Effortless Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches: Your Ultimate Guide to Easy Meal Prep

This Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich recipe is incredibly simple to prepare in advance, making it a perfect component for various meals throughout the week. Beyond delicious sandwiches, this versatile pulled chicken shines in quesadillas, tacos, or even as a flavorful topping for fresh salads. Get ready to fall in love with this easy, family-friendly recipe!

Conquering Weeknight Dinners with Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken

For many of us, the late afternoon brings a familiar challenge: juggling responsibilities while preparing a healthy dinner. In households with young children, like mine with two under four, 4 PM often marks the beginning of “peak needy hours.” It seems kids have a special radar for when parental attention shifts to dinner prep, suddenly requiring maximum engagement! This daily dance of dinner demands can be utterly exhausting, whether you’re working full-time, part-time, or managing the household. Yet, the desire to serve a nutritious, balanced meal to your family remains paramount.

Over time, I’ve discovered that strategic meal preparation, especially on Sundays, is the secret weapon for conquering this weeknight chaos. It’s not just about saving time; it’s about reducing stress, making healthier choices, and ensuring quality family time. I recall countless evenings during my full-time workdays when takeout or a restaurant meal became the default simply because I was too tired to cook. Even now, with a more flexible schedule, the struggle to get a wholesome dinner on the table is real.

That’s why I’m thrilled to partner with Just BARE®Chicken to share my 5 Essential Steps for Quick Meal Preparation. My hope is that these tips will empower you to consistently serve healthy, stress-free dinners, just like this incredible Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken, to your loved ones.

Tip 1: Create a Weekly Meal Plan for Stress-Free Dinners

The foundation of successful meal prep begins with a solid plan. Every Sunday morning, I dedicate time to map out our family’s meals for the week ahead. This involves browsing through Pinterest for inspiration, flipping through cookbooks, and checking my favorite food blogs. Once I have a handful of enticing recipes, I create a comprehensive grocery list, noting down all the ingredients I don’t already have at home.

I firmly believe that sharing dinner as a family fosters a healthier, happier household. While the ideal of eating together every single night might not always be realistic due to late work nights, sports, or other commitments, prioritizing as many shared meals as possible is incredibly valuable. By having my dinners planned out on a calendar, I eliminate the daily dilemma of “what’s for dinner?” and ensure I have all necessary ingredients on hand. This proactive approach removes common roadblocks to healthy family meals and significantly streamlines your week.

Meal planning also brings other benefits: it helps control your budget by reducing impulse buys, minimizes food waste by only purchasing what you need, and encourages a varied, nutritious diet. It’s an investment of a few minutes on Sunday that pays dividends in time, money, and peace of mind all week long.

Tip 2: Prepare Your Fruit, Vegetables, Beans, and Grains

One of the easiest ways to speed up weeknight cooking and encourage healthy snacking is by prepping your produce in advance. I love having a large container of pre-chopped vegetables and fruit ready for my kids to grab as a snack. This not only makes healthy choices more accessible for them but also saves me precious time when I’m cooking.

Dedicate just 15-20 minutes to peeling and chopping vegetables for the week. Once your meal plan is set and your groceries are bought, you can get started. I lay out my recipes and chop ingredients like bell peppers, onions, carrots, and celery, storing each in separate airtight containers labeled for specific recipes. For instance, if a recipe calls for diced onion, I’ll chop it and store it, ready to be tossed into the pan.

Beyond recipe-specific prep, I also slice up extra red and green peppers, carrots, and celery sticks to keep on hand for quick, healthy snacks. Additionally, prepare and portion out any beans and rice you’ll need. For example, when I’m making this Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup, I’ll have my beans rinsed and stored, and the onion and peppers pre-chopped. Then, on cooking day, it’s as simple as combining all the prepped ingredients with chicken breasts and other staples in the slow cooker – ready to go!

Tip 3: Prepare Your Chicken and Other Meat in Advance

Pre-cooking your meat for the week can be an absolute game-changer, acting as a true lifesaver on busy evenings. There are many ways to prepare meat ahead of time, whether you prefer roasting, poaching, grilling, or cooking it in the slow cooker. Whichever method you choose, having it ready to go will dramatically cut down on your active cooking time later.

Imagine coming home after a long day and knowing that the chicken for tonight’s dinner is already cooked. For example, if you’re planning to make this 30 Minute Chicken Tortellini Skillet, having the chicken precooked and vegetables pre-chopped means that “30-minute meal” can easily transform into a “15-minute meal”! This tip is especially useful for versatile proteins like chicken breast, which can be shredded or diced and added to salads, stir-fries, pasta dishes, or wraps with minimal effort during the week.

Prepping meat in bulk also allows you to portion it out for different recipes or freeze it for even longer-term planning. This strategic step ensures you have a healthy protein source readily available, making healthy cooking more accessible and less daunting when time is tight.

Tip 4: Embrace Your Slow Cooker as Your Best Friend

My slow cooker is without a doubt my best friend in the kitchen, and for good reason! Busy families everywhere rely heavily on their slow cookers, and it’s a tool I consistently put to good use during my weekly meal prep sessions. The “set it and forget it” convenience of a slow cooker is unmatched, allowing you to transform raw ingredients into tender, flavorful meals with minimal hands-on time.

A prime example of slow cooker utility is preparing shredded chicken. I often make two large batches of shredded chicken each week, knowing it will be the versatile base for numerous dishes. Think about it: this same shredded chicken can be used for tacos, salads, burrito bowls, hearty soups, cheesy quesadillas, and so much more. Recipes like these Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas become incredibly fast to assemble when you have pre-made Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken ready.

Another fantastic benefit is that slow-cooked chicken freezes exceptionally well. This is perfect for those truly hectic nights when you might not have planned anything specific, providing a ready-to-use ingredient that can be thawed and incorporated into a quick meal. Today’s Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich (you’ll find the full recipe at the end of this post) is a prime example of how you can utilize your slow cooker to yield multiple meals. It’s incredibly easy to double the recipe, ensuring you have plenty of delicious pulled chicken not only for dinner but also for effortless lunches throughout the week.

More Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes to Try:

Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos {perfect for tacos, salads, quesadillas, and enchiladas}

4 Ingredient Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken {excellent for tacos, salads, quesadillas, sandwiches, and enchiladas}

Slow Cooker Mexican Cheesy Chicken Soup

Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Chicken

Tip 5: Stock Your Pantry, Freezer, and Refrigerator with Essential Staples

A well-stocked kitchen is a powerful asset in meal preparation. Once a month, I dedicate time to replenishing all our basic pantry, freezer, and refrigerator staples. You can do this at your local grocery store, or for larger families, consider bulk stores like Costco to maximize savings.

When I stock up, I prioritize key items like various broths (chicken, vegetable, and beef), essential spices (cumin, basil, oregano, paprika, chili powder), a variety of grains (brown rice, quinoa, and other favorites), pastas (including whole wheat and vegetable options), cooking oils (especially olive oil), canned goods (black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, and diced tomatoes). Having these foundational ingredients on hand means you’re always prepared for any recipe, preventing those last-minute dashes to the store.

Furthermore, don’t underestimate the power of your freezer. You can purchase chicken and other meats in bulk and store them until you’re ready to use them. This strategy significantly simplifies your weekly meal planning and grocery shopping trips, as you’ll already have the bulk of your ingredients at home. This practice not only saves time but also often results in cost savings and the ability to cook spontaneous, healthy meals.

My focus is always on using quality ingredients that I trust and love. This is precisely why I appreciate Just BARE®Chicken. They are a national provider of Natural/No Antibiotics-Ever and Organic chicken varieties, distributed by Minnesota-based GNP Company. The brand is committed to “raising goodness” by providing good food for more people, fueling passions, and contributing to a healthier future. Knowing this allows me to feel confident and good about incorporating their chicken into my family’s weekly meals, assured of the high quality product I’m serving.

I genuinely hope these 5 Steps to Easy Meal Preparation have sparked some new ideas and encouraged you to think about practical ways to make mealtime less stressful and more enjoyable. In our fast-paced lives, proactive planning and preparing meals whenever possible are crucial. This ensures we consistently put healthy, satisfying, and delicious meals on the table that our families will truly love.

While these steps have been incredibly effective for me, remember that flexibility and modification are key. Tailor these tips to your family’s unique needs, tastes, and lifestyle. And most importantly, don’t be afraid to give the cook a well-deserved night off every once in a while! Now, let’s dive into the fantastic Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Recipe!

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Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken

By

Julia Jolliff

Prep:

10 minutes
mins

Cook:

5 hours
hrs

Total:

5 hours
hrs
10 minutes
mins

Servings:

6
servings

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Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken sandwich recipe is simple to make ahead and use during the week.

Ingredients

• 
  ▢
  
  
  2
  cups
  BBQ Sauce

• 
  ▢
  
  
  1/2
  sweet onion,
  chopped

• 
  ▢
  
  
  2
  Tablespoons
  honey

• 
  ▢
  
  
  2
  Tablespoons
  brown sugar

• 
  ▢
  
  
  1
  Tablespoon
  Worcestershire sauce

• 
  ▢
  
  
  1
  garlic clove,
  minced

• 
  ▢
  
  
  2
  lbs.
  chicken breasts,
  Just BARE®

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the BBQ sauce, chopped sweet onion, honey, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and minced garlic. Pour half of this delicious BBQ mixture onto the bottom of your slow cooker.
• Carefully place the chicken breasts into the slow cooker, then pour the remaining BBQ sauce over the chicken, ensuring each piece is thoroughly coated.
• Cook on low for 4-1/2 hours until the chicken is incredibly tender. Using two forks, shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker. Once shredded, mix it thoroughly with the sauce to ensure every piece is coated. Cover and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld beautifully.
• Serve this mouth-watering pulled chicken generously on toasted buns, perhaps with a side of creamy coleslaw and a drizzle of extra BBQ sauce for the ultimate sandwich experience.

Notes

• This chicken freezes great for use in dishes later.
• I use this shredded chicken in things like quesadillas, tacos and salads.

Nutrition

Calories:
379
kcal

,

Carbohydrates:
50
g

,

Protein:
33
g

,

Fat:
5
g

,

Saturated Fat:
1
g

,

Polyunsaturated Fat:
1
g

,

Monounsaturated Fat:
1
g

,

Trans Fat:
0.02
g

,

Cholesterol:
97
mg

,

Sodium:
1196
mg

,

Potassium:
828
mg

,

Fiber:
1
g

,

Sugar:
42
g

,

Vitamin A:
261
IU

,

Vitamin C:
4
mg

,

Calcium:
49
mg

,

Iron:
1
mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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