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5-Ingredient Sweet Baby Ray’s Crock Pot Chicken

ByJulie Pollitt Published:June 26, 2025September 16, 2026 Updated:September 16, 2026

If you’re looking for a no-fuss dinner that’s big on flavor but easy on effort, you’ve gotta try this Sweet Baby Ray’s Crock Pot Chicken. With just five simple ingredients, you’ll get juicy, tender chicken that’s slow-cooked in the world’s favorite BBQ sauce. It’s sweet, tangy, and totally finger-lickin’ good—and the best part? The slow cooker does all the work for you.

A plate with glazed barbecue chicken, crinkle-cut fries, baked beans in a small bowl, cornbread, and corn on the cob, all served on parchment paper.

Prep Time	Cook Time/Cool Time	Servings	Prep Level
5 minutes	7 hours	4	Beginner +

What You’ll Love

Minimal ingredients and maximum flavor – Chicken, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, a punch of vinegar, brown sugar, and garlic powder create a sticky-sweet, tangy combo that hits all the taste buds in the right way.
Set-it-and-forget-it – Perfect for those crazy busy days when you need dinner to cook itself. Come home at the end of the day, and it’s done.
Super versatile leftovers – Use it for BBQ sandwiches, tacos, nachos, or even pizza toppings the next day.

A plate with barbecue-glazed chicken, fries, baked beans in a ramekin, corn on the cob, and cornbread, set on a wooden table with a blue cloth in the background.

Ingredients

For this recipe, I use vinegar, which helps tenderize the chicken. If you don’t have any, a lemon or lime will work. If you want to make things a little spicy, add some red pepper flakes.

Step-By-Step Instructions

A glass measuring cup filled with a vinegar and garlic powder. It sits on a wooden surface next to a silver spoon and a textured blue cloth.

A glass measuring cup contains BBQ and a swirl of brown sugar, resting on a wooden surface beside a silver spoon and a textured blue cloth.

Stir the brown sugar, vinegar, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Then, add the BBQ sauce and mix until the brown sugar dissolves. Lay the chicken breasts in the slow cooker in a single layer and pour the sauce over the top so every piece is coated.

Raw chicken breasts are covered in a thick layer of dark barbecue sauce inside a black slow cooker.

Two pieces of glazed barbecue chicken breast are served with crinkle-cut fries and baked beans on a parchment-lined tray, with sauce glistening on the chicken.

Cook on low for seven hours. That time is for four breasts. If you’re only cooking two, start checking around the two-hour mark. One reader had hers start to scorch at three hours on a half batch, because less chicken in the same pot heats up faster, and some slow cookers just run hot.

We love to add corn on the side. I have a great recipe for pan-roasted canned corn that only takes a few minutes to make and adds a little spice to dinner.

Barbecue chicken breasts with baked beans, crinkle-cut fries, a piece of corn on the cob, and crumbled cornbread on a tray, next to a blue textured cloth.

It’s done when the chicken shreds easily with a fork and reads 165°F at the thickest part. Shred it right in the sauce and let it sit a few minutes so it soaks the sauce back up. Readers pile it on buns for sandwiches.

Barbecue chicken with sauce, crinkle fries, baked beans, cornbread, and corn on the cob served on a parchment-lined tray with forks and salt and pepper shakers nearby.

Storage And Reheating

Store the chicken in an airtight container and keep it refrigerated for up to three days. To freeze it, let it cool and add it to a freezer-safe container. You can freeze it for up to three months.

Microwave: Place the leftovers in a microwave-safe dish and add a splash of water or sauce to keep it from drying out. Cover and heat in 1-minute intervals until warm.
Stovetop: Warm in a skillet over medium heat with a few tablespoons of water or BBQ sauce. Stir until the chicken is heated through.
Oven (for big batches): Place the chicken in a baking dish, add a splash of BBQ sauce or water, cover with foil, and bake at 325°F for 20–25 minutes.

A plate with glazed barbecue chicken, crinkle-cut fries, baked beans in a small cup, and a piece of cornbread on parchment paper. A fork rests nearby, and the chicken is partially shredded.

5-Ingredient Sweet Baby Rays Crock Pot Chicken

4.67 from 3 votes

Want a dinner that just about makes itself? Try this Crock Pot Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Chicken. It's tender, flavorful and downright delicious.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 7

Total Time 7 5

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 533 kcal

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
18 ounces Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce Hickory and Brown Sugar flavor
¼ cup white distilled vinegar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup brown sugar

Instructions

Add the vinegar, garlic powder, BBQ sauce, and brown sugar to a small bowl and mix well.
Place the raw chicken in the slow cooker and pour the BBQ mixture over the top.
Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on the low heat setting for seven hours.

Video

Notes

Pro cooking tips:

Lemon or lime as a vinegar substitute.
Avoid watery sauce with frozen chicken.

Nutrition is approximate.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 533kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 49gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 1581mgPotassium: 1155mgFiber: 1gSugar: 56gVitamin A: 354IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Julie Pollitt

Hi there! I'm Julie Pollitt from 'Back To My Southern Roots.' My love for cooking started way back on my grandparents' farm in Tennessee. Those sunny days, the smell of biscuits in the oven, and all the family fun really sparked my passion for cooking. On my blog, I share more than just recipes – they're like stories from my life, full of Southern warmth and homey goodness. The best part? Whether you're just starting out or you're a kitchen pro, you'll find my recipes super easy to whip up. So, come on, pull up a chair, and let's make some delicious memories!

4.67 from 3 votes

10 Comments

Theresa says:

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Hi Julie , I stumbled onto your website and I like what I see. home cooking made simple and easy with a lot of crock pot recipes. I am handicapped and those type of recipes are a god sent to me!! that I don’t have to pay a lot of attention to. or hover over. I greatly appreciate you and your work. keep them coming. I have not tried the recipe as of yet but definitely will. Thanks, so much for sharing.

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1. Julie Pollitt says:
  
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  Hi Theresa,
  
  This makes me SO happy that it will help you! I am so glad to hear this and glad that you are here!
  
  Reply
Darlene says:

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The bbq sauce is really good. However, I have no idea as to why but my chicken started to burn after 3 hours on low heat. I took it out and transferred to another dish to reheat for dinner. So, I’m assuming, with my crockpot cooking time would reduced by half.

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1. Julie Pollitt says:
  
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  How much chicken did you have in the Crock Pot? Do you have a large Crock Pot? Also, my Crock Pot started burning everything and would get very hot, even on low, and I had to replace it. Could that be an issue?
  
  Reply
  1. Darlene says:
    
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    Replying to Julie, my crockpot is a medium size, but I’m not sure of the exact quart size. I used 2 chicken breasts. Evidently, it cooks rather fast. This was the first time I had tried BBQ chicken in it. I’m not giving up. I will be making it again. Plus, I’m going to make the sauce to use on other meats. Thank you for posting.
    
    Reply
    1. Julie Pollitt says:
      
      at
      
      That’s so helpful to know—thank you for sharing! Two chicken breasts in a medium Crock Pot might cook a little faster, especially if there’s extra space in the pot (less volume to heat = quicker cooking). You might try checking it around the 2-hour mark next time just to see how it’s doing. Keep en eye on your Crock Pot when you cook other things and see how it does. Sometimes they just get extra hot (technology is fun).
      
      I love that you’re not giving up—and I’m thrilled to hear you’re planning to use the sauce on other meats too! That BBQ flavor really is a keeper. Let me know how your next round turns out—I’d love to hear! ❤️🍗
      
      Reply
CAROLE says:

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I made this yesterday. It was delicious. Notice I said was. My family ate all of it. Thank you for a great recipe.,

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1. Julie Pollitt says:
  
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  That’s fantastic to hear! I am so glad you all loved it!
  
  Reply
Joan says:

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Making this again for dinner. So easy. I shred the chicken and make sandwiches 😋

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1. Julie Pollitt says:
  
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  I am so glad you liked it! Sandwiches are perfect!
  
  Reply