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Coming up with an easy dinner for busy nights is easier than ever with this Slow Cooker Root Beer Chicken recipe. It’s a main course dish that adds a fun twist to traditional chicken the whole family is sure to enjoy.
Easily create a full course meal by adding my delicious Slow Cooker Root Beer Baked Beans. These also pair well with Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork.
Table of Contents
Why this root beer chicken recipe works
If you love root beer, you can’t go wrong with using it to create an awesome recipe. Because it has so much flavor, you won’t need many other ingredients, which is another plus. For this particular chicken recipe, all you need is a can of root beer and a bottle of Sweet Baby Rays barbecue sauce.
As for the seasonings, you’ll use pantry staples like garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper to create a flavor that is sure to keep you and your family wanting more. We also make Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Wings.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken: I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken thighs because they are more flavorful and shred just as easily as other chicken cuts. Be sure to go for a pack that is well-trimmed of fat. Though you can use chicken breast if desired. We also love to make Hawaiian Chicken Sliders.
- Barbecue Sauce: Sweet Baby Rays is one of the most popular barbecue sauces used for slow cooking. You can use your favorite barbecue sauce though!
- Root Beer: You can use a brand of your choice; however, I use and recommend A&W.
- Seasonings: A combination of onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and dried oregano is used to season the chicken prior to cooking.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Place the chicken thighs into the slow cooker.
Step Two – Sprinkle the oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne over the chicken.
Step Three – Pour over the bbq sauce.
Step Four – Pour over the root beer.
Step Five – Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours.
Step Six – Shred chicken with two forks. Serve and enjoy!
How to serve
- Use this delicious root beer bbq chicken for sandwiches. You can use hamburger buns, hoagie buns, or even sub bread.
- You can also serve a helping of the root beer chicken over white rice, a bed of mashed potatoes, or on tortilla chips.
- Give your salad a twist by adding some of this chicken on top as well.
Recipes FAQs
Pretty much any cut of chicken you have on hand will work fine in this recipe, such as Chicken drumsticks, boneless skinless chicken breasts, bone-in thighs or breasts, chicken tenderloins, and chicken wings. Whatever you use, you must thaw your chicken first, frozen chicken is not recommended.
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. The temperature for any chicken should be above 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using that brand is just a personal preference, but you can use any kind you’d like. You can use regular root beer or use a sugar free root beer (like a diet root beer).
If you want to use chicken wings in this recipe you won’t need to cook more than 5 hours on low. Beware that chicken wings in the slow cooker fall apart very easily, tasty but messy.
Place any leftover chicken in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Lettuce, sliced tomato and onion, jalapenos, and dollops of mayo, ketchup, and mustard would taste great with this chicken.
More Soda and Beer slow cooker recipes on the blog:
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Slow Cooker Root Beer Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, well trimmed of fat
- ¼ tsp. dried oregano
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. onion powder
- 1 ½ cups barbecue sauce, I use Sweet Baby Rays Original
- 12 oz. can Root Beer, I use A & W
- ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
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.
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
- Chicken drumsticks
- Boneless skinless chicken breast
- Bone-in thighs or breasts
- Chicken tenderloins
- Whole chicken (more time)
- Chicken wings (less time)
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Hi! This recipe sounds delicious! Is it safe to portion out and freeze for later? If so, how long can it be kept safely frozen?
Yes. My rule of thumb is about 3 months.
I Love these recipes, I’ve tried several and they are delicious!!
I made this last night, the coleslaw this morning. I doubled up on the dry ingredients for the Chicken except 1/8 Tsp Red Cayenne Pepper.
Used 3/4 of the cabbage as the only change for the coleslaw.
WOW! It was all ready in time for lunch today. My best friend and I loved it so much. Have to share.
I cooked thighs at 4.5 hours, set on high and it was perfect. We just ste the chicken whole without shredding it though.
Also,added onions to the pan that I browned the chicken in added about a cup of brown sugar to deglaze the pan. Came out fantastic!