprofits. I love when my shopping dollars can do some good, so I’m proud to promote their charity efforts.
This crockpot BBQ chicken is such an easy way to cook for a crowd. It takes maybe 10 minutes to get it going, and then it cooks away in your slow cooker while you go on about your day. I recommend bone-in chicken with the skin because it stays juicy when cooked all day. However, you could also make this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breasts and shred the cooked chicken at the end. Then you’ve got BBQ pulled chicken ready for sandwiches!
I’m no stranger to bottled BBQ sauce, and you could definitely make this recipe just as written with store-bought sauce. I wanted to try making my own sauce this time though, and I used applesauce to sweeten it instead of sugar. The flavor turned out so great! I used hot sauce for the tangy vinegar flavor plus a little heat, but if you want mild sauce, try using apple cider vinegar instead. (I made a note about that in the recipe.)
If you really want to wow your friends at your next get together, serve this BBQ chicken crock pot recipe with ham and cheese potato salad! I made that easy side dish with First Street ingredients too, so you’ll be able to find everything in one place. Did you know there are over a dozen NEW Smart & Final Extra! stores? These larger stores have everything you need for day-to-day shopping, including locally grown and organic produce, fresh baked goods, baby products, and lots of grocery items in smaller sizes. To find a store near you, you can use the Smart & Final store locator!
To celebrate all these grand openings, Smart & Final is hosting a Grand Opening sponsored Twitter chat on Wednesday, May from 11, 12-1 PM PST. They will be giving away a $250 SmartCash Card to a random winner! Anyone who follows @SmartFinal and tweets at least once with the #SFSnackChat tag during the scheduled party will be qualified and entered to win. Be sure to put it on your calendar!
Speaking of calendars, you should also add this BBQ chicken to your meal planning calendar! Let me know how you like it!
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Crock Pot BBQ Chicken with Applesauce
This easy slow cooker recipe is a simple way to make a big batch of BBQ chicken!
- Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3/4 cup First Street Ketchup
- 1/4 cup First Street Cayenne Pepper Sauce
- 1 tablespoon First Street Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8–12 pieces bone-in skin-on chicken
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients (except chicken) in the crock of your slow cooker.
- Add chicken pieces, rolling them in sauce as you go. Spoon sauce over the top of each piece.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or until chicken is cooked through and tender.
Notes
If you prefer, you can substitute apple cider vinegar for the pepper sauce to make a milder dish. However, it is not too spicy as written.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 480
Thank you again to Smart & Final for sponsoring today’s recipe.
Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says
You had me at crock pot. These look amazing. I need to make them asap!
Jessica @ Sprinkle Some Sugar says
Gahhhh I’m in love with this chicken! I <3 my crockpot
Cookin Canuck says
I truly started salivating as soon as I saw these photos. That is some amazing looking chicken! We don’t have Smart & Final stores here, but it sounds as though their foundation is doing a lot of good.
Becky Hardin | The Cookie Rookie says
This looks so tantalizing
Andi Gleeson says
That sounds exciting :) Thanks, Becky!
Des @ Life's Ambrosia says
I really need to do more chicken in the crockpot. This looks wonderful, Andi!
Andi Gleeson says
I think it works best with dark meat chicken or bone-in chicken with the skin. I have to admit that I’m not always a fan of boneless skinless chicken breast in the slow cooker because they dry out so easily! Thanks, Des :)
Katerina @ Diethood says
Lawwwd, that bbq sauce!! I could eat it by the spoonful. Awesome recipe!
Andi Gleeson says
Thank you, Katerina!!
Hafsa says
I love your bbq chicken. I really like your recipe. I will soon try this. Thanks for sharing :)
Andi Gleeson says
Thank you so much, Hafsa! I hope you like it :)
Erin @ The Speckled Palate says
Oh my goodness, Andi! This recipe… WOW. Droolworthy for sure! There’s something amazing about throwing your protein and a few ingredients into the slow cooker and letting them do their thing low and slow for hours, and this dish? Yeah, we’re gonna have to make it soon. It gets SO hot in Texas in the summertime that I’m always looking for entrees where I don’t have to turn on the oven or fire up the grill (because while we love grilled food, standing by the grill? H-O-T in the 100+ degree weather!) I’ve pinned this for later. Thanks for sharing!
Andi Gleeson says
Thank you, Erin! I grew up in Mississippi, but I’m so spoiled now that I’ve been in San Francisco most of my adult life. It doesn’t get that hot here most of the time and definitely not muggy like back home. Now when I go home to visit, I try to avoid going in the summer because I feel like I will melt. Hang in there, and definitely enjoy your slow cooker this summer :) Thank you!
Erin @ The Speckled Palate says
I didn’t know you were a Mississippi girl! I’m originally from Memphis, but I’ve lived all over… including a stint in Hattiesburg.
I’m jealous that you’ve been in San Francisco for most of your adult life and that you don’t have to deal with the sweltering summer heat of the South. We’re hoping to check out your neck of the woods sometime this or next because it sounds lovely!
And we absolutely WILL enjoy our slow cooker this summer! Cannot wait to try this recipe. We love barbecue!
Liz says
THANK YOU ANDI FOR THE NICE RECIPE.
Andi Gleeson says
Thank YOU for coming to see it :)