Dr Pepper BBQ Chicken

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Chicken is one of the most inexpensive proteins out there, so our family eats a lot of it.  We get bored having the same thing over and over again, but then I came up with a recipe that the whole family loves, and can’t get enough of – Dr Pepper BBQ Chicken!  The sweetness from the soda, followed by the sticky spicy bbq sauce is absolutely perfect, and brings the flavors of slow cooked BBQ on the grill into your kitchen thanks to a slow cooker.

Dr Pepper BBQ Chicken

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt & pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 can Dr Pepper
1 bottle of Kraft Slow-Simmered Original BBQ Sauce

This recipe comes together so quickly.  I love it!  Place the three chicken breasts in your slow cooker.  Don’t worry if they are still frozen!  Just put them in there.  Add a hearty pinch of salt, a sprinkle of pepper, and a teaspoon of garlic powder.  I’ll be honest, I don’t actually measure the garlic powder, so often its more than the teaspoon, but we love garlic.

Next dump in your can of Dr Pepper.  Normally, I don’t like Dr Pepper, I’m a Pepsi girl, but in this chicken it gives the right amount of sweetness.  I have made it with root beer (which I also detest) and its been phenomenal!  You really can use any dark soda – Pepsi, Dr Pepper, Root Beer, Birch Beer – whatever you have on hand, my only recommendations is to not use diet soda because you want the sugars in the soda to caramelize, which means there needs to actually be sugar in there.  Don’t worry about the chicken being covered by the soda, it will be fine.

Put the lid on your slow cooker, and set it to low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.  If your chicken is still frozen, I recommend low and slow.

When there is 30 minutes left on your cook time, remove as much of the liquid as you can from your slow cooker, and put it in a separate dish.  Shred the chicken with 2 forks.  This will be super easy since you cooked the chicken in your slow cooker.  Sometimes, I just push it around with a wooden spoon, and it shreds itself that quickly!

Dump in your barbecue sauce.  My family’s favorite store bought sauce is the Kraft Slow-Simmered Original BBQ Sauce.  Its a nice balance of sweet and spice, and even the children love it.  Rinse your barbecue sauce bottle out with up to a 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid.  Stir it all together, and put your slow cooker on high for the final 30 minutes.

You can serve your Dr Pepper BBQ Chicken on a bun with cole slaw and pickles, or just on your plate with beans and cornbread (or your favorite sides). 

I will often make a double or even triple batch of this chicken to take with us to a pot luck, or to have on hand for a big family meal.  The leftovers reheat beautifully for lunches, and are delicious repurposed into quesadillas, pizza, or even on a salad for later in the week.

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Dr Pepper BBQ Chicken

The sweetness from the soda, followed by the sticky spicy bbq sauce is absolutely perfect, and brings the flavors of slow cooked BBQ on the grill into your kitchen thanks to a slow cooker.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• salt & pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 can Dr Pepper
• 1 bottle of Kraft Slow-Simmered Original BBQ Sauce

Instructions

1. Place the three chicken breasts in your slow cooker. Don’t worry if they are still frozen! Just put them in there. Add a hearty pinch of salt, a sprinkle of pepper, and a teaspoon of garlic powder.
2. Next dump in your can of Dr Pepper.
3. Put the lid on your slow cooker, and set it to low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. If your chicken is still frozen, I recommend low and slow.
4. When there is 30 minutes left on your cook time, remove as much of the liquid as you can from your slow cooker, and put it in a separate dish. Shred the chicken with 2 forks. This will be super easy since you cooked the chicken in your slow cooker. Sometimes, I just push it around with a wooden spoon, and it shreds itself that quickly!
5. Dump in your barbecue sauce. My family’s favorite store bought sauce is the Kraft Slow-Simmered Original BBQ Sauce. Its a nice balance of sweet and spice, and even the children love it. Rinse your barbecue sauce bottle out with up to a 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Stir it all together, and put your slow cooker on high for the final 30 minutes.
6. You can serve your Dr Pepper BBQ Chicken on a bun with cole slaw and pickles, or just on your plate with beans and cornbread (or your favorite sides).