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The Magical Slow Cooker » Recipes » Chicken » Slow Cooker Root Beer Chicken

Slow Cooker Root Beer Chicken

by Sarah Olson on May 28, 2019 | Updated January 24, 2023 54 Comments

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Collage of root beer chicken images with text of ingredients.
Root beer chicken in the crockpot with text overlay.
collage of root beer chicken photos for pinterest

Make this sweet Root Beer Chicken in your slow cooker with tender chicken thighs and only a few other ingredients.

I had to give this Root Beer Chicken a try in my slow cooker after how good my Root Beer Baked Beans turned out last year. Some may scoff at adding soda to a savory dish but it is no different than adding brown sugar to a barbecue recipe!

Nine chicken thighs in slow cooker in a root beer barbecue sauce.

In the summer I look forward to grilling but there are so many days of the week that I have to prepare dinner and grilling isn’t what I have time to do. I love making simple slow cooker recipes that are barbecue flavored and cook up corn on the cob with it! We still eat outside but I am having to do much less work.

Package of chicken thighs, root beer, barbecue sauce in front of slow cooker.

How to make Root Beer Chicken:

You will need these ingredients:

  • Chicken thighs – well trimmed of fat
  • Barbecue sauce- I like Sweet Baby Rays
  • Root Beer
  • Oregano
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Cayenne Powder
Barbecue chicken thighs in slow cooker with buns on the side.

Add the chicken to the slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.

shredded root beer barbecue chicken in slow cooker

Shred the meat with 2 forks and serve on buns or even on rice. What a fun meal for the summer. If you are a root beer super fan you’ve got to make these Root Beer cupcakes from Cincy Shopper to go along with these. The kids will go crazy.

sandwich with shredded chicken on plate.

What other cuts of chicken can be used in this recipe?

  • Chicken drumsticks
  • Boneless skinless chicken breast
  • Bone-in thighs or breasts
  • Chicken tenderloins
  • Whole chicken (more time)
  • Chicken wings (less time)

Pretty much any cut of chicken you have on hand will work fine in this recipe.

If you use a whole chicken make sure it is thawed completely and cook until no pink is left, I suggest 8 hours on low for a whole chicken.

If you want to use chicken wings in this recipe you won’t need to cook more than 5-6 hours on low. Beware that chicken wings in the slow cooker fall apart very easily, very tasty but very messy.

More Soda and Beer slow cooker recipes on the blog:

  • Slow Cooker Root Beer Baked Beans
  • Slow Cooker Beer and Garlic Brats
  • Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Ribs
  • Slow Cooker Whole Beer Chicken
  • Slow Cooker Beer, Onion and Ketchup Pot Roast
  • Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork

Want to make more magic in your crockpot? Stay up to date and subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.

chicken thighs in root beer barbecue sauce in slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Root Beer Chicken

4.83 from 51 votes
Tender chicken thighs cooked with barbecue sauce and root beer. A great choice instead of grilling
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours
Servings: 8
Calories: 246kcal
Author: Sarah Olson

Equipment Needed:

  • Slow Cooker – 3 quart or larger

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs well trimmed of fat
  • 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce I use Sweet Baby Rays Original
  • 12 oz. can Root Beer I use A & W
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
US Customary – Metric

Instructions:

  • Add the chicken to the slow cooker.
  • Sprinkle over the oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne over the chicken
  • Pour over the barbecue sauce,
  • Pour over the root beer.
  • Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.
  • Shred chicken with 2 forks and serve over buns or rice.
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How to Video:

Recipe Notes:

What other cuts of chicken can be used in this recipe?
  • Chicken drumsticks
  • Boneless skinless chicken breast
  • Bone-in thighs or breasts
  • Chicken tenderloins
  • Whole chicken (more time) 
  • Chicken wings (less time)
Pretty much any cut of chicken you have on hand will work fine in this recipe.
If you use a whole chicken make sure it is thawed completely and cook until no pink is left, I suggest 8 hours on low for a whole chicken.
If you want to use chicken wings in this recipe you won’t need to cook more than 5-6 hours on low. Beware that chicken wings in the slow cooker fall apart very easily, very tasty but very messy.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 657mg | Potassium: 402mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1.3mg

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

Made this recipe?I want to see your photos! Tag me on Instagram @themagicalslowcooker

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    33569 shares
    • 13188

    Filed Under: Chicken, Dinner

    Comments

    1. JB says

      June 4, 2022 at 1:21 pm

      The comments are correct: good flavor, very bad proportions, waaaay too long cooking time. Even with 8oz of root beer and BBQ sauce and almost 4lbs of meat there was still alot of runny sauce. I thickened it wit some cornstarch + cold water, that helped. The thighs were done in 4.5 hours on low. This is very similar to “Golfer’s Chicken” (plenty of those recipes around), with better flavor and better measurements.

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