This Slow-Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken balances honey’s gentle sweetness with the bright heat of Sriracha for a versatile shredded chicken that’s perfect piled high on sandwiches, tucked into tacos, added to salads, spread on pizza, or served in fajitas. Leftovers freeze well in individual portions for quick meals later.
This recipe was inspired by Kalyn from Kalyn’s Kitchen and adapted here for ease and weeknight practicality.
Why this chicken works
I often cook with thighs for flavor and cost, but this version starts with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Trimming and slicing the breasts into narrower pieces—cut into three lengthwise strips and then halved—helps the chicken cook faster and makes shredding effortless. The method is simple: cook on HIGH for one hour, then switch to LOW for two hours. In about three hours you’ll have tender, shreddable chicken that’s still practical for a weeknight.
Cutting the breasts into smaller pieces speeds the cooking and means the chicken shreds into bite-sized pieces easily. After cooking, two forks will have it shredded in minutes.
The sauce
The sauce is straightforward: blend the ingredients until smooth. If you don’t have a blender, finely chop the onion and garlic and whisk them into the liquid ingredients before adding to the slow-cooker. After the chicken cooks, transfer the sauce to a saucepan and reduce it over medium-high heat until thickened. Return shredded chicken to the slow-cooker and toss with the reduced sauce so the flavors meld and the chicken stays moist.
The Sriracha level can be adjusted from mild to spicy (1–3 tablespoons in the original formulation). My family prefers the hotter end, but scale it to suit your household. Don’t omit the Sriracha—the tangy heat is a key component of the final flavor.
Make ahead and serve
This recipe easily yields two full meals for a family, and you can double it to fill a larger slow-cooker—cooking time may increase slightly. The finished shredded chicken is excellent hot on toasted whole wheat buns layered with cucumber ribbons and fresh cilantro, and topped with a runny fried egg for richness. It’s equally good cold tossed into salads or reheated for tacos, pizzas, or fajitas.
The combination of crisp cucumber ribbons, bright cilantro, and a runny-yolked egg takes the sandwich to another level—if you love eggs, don’t skip it. Portion the leftover chicken into airtight containers and freeze meal-sized amounts for easy dinners on busy nights.
Recipe summary
Gentle sweetness from honey highlights the heat of Sriracha in this Slow-Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken. Use it on sandwiches with cucumber and cilantro, topped with a fried egg, or on salads, tacos, pizzas, and more. Leftovers freeze well.
Slow-Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken | Make Ahead Mondays
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1 onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1-3 tablespoons Sriracha depending on heat preference
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
For the Chicken:
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed of visible fat
- salt and pepper to taste add after sauce is reduced
For the Sandwiches:
- 1 English cucumber cut in quarters lengthwise then sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
- fresh cilantro leaves to taste
- 1 fried egg per sandwich
- 1 whole wheat sandwich bun per sandwich
Instructions
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Cut each chicken breast into three strips lengthwise, then cut each strip once crosswise so each breast becomes about six pieces. Place the pieces in the bottom of a slow-cooker crock.
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Place all sauce ingredients in a blender and blend on HIGH until smooth. (If you don’t have a blender, finely chop the onion and garlic and whisk them into the liquid ingredients.) Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour, then reduce to LOW and cook for another 2 hours, or until a large piece of chicken can be easily torn apart.
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Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and bring to medium-high heat to reduce, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. While the sauce reduces, shred the chicken with two forks and return the shredded chicken to the slow-cooker to keep warm.
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When the sauce has thickened, pour it over the shredded chicken and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve hot on toasted whole wheat buns with cucumber ribbons, cilantro leaves and a fried egg, or use cold on salads, in tacos, or on pizzas.
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Leftovers freeze well in individual meal-sized airtight containers.
Notes
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 37g
Protein: 39g
Fat: 6g
Sugar: 31g
XO,
Rebecca