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–+ servings
chicken is added to the slow cooker with honey bourbon bbq sauce, to make sweet, smoky, tender bbq chicken sandwiches

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich

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This Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich features a delicious homemade Honey Bourbon Barbecue Sauce that is sweet, warm, and smoky in flavor! Served on a warm toasted bun with sharp white cheddar.  
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Southern
Keyword barbecue chicken, bbq, bbq chicken, Chicken, chicken sandwich, pulled chicken, pulled chicken sandwich, slow cooker, slow cooker chicken
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Servings 8 Sandwiches

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 up
  • 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, add all the ingredients and whisk well to combine. 

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich

  • In a large frying pan, add chopped up bacon and turn the pan onto medium. Fry the bacon until golden and crispy. Remove the bacon and place into a slow cooker. Reserve 1-2 tbsp of the bacon fat, discarding the rest. In the same pan, sear the chicken thighs (in 2-3 batches, don’t overcrowd), until they have formed a golden brown crust on each side. Place the seared thighs into the slow cooker. 
  • Drain most of the fat from the pan, then add the diced onions. Fry the onions over medium heat until translucent, using the onions to deglaze the pan. Place onions into the slow cooker. *If any fond (brown bits) still remain in the pan, use a little bit of water (2-4 tbsp) and deglaze the pan completely, then pour it into the slow cooker. 
  • Add the BBQ sauce to the slow cooker, then mix everything well with a spoon. Cook in the slow cooker for 3 hours on high, or 6 hours on low. 
  • When the chicken is finished, remove chicken into a separate bowl. Then, using 2 forks or a hand-mixer (see above), shred the chicken up, then set aside. 
  • Mix together the cornstarch and the water in a small dish, and slowly pour into the slow cooker, stirring to combine and thicken the sauce, until your desired thickness is achieved - I aim for thick gravy consistency. Spoon desired amount of sauce into bowl with chicken and mix to combine. 
  • Add the chicken onto the toasted buns, top with the cheese slices, and whatever else you’d like on the sandwich! 

Notes

† the amount of cornstarch you need will vary each time. As the chicken thighs have varying water content, you may need more/less cornstarch depending on how much water is in the thighs each time.