Juicy shredded chicken meets a quick, homemade sloppy joe sauce in these messy, yummy Chicken Sloppy Joes that effortlessly come together in the crockpot and are sure to please the entire family!
I believe I owe y'all an apology. Back at the beginning of the year, I conducted a little poll of my Facebook followers asking what kind of posts you'd like to see more often here at Five Heart Home. And the overwhelmingly popular answer? Slow cooker recipes. So that's what I set out to share on a regular basis!
However, the unintentional side effect is that I haven't shared a non-slow cooker main dish in a good while. So I've got another crockpot recipe on the roster for today, but I promise that soon I'll share some dinnertime fare that can be cooked on the stove top or in the oven for an exciting change of pace. 😉
In the meantime, however, I have some messy, drippy, yummy slow cooker grub for you today. I'm sure that everyone has had sloppy joes for supper a time or two hundred. But have you ever had sloppy joes made with shredded chicken instead of ground beef...AKA, Chicken Sloppy Joes? I am here to tell you that they are just as tasty and even easier to make!
Just toss a few chicken breasts in the slow cooker and let them do their thing. Then, shortly before serving, throw together a homemade sloppy joe sauce. It literally only takes a couple of minutes longer than opening that can (canwich?) of sauce would, but it tastes about 100 times better without the questionable ingredients.
If you've never cooked chicken breasts in your slow cooker, it's a really easy way to prep a bunch of shredded chicken all at once for use in a variety of recipes. You could easily cook a whole crock pot full of chicken and just pull out enough to stir together with sauce for this meal while refrigerating/freezing the rest for a future use. My only disclaimer is this: the chicken cooking time may vary based on how much chicken you cook at once and how hot your crock pot runs.
I've had the same ol' trusty crock pot for about 15 years now, and I've always cooked my chicken dishes on low for the standard 8 hours. But guess what? That beloved crock pot has seen better days and, after I'd continued using it for a good six months after its knob cracked off, my considerate husband decided to surprise me with a fancy new slow cooker. And as much as I love it and appreciate the gesture, the new one appears to run hotter than my antique model, so I'm having to pay a bit more attention to recipe timing lately.
I share this because all of you have different slow cookers. And while this chicken cooked up in less than 4 hours on low in my new slow cooker, I probably would have cooked it for 6 hours on low in my old slow cooker to achieve the same level of doneness and tenderness. So with any crock pot recipe, use the times as a guide the first time you make it, and adjust up or down as necessary once you get to know your particular slow cooker.
I know that we often think of crockpot fare as fall and wintertime food, but the slow cooker is a great tool as the weather warms up as well. After all, isn't it nice to cook a warm meal without having to heat up the oven, and consequently, the whole kitchen?
So don't put that slow cooker away for the summer! Keep it out all year long to whip up scrumptious sandwiches, tacos, and more! And this week? Give these Chicken Sloppy Joes a try. Between the tender, juicy chicken and the tangy, flavorful sauce, I think you'll deem this recipe a winner, winner, chicken dinner. 😉
More Sandwiches for Supper
- Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches Au Jus
- Taco Sloppy Joes
- Slow Cooker Meatball Subs
- Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork Sliders with Creamy Broccoli Slaw
Slow Cooker Chicken Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN:
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts , 3 to 4 large chicken breasts
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE SAUCE:
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 to 4 tablespoons brown sugar, depending on preferred sweetness
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Place chicken and chicken broth in slow cooker. Sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper. Cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, or until chicken falls apart when you try to pick it up with a fork.
- Drain liquid and any fat from slow cooker. Shred chicken with two forks. Measure sauce ingredients into a medium bowl or 2-cup measuring cup. Mix well and pour over shredded chicken. Stir to combine, cover slow cooker, and allow to reheat for a few more minutes. Serve on buns with sliced pickles, if desired.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Notes
- I recommend cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts on low as opposed to high, to lower the odds of chicken drying out. This recipe will work with any cut of chicken, but I like boneless, skinless chicken breasts because they are so easy, with no skin or bones to worry about picking out.
- If your slow cooker runs hot or if you cook less chicken, you may want to check it at the 3-hour mark. If your slow cooker does not run as hot or if you double (or triple) the recipe, you will probably need to cook for 8 to 10 hours on low.
- When a slow cooker recipe calls for chicken broth, I typically use water plus Organic (Chicken) Better Than Bouillon.
- I also like to use jarred, refrigerated minced garlic in slow cooker recipes. I just dump in several spoonfuls...the garlic becomes mellow as it cooks and I really don't think you can use too much! But garlic powder (as called for in this recipe) will work as well.
Kristen
Do you really need the sugar? Trying to do less of it...let me know!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
You can totally reduce the sugar or leave it out altogether, Kristen! Many people are accustomed to canned sloppy joe sauce, which contains a lot more sugar than this...so 1/4 cup brown sugar in this recipe gives it a slightly sweet undertone and cuts the acidity of the tomato sauce/ketchup (I always add at least a spoonful of sugar to tomato-based sauces for the acidity-cutting reason). But if you prefer to eliminate the sugar from this recipe, it will still turn out great. 🙂 Hope y'all enjoy!
Lisa @ Cooking with Curls
Yum, those look so delicious Samantha!! I still need to learn how to use that slow cooker in the cabinet. I know, I am so far behind the times. 🙂
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Oh, Lisa...once you start using your slow cooker, you'll never look back! It's a life saver on busy days, and there are so many yummy, effortless recipes you can cook in it. I don't know what I'd do without mine! Hope you enjoy these sandwiches if you decide to try them, and I hope you're having a great weekend! 🙂
kristi@ishouldbemoppingthefloor
These look so yummy!! Thank you bunches for linking up and partying with us!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Thank you, Kristi! I love partying with y'all...wouldn't miss it! Although sometimes I lose track of time on Sundays and am late to link up. 😛 Hope you're having a great week and that you enjoy the nice, long weekend with your family...thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Heather @ French Press
hot or not,I am breaking out the slow cooker for these bad boys!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Ha, Heather...I hope you love 'em! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Felecia
Hi Samantha! The recipe looks so yummy! I can hardly wait to give it a try! Chicken has become our favorite 'beef' since beef prices have escalated so! Our other favorite is pork. Next, I want to try the pulled pork sliders with rootbeer. Your recipes are very tantalizing! Thanks for sharing! Blessings from Bama!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
You are so sweet, Felecia...thank you for the kind words, and I'm glad you're enjoying the site! I hope you enjoy this recipe and any others that you end up trying. 🙂 Have a great rest of the weekend!
Jessica
The pickles are what drew me in! I'm a sucker for any crockpot meal but throw pickles on it and I'm sold for sure!
Thanks for sharing
Jessica @ sparklesandglue.com
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Thanks, Jessica! I'm a big pickle fan, too, especially on burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, and sloppy joes! Hope you enjoy these if you have a chance to try them...thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂
Janet
My slow cooker broke on the way to a Boy Scout camping trip. Happy to say it was not filled with anything 🙂 I need to buy another one but usually I just use my dutch oven on top of the stove. Have a good night. Thanks for the recipe.
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Well darn, Janet...I hope you get your slow cooker replaced at some point! But yes, you could totally make this (and, as you know, most slow cooker recipes) on the stove top or in the oven. 🙂 I hope you enjoy it however you make it!
Gina
Well- I'm not minding the slow cooker recipes. Anything to give me some variety with mine is great. As you know- I'm not using my oven much at the moment so these recipes are saving us from eating cold cut sandwiches all the time. 🙂 Oh - and the shredded chicken, beef & pork- keep it coming. You know how much I love all of that.
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Ha, Gina! I am with you on being regularly saved by the slow cooker, but when are you going to have an oven again? Hope this recipe goes over well with your family. Happy Friday...have a great weekend! 🙂
Maggie Unzueta @ Mama Maggie's Kitchen
I can't wait for the next time I have to be out of the house all day to make this. Love my crockpot!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
You and me both, Maggie! I don't what I'd do without a crock pot. Hope you enjoy these sandwiches!