Slow Cooker Coca Cola Chicken with BBQ Sauce

Slow Cooker Coca Cola Chicken

Whole chicken breasts cook in Coca-Cola and barbecue sauce, then get a fresh coating of sauce before serving. They stay in individual portions rather than being shredded, with a glossy reddish-brown sauce spooned over each piece.

Chicken releases liquid in the slow cooker, thinning the first addition of sauce. Draining that liquid before a short finishing stage helps the fresh sauce cling. Start checking the breasts early with a thermometer so they do not keep cooking after they are done.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Coca Cola Chicken

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 4 to 6 breasts (900g)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons regular Coca-Cola, divided
• 1 1/4 cups barbecue sauce, divided (about 300g)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Set aside 3/4 cup of the barbecue sauce and 2 tablespoons of the Coca-Cola for finishing. A thicker barbecue sauce will coat the chicken more generously. Diet Coke may change the sauce’s flavor; regular Coca-Cola is preferred here.

How to Make Slow Cooker Coca Cola Chicken

1. Season the chicken: Arrange the whole breasts in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with as little overlap as practical. Sprinkle with the onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Add 1/2 cup Coca-Cola and 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, turning the breasts gently to coat.
2. Cook and check early: Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 to 5 hours or HIGH for about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours before finishing. Begin checking the thickest breast after 3 1/2 to 4 hours on LOW or 2 1/2 hours on HIGH; check sooner for thin breasts or a fast-running cooker. Move to the finishing stage when the chicken is approaching 165°F (75°C) in the thickest part.
3. Drain and add fresh sauce: Support each breast from below with a wide spatula or tongs and transfer it to a plate. Carefully discard the thin liquid in the cooker. Return the breasts and gently coat them with the reserved 3/4 cup barbecue sauce mixed with the reserved 2 tablespoons Coca-Cola. Spoon sauce over the tops rather than stirring the chicken.
4. Finish and serve whole: Cover and cook on LOW for about 20 to 30 minutes, switching to LOW first if you used HIGH. Stop as soon as the sauce is hot and the thickest part of each breast reaches 165°F; do not wait out the full time if the chicken is done sooner. Let stand for about 5 minutes if convenient. Loosely overlap the breasts on a serving plate and spoon over the sauce left in the cooker.

Allow roughly 5 to 6 hours total on LOW or 3 to 4 hours on HIGH, but use the temperature of each breast—not the clock—as the final check. Breasts of different sizes may finish at different times; remove any that reach 165°F early. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and a green vegetable or salad.

Why Drain the Cooking Liquid?

The first addition of barbecue sauce mixes with liquid released by the chicken. Discarding that thin liquid lets the reserved sauce coat the whole breasts instead of running off them. The short slow-cooker finish heats the fresh sauce; it does not reduce or caramelize it.

If the finishing sauce is still too thin, transfer the cooked breasts to a plate and briefly simmer the sauce in a small saucepan until it coats more readily. Spoon it over the chicken before serving.

How to Keep the Chicken Breasts Whole

Tender breasts can break if they are stirred or lifted by one end. Support each piece from below when transferring it, and spoon the sauce over the top instead of tossing the chicken in it.

Leftovers and Reheating

Refrigerate the chicken with its sauce in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet over medium-low heat or in short microwave intervals until hot. Add a little barbecue sauce if the coating needs refreshing.

To freeze, cool the chicken completely and pack it with sauce in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

For a different slow-cooker chicken dinner, try Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken Rice Bowls.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per serving, based on 6 servings: 280 calories, 34g protein, 4g fat, and 24g carbohydrates. Approximate values per 100g of finished chicken and sauce: 180 calories, 22g protein, 2g fat, and 15g carbohydrates. The barbecue sauce used, the amount of liquid discarded, and the final yield will affect these estimates.