Oh my, I’m beyond excited to share these saucy and delicious bbq chicken sandwiches that are super simple to make! The combination of warm, tangy bbq sauce and cool, creamy coleslaw is truly next level. Depending on how much time you have, we have included 3 different cooking techniques for you to use what works best for you! A great option for an easy weeknight dinner or scale it to serve a crowd!
Ever Tried to Make Smoked Pulled Chicken?
If you haven’t and own a smoker, we highly recommend that you make some Smoked Pulled Chicken Sandwiches!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, & estimated nutritional information.
- chicken breasts – option to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs but they are smaller in size. So you might need to cook more depending on how many people you are serving.
- barbecue sauce – we cannot recommend our homemade bbq sauce enough, but feel free to hit the easy button and pick-up a store-bought version.
- hamburger buns – any variety will work here – regular, whole wheat, gluten-free, etc.
- coleslaw – love the flavor of the ranch coleslaw in the recipe card, but we also have a creamy coleslaw that would also be delicious.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
Side Dishes to Serve With A BBQ Chicken Sandwich
You can really serve just about anything with this delicious BBQ chicken, but a few of our favorites are Smoked Baked Beans, Grilled Sweet Potatoes, Mexican Street Corn Salad, or Grilled Corn on the Cob.
Tips for Utilizing The Freezer
- Can I put frozen chicken in the crockpot? You can! The end result might be a bit more watery and you will have to adjust your cook time to make sure that the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, but you can definitely do it.
- Am I able to freeze BBQ sauce and chicken together before cooking? Yes! You can put the chicken and bbq sauce in a large ziplock bag and place in a freezer for up to 3 months.
- Can I freeze BBQ chicken after cooking? Yes! Once the cooked bbq chicken has cooled you can put it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- Slow cooker on high vs. low: we recommend cooking the chicken on low if you have time, it stays more moist that way, but if you don’t have time the high setting works too.
- Leftovers: once the bbq chicken has been cooked, you can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Store separately from the coleslaw for easy reheating.
Made this recipe and loved it?!
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BBQ Chicken Sandwich Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
An easy and delicious recipe for BBQ Chicken Sandwiches that is a great option for a simple weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
Shredded BBQ Chicken:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce, divided (more, if desired)
Ranch Coleslaw:
- 16oz bag of coleslaw mix
- 1/3 cup & 2 tablespoons ranch dressing
- 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Other Sandwich Ingredients:
- hamburger buns of your choice
- romaine lettuce
- optional: fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Cook Chicken: Put the chicken breasts and 1 cup of bbq sauce in a slow cooker. Cover and let cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
- Make Coleslaw: While the chicken cooks, put all of the Ranch Coleslaw ingredients in a large bowl; toss to combine. Cover and set in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Shred + Sauce: Place chicken on a plate and shred with two forks. Place the shredded chicken back in the crock pot with remaining 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce; toss to combine.
- Build Sandwiches: Lay down some lettuce on the bottom bun with some Ranch Coleslaw, drizzle on some more bbq sauce (if desired) and put the other half of your bun on top.
- Serve: Enjoy right away with your favorite side dishes!
Notes
- BBQ Sauce: feel free to make our homemade bbq sauce or pick-up your favorite store-bought sauce.
- Stove Top BBQ Chicken: Fill a large saucepan 3/4 of the way with water. Bring to a boil. Add chicken to boiling water and reduce temp to bring water to a simmer. Let simmer 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature at the thickest part of the meat reaches 165 degrees F (use a meat thermometer). Remove chicken to shred and place in a large bowl. Toss with 1 cup bbq sauce.
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken: place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the Instant Pot with 1 cup of chicken broth (no trivet needed). Seal and cook on high pressure for 8-10 minutes. Let it naturally release for 10 minutes and then quick release. Remove the chicken, shred, and return to the pot with 1 cup bbq sauce; toss to coat. Add more sauce, if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 355
- Sugar: 18.6 g
- Sodium: 642.3 mg
- Fat: 10.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 44.7 g
- Fiber: 2.8 g
- Protein: 13.6 g
- Cholesterol: 45.7 mg
Josie Poolook says
These were quite delicious! I will make these again.
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed them, Josie! And thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review + feedback – I appreciate it!