How to Make Irresistible Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches make dinner a breeze. 🍗 Juicy, tender, and packed with flavor, they’re the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Pile that delicious chicken onto a soft hoagie roll and you’ve got an easy meal everyone will love. Perfect for busy weeknights or weekend get-togethers, these sandwiches are always a hit.

A close-up of a Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwich in a hoagie roll, with crisp lettuce and juicy pulled chicken piled high.

When it comes to making Crockpot shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches, the slow cooker has never let me down. Well, except for the times I forgot to turn it on… oops.

Other than that, it’s my best friend and probably my most-used appliance. This week, I whipped up these sandwiches for an easy but delicious dinner. The kids kept theirs plain on simple hoagie rolls, but these can easily be loaded up with all kinds of veggies.

Why Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches Are Perfect for Dinner

Crockpot shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches are easy, versatile, and packed with flavor. Perfect for busy nights, they’re a family favorite everyone can enjoy. Let me show you how easy they are to make:

Step 1: Mix the Sauce

In a bowl, mix together a 12-ounce bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce and 1/2 cup of Italian dressing. I used Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce. Add in 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and whisk it until smooth.

A bowl filled with BBQ sauce, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce, ready to become the base of Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches.

Step 2: Coat the Chicken

Take 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and pour the BBQ sauce mixture over them. Toss the chicken around in the sauce to make sure every side is coated. This step ensures all the flavor gets locked into your Crockpot shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches.

Chicken breasts marinating in a rich BBQ sauce mixture, ready to cook for Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches.

Step 3: Cook the Chicken

Transfer the coated chicken into your Crockpot and set it to cook on LOW for 4 hours and 30 minutes. While it cooks, your kitchen will start smelling amazing, and you’ll know dinner is on its way.

A Crockpot slow cooker with the BBQ chicken cooking inside, part of the process for making Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches.

Step 4: Shred the Chicken

Once the time is up, carefully remove the chicken from the sauce and shred it using two forks. The chicken should be tender and easy to pull apart, making it perfect for piling onto sandwiches.

A plate of shredded BBQ chicken being pulled apart with a fork, perfect for filling Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches.

Step 5: Mix and Warm

Now, the Crockpot shredded BBQ chicken is ready to be put back into the slow cooker and mixed with the sauce. There is no need to cook it any longer. Just leave the chicken on WARM until you are ready to serve it.

Shredded BBQ chicken added back into the slow cooker with sauce, mixing together for Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches.

Serving Suggestions for Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

For Crockpot shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches that are piled high, I use a handy dandy trick I saw on some cooking show once. I wish I could remember who it was so I could give them credit, buuuuuuuuuuuuuut… my memory fails me. I’m getting old. I’m not as sharp as I once was. I like to blame my kids and say that they are the ones responsible for dulling my mental capabilities, but really, the gray hairs popping out of my head are just an indication of the fuzziness inside my brain. See, I even forgot what I started out to say in this paragraph…

ANYway, pull out the bread on the inside of a hoagie roll so the chicken has a pocket to sit inside of rather than spilling out all over your plate. This also saves a few calories, and you’ll never notice!

Hoagie rolls with the bread interior removed, creating space to stuff with Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches.

My kids like Crockpot shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches plain. But I know for a fact that these are awesome with red onion, tomato, and even avocado. In fact, you can skip the roll altogether and turn this into a chicken salad or BBQ chicken burrito.

A completed Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwich on a plate with crisp lettuce, showing the tender shredded chicken in a soft roll.

Side Dishes That Pair Perfectly

I served ours with good old-fashioned Cheetos and my Great-grandma Ruth’s chunky potato salad. This potato salad has been in my family for 5 generations now, and I have never seen anybody turn it down. It would also go great with sweet apple celery coleslaw that is made with a vinegar base rather than all the mayo.

A Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwich served with potato salad and carrots, making a perfect family-friendly meal.

If you need other easy Crockpot meals, check out my recipe index or follow me on Pinterest. Happy cooking, y’all!

A collage of Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, highlighting the saucy shredded chicken, hoagie roll, and slow cooker process.
Heidi Davison

Head Baker & Owner

Hi, I'm Heidi, Head Baker and Owner of Heidi's Bakery in Knoxville, TN.

What began as a blog to share family recipes has become a thriving bakery, thanks to community support.
Many recipes here are from my family’s cookbook. Give them a try and leave a comment below!

Heidi Davison the Owner of Heidis Bakery

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