Slow Cooker Chicken Sloppy Joes (with a Tasty Homemade Sauce!)

Close-up of Chicken Sloppy Joes sandwich on plate.

Slow Cooker Chicken Sloppy Joes (with a Tasty Homemade Sauce!)

Chicken Sloppy Joes combine juicy shredded chicken with a quick, homemade sloppy joe sauce for messy, yummy sandwiches that effortlessly come together in the crockpot and are sure to please the entire family!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 6

Total Time 6 15

Servings to 6 sandwiches

Calories 185kcal

Author Samantha Skaggs

Equipment

6-quart or larger Slow Cooker I recommend this Crock-Pot!
Glass Measuring Cup (2-cup)

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN:

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless 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.

Video

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. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs are the easiest, with no skin or bones to worry about picking out. Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (light and dark meat) can be used as well, which may result in moister shredded chicken.
The size of the chicken breasts/thighs you use will dictate how many you need to equal 1 ½ pounds.
The amount of chicken you use will influence how saucy your sandwiches are. Use a lesser amount of chicken for the sauciest sandwiches.
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) works great as well.

Nutrition