When I need a low-stress dinner recipe, I often look to my slow cooker. It provides hands-off cooking and frees up my oven, allowing me to attend to other pressing concerns (like making dessert!). And the long slow braising results in mouthwatering meals every time.
And this Keto BBQ Shredded Chicken is a perfect example. With the help of my Easy Keto BBQ Sauce, this recipe practically cooks itself!
I really am a huge fan of keto slow cooker recipes. They simplify my life and streamline my family dinner routine. My family loves the keto slow cooker chili and the Slow Cooker Cauliflower is a timeless classic.
When I spotted a blogger friend making shredded chicken with a sugary, high carb sauce, I knew it was perfect for an easy low carb makeover!
Recipe Highlights
Quick and easy: With 5 basic ingredients and minimal prep time, you can just dump everything in the slow cooker and go about your day. Dinner is ready when you are!
Great flavor: Tangy and sweet, with a little smokiness too. This is a keto chicken recipe that appeals to just about everyone.
Serves a crowd: The basic recipe serves 6, but you can easily double it if you’re having guests over.
Great for meal planning: It stores well in the fridge and the freezer so you can get ahead on your weekday dinners.
Low carb and high protein: With 34 grams of protein and only 3.6 grams of carbs, it’s a keto-friendly recipe you can feel good about.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken breast: You can also use chicken thighs but you may want to skip the butter because they are higher in fat and juicier as it is.
- Sweetener: I used brown sugar replacement for a richer flavor, but any sweetener will work.
- BBQ Sauce: You can really use any sugar-free barbecue sauce you like. However, mine is delicious, easy, and takes only 5 minutes to make.
- Butter: Chicken breasts can dry out easily, even in a slow cooker. Adding some butter (or oil, if you prefer) makes this shredded chicken juicier.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Keto BBQ Shredded Chicken
- Season the chicken: Place the breasts in a slow cooker and season with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and the sweetener.
- Add the BBQ Sauce: Drizzle the tops of the chicken with the sauce and place a pat of butter on each breast.
- Cook: Set the slow cooker to high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
- Shred: Remove the chicken from the pot and shred with two forks. Return to the slow cooker and toss to coat in the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many delicious ways to use this keto shredded chicken. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Serve over salad for an easy lunch or dinner.
- Serve on low carb wraps like Egg Life or Carbonaut.
- Turn it into a BBQ Chicken Bowl with some cilantro lime cauliflower rice or keto coleslaw.
- Serve as sandwiches on keto biscuits, or as an open-faced sandwich on a keto cheddar zucchini waffle.
- Make a BBQ Chicken pizza with some chewy keto pizza crust.
- Serve it over salad for a quick high protein lunch or dinner.
Storage Instructions
Store any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the chicken thaw completely. Rewarm gently in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove over low heat.
Keto BBQ Shredded Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb (907.18 g) chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 2 tbsp (6.09 g) brown sugar replacement
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 1 recipe Easy Keto BBQ Sauce
- 2 tbsp (28.4 g) butter
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Sprinkle with the sweetener, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.
- Pour the BBQ Sauce all over the chicken and add butter to the top of each breast.
- Cover with the lid. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Stir the sauce to combine everything well.
- Add the shredded chicken back into the pot and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can easily adapt this recipe for an Instant Pot! I recommend cooking on high for 12 to 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Keep in mind that pressure cookers force a lot more liquid out of meat so you may want to consider thickening the sauce with some xanthan gum or glucomannan before adding the chicken back in.
Most BBQ sauce contains sugar and can have upwards of 8 to 10 grams of carbs per serving. However, my easy sugar-free BBQ sauce has only 3 grams of carbs and takes 5 minutes to make. I think it’s the best option for this keto shredded chicken recipe.
If the chicken is cooked properly and tender enough, using two forks works just fine. I also have the claws to pull it apart, which work nicely as well. I do know that some people like to place the chicken in a stand mixer and allow the beaters to break it apart.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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