12 Pulled Chicken Recipes to Make At Home

a pulled chicken sandwich on a wheat bun
Photo: Creative Side of Me

Tender, juicy, and flavorful pulled chicken is perfect for BBQ plates, sandwiches, wraps, and so much more. Restaurant-worthy pulled chicken is easier to make at home than you think — prepare it on the grill, in the oven, or with your countertop slow cooker or Instant Pot. No matter what you're looking for, you'll find delicious inspiration in this collection of our very best pulled chicken recipes.

01 of 13

Slow Cooker Alabama Pulled BBQ Chicken

Alabamians know there's only one way to top a pulled chicken sandwich: a tangy, creamy, mayonnaise-based white BBQ sauce. Cooking the chicken in the slow cooker ensures perfectly tender meat that pulls apart easily.

02 of 13

Chef John's Pulled Chicken Sloppy Joes

Chef John's Pulled Chicken Sloppy Joes
Chef John

Chef John's take on pulled chicken is inspired by the Sloppy Joe sandwich, a comfort food favorite. A spicy-sweet sauce is complemented by fresh green onions.

03 of 13

Smoked Pulled Chicken

This pulled chicken recipe is full of complex, smoky flavor. A garlicky yogurt-based marinade keeps the meat moist and juicy through the long smoking process.

04 of 13

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pulled Chicken

Tired of barbecue sauce? This pulled chicken, cooked slowly in a Crock-Pot, is tossed in an easy homemade teriyaki sauce. Recipe creator A Day In the Kitchen suggests serving with white rice or on a crusty bun.

05 of 13

Pulled Chicken Pretzel Sliders

Make this easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer with just four ingredients: store-bought pretzel crisps, leftover pulled chicken in BBQ sauce, white Cheddar cheese, and thick-cut bacon pieces.

06 of 13

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue

a pulled chicken sandwich on a wheat bun
Creative Side of Me

You only need five ingredients (chicken breast halves, bottled barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce) and a slow cooker to make this top-rated pulled chicken recipe, which has more than 5,000 rave reviews.

07 of 13

Instant Pot Pulled Chicken

Use your trusty Instant Pot to make this shortcut pulled chicken. "The chicken is so moist and delicious," raves reviewer Carol Long, who suggests cooking with chicken broth instead of water.

08 of 13

Slow Cooker Mexican Pulled Chicken

"This super easy recipe creates an extremely tender and juicy pulled chicken," recipe creator lindsey927 says of this easy recipe with chicken, black beans, jarred salsa, and frozen corn.

09 of 13

Sweet and Tangy Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

The flavors of BBQ sauce, cola, raspberry-walnut vinaigrette, teriyaki sauce, mayonnaise, and cardamom come together beautifully in these unique pulled chicken sandwiches.

10 of 13

Spicy Chicken Orecchiette

Orecchiette pasta is tossed with grilled pulled chicken, mushrooms, broccolini, and seasoned tomato sauce. "If you want to get a nice well-rounded meal in a little over an hour, then this recipe is great," says reviewer crystaldurairaj.

11 of 13

Justin's Honey Buffalo Chicken Wraps

These irresistible pulled chicken wraps feature a sweet and spicy barbecue-Buffalo sauce spiked with honey-flavored Tennessee whiskey.

12 of 13

BBQ Pulled Chicken in the Slow Cooker

Thought you had enough pulled chicken recipes for the slow cooker? Think again! You definitely need this tender, juicy, Sriracha-spiced chicken in your life.

13 of 13

More Inspiration

a white ceramic platter holding appealingly sticky-looking grilled chicken coated with barbecue sauce, with corn on the cob in the background
jeffrey carpenter

Hungry for more? Explore our entire collection of Barbecued and Grilled Chicken Recipes.

Was this page helpful?