Everyone loves this easy sandwich and it's perfect for tailgating and feeding crowds of hungry people at potlucks and church suppers!
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Root beer barbecue chicken is such a simple recipe with just 4 ingredients. All you have to do is toss everything together in the
slow cooker , and come home after a busy day to a fully cooked meal! - It's perfect for busy weeknight but I love it for potlucks because it's so easy to take with!
- Sugar-free root beer doesn't work well in this recipe.
Who can say no to a good chicken dinner? Especially when it's made with a can of regular root beer and your favorite barbecue sauce!
Just combine the ingredients, whip up a few sides like a baked potato and or fried potatoes, and you've got yourself a complete meal in no time.
The
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
The good thing about
- Serve it on buns for bbq chicken sandwiches.
- Try using Coke or Dr Pepper instead of root beer.
- Add onion powder to the seasonings for an extra kick of flavor.
- Try different cuts of chicken. Chicken thighs work great!
- Pair it with celery, carrots, or crackers for a flavorful chicken dip.
- Spread your shredded chicken over a plate of chips for nachos.
- Sprinkle your chicken on top of a homemade pizza crust, and add your favorite toppings for a fun weeknight dinner!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on an image to make it full sized.
Place seasoned chicken in bottom of crockpot.
Mix bbq sauce and root beer. Pour over chicken.
Cover and cook.
Shred and cook 30 more minutes.
🥫 How to store leftover root beer chicken
Before you store your
Root beer chicken freezes like a charm, too! Place your chicken in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you're ready to serve, just be sure to let it thaw in the fridge overnight first. Warm through in a saucepan or in the microwave.
Expert tip
Do not use sugar free root beer with this recipe - it doesn't work well and the flavor is weird.
💭 Things to know
- Once shredded, cover the chicken, and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes. This lets it soak up the sauce. Yum!
- Use a slotted spoon for serving. This will help drain off excess liquid.
- Use a bbq sauce you love. I use Sweet Baby Rays Original.
- I like to freeze individual servings in a small ziploc. That way family members can easily thaw quickly and have a grab and go meal.
👩🍳 FAQs
I don't recommend it. Frozen chicken will take much longer to fully cook, resulting in tough meat and too much liquid.
I haven't tested this recipe with any other sodas, but it should work just fine! I suggest sticking with a dark-colored option like Coke or Dr Pepper. One reader said that they used ginger ale and it was delish!
Yes! Pork will have a slightly different flavor but will still be super tasty. You might want to try these crockpot honey garlic pork chops, too.
📚 Related recipes
Who couldn't use more slow cooker chicken recipes in their recipe box? These meals are quick, easy, and guaranteed to satisfy all your guests!
- Crockpot Chicken and Gravy is an easy old-fashioned dinner perfect for busy nights when you don't have a lot of time.
- Slow cooked to tender perfection, this Crockpot Ranch Chicken is weekday dinner magic!
- This Easy Crockpot Chicken and Rice is an amazing recipe you'll look forward to coming home to.
- Make Taco Tuesday even better with juicy and flavorful Tequila Lime Chicken Tacos!
🍽️ Serve with...
Homemade Potato Salad. Pair it with this chicken, and all your guests will be raving.
Easy Homemade Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns make for tasty root beer chicken sandwiches!
No matter how you choose to serve this dish, you'll want to top it off with this fudgy Chewy Brownie Recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth!
📞 The last word
This easy recipe is perfect for busy weeknights, but I love it for tailgating and casual get-togethers, too. It makes great sliders!
Here's another of our favorite crockpot chicken recipes.
If you're planning a tailgating weekend take a look at these butter-tender Dr Pepper Country Style Ribs...
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Crockpot Root Beer Chicken
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, or thighs
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt, or kosher salt
- 1 cup root beer, not sugar-free
- 1 cup bbq sauce
Instructions
- Spray the inside of a crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.
- Season the chicken with the seasoned salt and place in the bottom of the crock.
- Mix the root beer and bbq sauce together in a medium sized bowl with a whisk until smooth and well blended.
- Pour the root beer mixture over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Shred with 2 forks and put the cover back on. Cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- *Serve on hamburger buns or spooned over mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Do not use sugar-free root beer with this recipe - it doesn't work well, and the flavor is weird.
- Once shredded, cover the chicken and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon for serving. This will help drain off excess liquid.
- Use a BBQ sauce you love.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published May 10, 2022. Last updated March 4, 2024 for improved readability and step by step images.
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Sherry says
Can this recipe be prepared the night before. I have made it before for a sick friend and his family and they loved it. This time it’s for me and my family! Thank you Marye.
Marye says
Sure! I think it's even better on the next day!