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Fall-Off-The-Bone Crockpot BBQ Chicken

Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Dinner: A Complete One-Pot Meal & Freezer Prep Guide

Photo is a clear glass bowl of diced potatoes sitting on an orange and white striped linen napkinn, a wooden cutting board with tongs and sliced chicken, a clear glass bowl of corn on the cob, and a plate with a small corn cob, diced potatoes, and sliced chicken. The plate is off-white with a yellow rim. There is a fork on the plate beside the potatoes.

Imagine coming home after a long day to a delicious, home-cooked meal that practically made itself. This dream becomes a reality with our incredibly easy slow cooker barbecue chicken dinner! This recipe brings together tender BBQ chicken, perfectly seasoned potatoes, and sweet corn on the cob, all cooked simultaneously in one pot. It’s the ultimate hassle-free solution for busy weeknights, offering a complete, balanced meal with minimal effort.

But the convenience doesn’t stop there. This versatile dish is also an excellent candidate for freezer meal prep. By preparing the components ahead of time, you can transform future evenings into a breeze. Simply assemble everything except the chicken, then freeze the foil-wrapped corn and potato mixtures alongside a package of chicken breasts and your favorite barbecue sauce. When you’re ready to cook, just place the chicken and thawed sauce in the slow cooker, layer the frozen foil packets on top, and let your crockpot work its magic. This method ensures you have a wholesome, flavorful dinner ready with almost no last-minute fuss, making healthy eating accessible even on your busiest days.

The Simple Ingredients for a Flavorful Feast

One of the best aspects of this slow cooker BBQ chicken dinner is its straightforward ingredient list. You don’t need obscure items or a pantry full of spices to create a memorable meal. With just a few basic components, you’ll be on your way to a comforting and satisfying dinner. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Corn (frozen mini ears work perfectly for convenience)
  • Potatoes (gold potatoes are recommended for their creamy texture)
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Onion
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Barbecue Sauce (your favorite brand will do!)
  • Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

These ingredients combine to create a symphony of flavors and textures, with the sweet and smoky barbecue sauce complementing the savory chicken, the creamy, cheesy potatoes, and the vibrant sweetness of the corn. It’s a classic combination that appeals to almost everyone, making it a guaranteed family favorite.

Clear glass bowl with small corn on the cob, clear glass bowl with individually wrapped chicken breasts, clear glass bowl of whole, unpeeled potatoes, bowl of shredded cheddar cheese, bowl with salt and pepper, metal measuring spoons, bowl of barbecue sauce, bowl of oil, and an onion, all on a white marble countertop with an orange and white striped napkin.

Prepping Your Crockpot for Success

The beauty of a slow cooker lies in its simplicity. To begin this delightful meal, start by preparing your crockpot. A light spray of non-stick cooking spray on the bottom ensures that your chicken won’t stick and cleanup will be a breeze. Next, place the chicken breasts evenly at the bottom of the pot. These will form the foundation of your meal, slowly simmering in the barbecue sauce to achieve incredible tenderness and flavor. Take about half of your chosen barbecue sauce and generously brush it over each chicken breast, ensuring every piece is thoroughly coated. This initial layer of sauce infuses the chicken with flavor right from the start. Once coated, pour the remaining barbecue sauce evenly over the chicken, allowing it to pool slightly and fully submerge the chicken in that delicious, tangy goodness.

While the chicken is nestled in its saucy bath, turn your attention to the vegetables. Precision in dicing your onion and potatoes can make a significant difference in both presentation and cooking consistency. If you’re looking to achieve perfectly uniform pieces with minimal effort, a kitchen gadget like the Vidalia Chop Wizard (affiliate link) is an absolute game-changer. I personally use mine constantly, and it truly makes chopping fruits and vegetables incredibly easy and consistent. Uniformly sized pieces not only make for a more appealing plate (and stunning recipe photos!), but they also ensure that all your food cooks evenly, preventing some pieces from being undercooked while others are overcooked.

Small bowl with salt and pepper sitting on an orange and white striped napkin, a bowl of shredded cheddar cheese, a slow cooker with three chicken breasts in barbecue sauce, a wooden cutting board with sliced potatoes, and a Vidalia Chop Wizard.

Just look at those perfectly diced potatoes! The consistency truly makes a difference. If you haven’t yet discovered the magic of a Vidalia Chop Wizard, or if you’re simply short on time, don’t worry! You can easily substitute fresh diced potatoes with frozen diced potatoes, often found in the freezer section labeled as hash browns. This quick hack maintains the dish’s convenience without sacrificing flavor or texture, making it even more adaptable to your schedule.

Small bowl with salt and pepper sitting on an orange and white striped napkin, a bowl of shredded cheddar cheese, a slow cooker with three chicken breasts in barbecue sauce, a wooden cutting board a bowl of diced potatoes and onion, and a small bowl with oil.

Assembling Your Flavorful Layers

Once your potatoes and onions are prepped, it’s time to create the savory potato mixture. In a separate large bowl – not directly in the slow cooker yet – combine the diced potatoes, a generous tablespoon of vegetable oil, the diced onion, shredded cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. It’s crucial to mix these ingredients thoroughly. The oil helps distribute the seasonings evenly and aids in cooking, while the cheese will melt beautifully within the foil packet, creating pockets of creamy, savory goodness. Take your time to toss everything together until the potatoes are well coated; this step ensures every bite is bursting with flavor.

An orange and white striped linen napkin on a white marble countertop with a slow cooker with three chicken breasts in barbecue sauce. A wooden cutting board with a bowl of diced potatoes and onions, shredded cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper.

Now, it’s time to assemble your foil packets. For the potato mixture, you’ll want to create one large, sturdy packet. Don’t be shy with the foil – using a generous amount and carefully sealing the edges will prevent any delicious juices from escaping and ensure even cooking. If you often struggle with gauging how much foil or cling wrap you need for a recipe, a helpful trick is to roll out a length that seems sufficient and then tear it off, rather than trying to estimate directly from the roll. This helps eliminate the “eyeballing” factor and ensures you have enough material to properly wrap your ingredients.

A large piece of foil with diced potatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, and diced onions, beside a slow cooker with chicken breasts in barbecue sauce.

Next, each mini ear of corn on the cob needs its own individual foil wrapper. This keeps the corn moist and steamy as it cooks, locking in its natural sweetness. Once all your packets are ready, it’s time to layer them into the crockpot. Carefully place the large potato packet directly on top of the barbecue chicken. This creates a barrier and allows the chicken to cook slowly in its sauce while the potatoes steam above it. Finally, arrange the individually wrapped ears of corn on top of the potato packet. This strategic layering ensures that all components cook perfectly, with the chicken getting direct heat and the vegetables steaming gently, all within the comforting confines of your slow cooker.

Slow cooker with six small corn cobs wrapped in foil and another foil packet beneath them.

Slow Cook to Perfection and Serve

With all the components nestled inside your slow cooker, it’s time to set it and forget it! Place the lid securely on your crockpot and cook on the low setting for 7-8 hours. This extended cooking time is essential for allowing the chicken to become incredibly tender, practically falling apart, and for the potatoes to become soft and creamy, while the corn steams to sweet perfection. The slow and steady heat also allows all the flavors to meld beautifully, creating a depth of taste that quick cooking methods simply can’t achieve. You’ll know it’s cooked through when the chicken easily shreds with a fork, and the potatoes are fork-tender.

A bowl with foil and a small corn cob, open foil packet with diced potatoes, a slow cooker with chicken breasts. The potatoes are on a wooden cutting board with a basting brush and a set of tongs.

Once cooking is complete, carefully remove the foil-wrapped corn and potato packet from the slow cooker. Unwrap them gently, minding the hot steam. The chicken can be easily lifted out and sliced, or even shredded with two forks, depending on your preference. Serve immediately, creating a beautiful plate with slices of juicy barbecue chicken, a generous helping of the cheesy seasoned potatoes, and a sweet ear of corn. This meal is not only delicious but also visually appealing, perfect for a family dinner or casual entertaining. Consider a sprinkle of fresh parsley or a dash of extra barbecue sauce over the chicken for an added touch of freshness and flavor.

A clear glass bowl with diced potatoes sitting on an orange and white striped napkin, a clear glass bowl with small corn cobs, and a wooden cutting board with two whole chicken breasts and one sliced chicken breast. There is a set of tongs and a Santoku Knife on the cutting board.

Recipe

Photo is a clear glass bowl of diced potatoes sitting on an orange and white striped linen napkinn, a wooden cutting board with tongs and sliced chicken, and a plate with a small corn cob, diced potatoes, and sliced chicken. The plate is off-white with a yellow rim. There is a fork on the plate beside the potatoes.

Barbecue Chicken Dinner in the Crockpot

4.67 from 3 votes
This barbecue chicken dinner is not only a great slow cooker recipe, it can easily be used as a freezer meal to help make weekday meal planning easier. You could also make prep easier by using frozen hash browns instead of chopping up your own potatoes.
AuthorMary Ann
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes

Course Main Dish
Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings
Calories 500

Ingredients

  

  • 2½ pounds frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • ½ cup barbecue sauce
  • 6 gold potatoes
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 6 frozen mini ears corn on the cob
  • aluminum foil
  • non-stick cooking spray
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Instructions

  • Clean and chop 6 gold potatoes. Dice 1 medium onion
  • Spray the bottom of the crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place 2½ pounds frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the crockpot and brush with some of the ½ cup barbecue sauce until chicken is completely covered. Pour remaining barbecue sauce evenly over chicken.
  • Combine the potatoes, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, onion, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl and mix well.
  • Make a large packet out of aluminum foil and wrap the potatoes in it.
  • Wrap each of 6 frozen mini ears corn on the cob separately in foil.
  • Place the potato packet on top of the chicken and place the wrapped ears of corn on top of the potato packet.
  • Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until cooked through.

Notes

I adore my Vidalia Chop Wizard (affiliate link) and use it all the time! I use it for dicing potatoes, onions, peppers, celery, fruit, and more into consistent sized pieces so that my finished dishes look beautiful. The chopper has two inserts, one for medium-sized pieces (which I used here) which I usually use for potatoes, onions, and peppers, and one with a smaller grid, which I use to chop smaller pieces of celery, nuts, or other crunchy additions to salads and other dishes.

Although I have not tried it, I think this dish would be perfect to do for freezer meal prep. You could prepare everything except the chicken and store the foil-wrapped corn and potato mixtures with a package of chicken breasts and the barbecue sauce in a large freezer container. When you want to make it, just prepare the chicken on the bottom then layer the foil wrapped corn and potatoes on top and cook as directed.

If you want to skip chopping the potatoes, you might try using frozen diced hash browns instead.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 500 calCarbohydrates: 42 gProtein: 51 gFat: 15 gSodium: 924 mgFiber: 6 gSugar: 12 gNet Carbohydrates: 36 g

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Top photo is a clear glass bowl with small corn on the cob, clear glass bowl with individually wrapped chicken breasts, clear glass bowl of whole, unpeeled potatoes, bowl of shredded cheddar cheese, bowl with salt and pepper, metal measuring spoons, bowl of barbecue sauce, bowl of oil, and an onion, all on a white marble countertop with an orange and white striped napkin. Bottom photo is a clear glass bowl of diced potatoes sitting on an orange and white striped linen napkinn, a wooden cutting board with tongs and sliced chicken, a clear glass bowl of corn on the cob, and a plate with a small corn cob, diced potatoes, and sliced chicken. The plate is off-white with a yellow rim. There is a fork on the plate beside the potatoes. Text is barbecue chicken dinner in the crockpot add salt & serve formerly menus4moms