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5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Chipotle BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Shredded chicken tossed in a homemade spicy-sweet barbecue sauce and served with honey lime coleslaw on top.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time4 hours 20 minutes
Total Time4 hours 35 minutes
Course: Burgers + Sandwiches, Chicken + Poultry
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bbq chicken, bbq chicken sandwiches, slow cooker bbq chicken, slow cooker chicken
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
  • 3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes with green chiles, such as Rotel
  • 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • Cooking liquid leftover in the slow cooker after the chicken has cooked

Chipotle BBQ Sauce

  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 1/4 teaspoons water

Honey Lime Coleslaw

  • 4 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
  • 4 radishes thinly sliced
  • 1 green onion thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Zest and juice of a lime
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Other Ingredients

  • 8 buns

Instructions

Chicken

  • In a small bowl combine the cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
  • Sprinkle all over the chicken breasts then place them in a single layer in your slow cooker.
  • In the same bowl stir together the minced chipotle chile, adobo sauce, canned tomatoes with green chiles and chicken broth.
  • Pour the mixture all over the chicken breasts, stirring to coat them.
  • Cover the slow cooker with the lid and set on medium heat for 4 hours.
  • Depending on the size and model of your slow cooker, the cooking time may vary, adjust accordingly.

Chipotle BBQ Sauce

  • Once the chicken has cooked remove it from the slow cooker onto a plate.
  • Pour the cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a small saucepan and whisk in the remaining BBQ sauce ingredients minus the cornstarch slurry.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let it reduce by about half stirring occasionally.
  • While the sauce reduces shred the chicken and put it back into the slow cooker or into a large bowl.
  • Once the sauce has reduced whisk in the cornstarch slurry and continue to whisk the sauce until it thickens, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Pour the sauce over the shredded chicken and stir to coat the chicken completely.
  • Keep the chicken warm until ready to serve or cool the meat and refrigerate/freeze until ready to use.

Honey Lime Coleslaw

  • In a medium sized bowl whisk together the lime zest, juice, oil, honey, salt and pepper.
  • Add in the remaining ingredients and toss to coat.
  • Let the coleslaw marinate in the dressing for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Serve the shredded chicken on toasted buns topped with the coleslaw.

Notes

The meat and sauce can be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator or you can freeze the meat for a later date.

Nutrition

Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 729mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 13g