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A perfect pairing of tender chicken and Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce! The slow cooker does all the work, creating a flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth dish the whole family will love.
If you love sweet baby rays you will also love my barbecue pork chops and potatoes, slow cooker barbecue meatballs and slow cooker root beer chicken.
Table of Contents
You might not expect such a simple recipe to be so flavorful, but with just a few ingredients, you get an easy dinner that’s both delicious and satisfying. Whether you’re making meatballs, slow cooker baked beans, or chicken, Sweet Baby Ray’s is the perfect choice.
This barbecue chicken works great as a main dish with sides or can be turned into sandwiches.
What you need:
This Sweet Baby Ray’s Chicken is packed with bold BBQ flavor and couldn’t be easier to make. The rich, thick sauce caramelizes as it slow cooks, coating the chicken in a perfect blend of sweet, smoky, and tangy goodness. A little apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes add even more depth. Whether shredded for sandwiches or served sliced, this dish is a guaranteed hit! If you love pulled pork, you will enjoy my pulled pork chowdown.
Step-by-Step Directions
- In a bowl add the barbecue sauce, seasonings, apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. Mix until smooth
- Add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker, pour over the sauce mixture.
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- The chicken is done when it’s tender and can be easily sliced or shredded with a fork.
Variations
- Add onions and/or green bell peppers for more texture and flavor.
- Other cuts of chicken that work great are chicken thighs or drumsticks.
- Bacon is always a great option with anything barbecue. Cook and crumble the bacon and add at the beginning of the cooking time.
- Add diced fire green chiles or sliced jalapeno.
- Want to make this a complete meal in one pot? Add cubed potatoes and baby carrots.
- Add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce or a splash of hot sauce to the BBQ mixture for a tangier or spicier kick.
My Serving Suggestions
- Serve as a main dish over white rice or mashed potatoes. Other great sides are baked potatoes, mac and cheese and cornbread.
- Shred the tender chicken and pile on toasted hamburger buns or Hawaiian rolls.
- Leftovers are great on BBQ chicken pizza or quesadillas.
Recipe FAQs
This chicken can be stored for up to three days in the fridge or even longer in the freezer (3 months).
Swap the barbecue sauce for a low sugar barbecue sauce and omit the brown sugar.
Yes! Place all the ingredients in a freezer bag before cooking. Freeze for up to three months. When ready to cook, let the meal thaw in the fridge before cooking according to the recipe below.
More recipes with Sweet Baby Rays
- Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs
- Slow Cooker Meatballs and Little Smokies
- Slow Cooker Bacon Barbecue Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
- Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken Dip
Sweet Baby Rays Crockpot Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 18 oz Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, brown sugar, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Stir well until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
- Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker in a single layer, ensuring they are evenly spaced.
- Pour the BBQ sauce mixture over the chicken breasts, making sure each piece is well coated. Use a spoon or spatula to spread the sauce evenly if needed.
- Cover the slow cooker with its lid and set it to cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. The chicken is done when it’s tender and can be easily sliced or shredded with a fork.
- Once cooked, carefully remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker and place them on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred or slice the chicken.
- If you shredded the chicken, place it back into the slow cooker and stir it into the sauce. Allow it to simmer in the sauce for an additional 10 minutes on low heat to absorb more flavor.
- If you sliced the chicken, drizzle the sauce over the chicken and serve.
- Serve the chicken warm with your favorite sides.
Sarah’s Notes
- This chicken can be stored for up to three days in the fridge or even longer in the freezer (3 months).
- To make it low-carb, swap the barbecue sauce for a low-sugar barbecue sauce and omit the brown sugar.
- To make into a freezer prep meal; place all the ingredients in a freezer bag before cooking. Freeze for up to three months. When ready to cook, let the meal thaw in the fridge before cooking according to the recipe below.
- Add onions and/or green bell peppers for more texture and flavor.
- Other cuts of chicken that work great are chicken thighs or drumsticks.
- Bacon is always a great option with anything barbecue. Cook and crumble the bacon and add at the beginning of the cooking time.
- Add diced fire green chiles or sliced jalapeno.
- Want to make this a complete meal in one pot? Add cubed potatoes and baby carrots.
- Add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce or a splash of hot sauce to the BBQ mixture for a tangier or spicier kick.
- Serve as a main dish over white rice or mashed potatoes. Other great sides are baked potatoes, mac and cheese and cornbread.
- Shred the tender chicken and pile on toasted hamburger buns or Hawaiian rolls.
- Leftovers are great on BBQ chicken pizza or quesadillas.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
How many boneless skinless thighs would replace the 4 chicken breasts?
I would do about 1.5-2lbs. Probably about 6.
Thank you! Look forward to making it!
The name on this recipe is SWEET BABY RAY’s Crockpot Chicken. If you don’t like the product then look at other recipes.
Thanks Karen.Appreciate your wisdom.
Sweet Baby Ray’s has high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient. I recommend substituting another BBQ sauce.
I’m no health freak but please hear me out.Not only does it have High Fructose corn syrup,it’s listed as the 1st ingredient which as you know means the majority of what’s in that bottle may taste good,but its mostly Syrup.Many chefs,cooks say it shouldn’t even be called a sauce because it has no sauce in it.Its all syrup. Ok,I know,everything we eat has something unhealthy in it and we eat it but this ingredient is at the top of the list of unhealthy.I eat everything but not this.All the great barbecue sauces like Stubbs and Kinder don’t even consider the junk that’s in Baby Rays.
And Magical slow cooker,IMO,should not promote it the way she did.
here’s a thought, don’t use it, create your own recipe site and use whatever ingredients that you think are suitable….IMO