Slow Cooker Coca Cola Chicken – 🍗🙌🏻🎉 Saucy, juicy, sweet-yet-savory chicken that’s so EASY and virtually work-free! Add just 6 ingredients to your Crockpot and let it do all the work! You’ll be rewarded with chicken that’s moist, tender, and an instant family FAVORITE! Leftover chicken is always handy to have on hand and great for meal prep, in wraps, or on sandwiches.
Easy Slow Cooker Coca Cola Chicken with Barbecue Sauce
I recently posted a recipe for Crockpot Coca Cola Pork Chops and it’s been very popular so I decided to make a Crockpot chicken with Coca Cola. It’s so incredibly easy with virtually no hands on prep time or work involved. Your slow cooker really does do all the work!
Along with the barbecue sauce, the Coke tenderizes the chicken as it slow cooks. Must be those bubbles and carbonation! During the slow cooking process, the liquid volume of the barbecue sauce and Coke evaporates, and you’re left with a thick, rich sauce that’s sweet yet savory like a sweet barbecue sauce.
And for those who are wondering: no, this juicy chicken does not taste just like Coca Cola. What you’ve got here is chicken that’s so juicy and tender and smothered in a rich sauce with lots of layers of flavor. You can’t really pinpoint the cola, or at least we can’t because there’s also bbq sauce, garlic, and minced onions.
Ingredients in Crockpot Coca Cola Chicken Recipe
With just 6 main ingredients in this doctored up bbq chicken recipe (because I don’t count salt and pepper), you’re bound to have nearly everything on hand.
- boneless skinless chicken breasts – boneless skinless chicken thighs or bone-in thighs are fine to use
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- Coca Cola – wondering more about this? See the FAQs below
- BBQ sauce – I use Sweet Baby Rays
- light brown sugar
- garlic cloves – garlic powder may be subbed
- minced dried onion
- fresh parsley, optional for garnishing
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make Coca Cola Slow Cooker Chicken
- Evenly season the chicken with salt, pepper, and place them into your slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, stir together all the remaining ingredients (except the Coke and the parsley).
- Evenly pour the mixture over the chicken, pour in the Coke, cover your slow cooker, and cook for 3-4 hours on high (or approx 5-6 hrs on low) or until chicken is done.
- Sprinkle optionally with parsley and serve!
what to serve with Coca cola barbecue chicken
Recipe FAQs
I recommend either a 6-quart or 7-quart oval-shaped slow cooker. Anything smaller such as the 4 or 5-quart models, or round shapes, won’t allow for optimal cooking. You need enough space for things to actually cook properly.
I have seen recipes that do this, but and they also call for worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, paprika, and other spices. My Crockpot Coca Cola Pork Chops use ketchup rather than BBQ sauce so it is possible provided you’re adding other ingredients too for flavor.
With the high heat setting, the pork chops are done in about 3-4 hours. And on low, closer to 6-7 hours. For me, I prefer cooking on high because it works out better for my life and evening dinner planning. But you can cook on slow/low if you want these beauties really slow cooking all day. Slow cookers can vary dramatically in their heat output so cooking time is just a guesstimate based on your device.
I have not tried either of them and don’t recommend it. The natural sugar in real Coca Cola is what makes these pork chops so good. The issue with diet or zero products is that frankly the chemicals are simmering for hours and the chemical-ey taste may intensify which is why I personally haven’t tried. I don’t want to ruin perfectly good meat with that experiment.
As long as they’re regular (full sugar and not diet), they will likely be fine. Although I have only made these Crockpot pork chops with Coca Cola. I’ve also seen similar recipes using root beer and Dr. Pepper rather than cola.
The flavor of the chicken is balance but on the sweeter side like barbecue chicken can be. If you want to make the overall flavor a bit less sweet, omit the brown sugar. To make it spicier, garnish with diced jalapenos or red chili flakes.
You can thicken the juices from the slow cooker by whisking 1 tablespoon of cornstarch + 1 tablespoon of water to form a slurry, and then add that to the juices in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 30 minutes, uncovered.
Or add the slow cooker liquids to a saucepan, then whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch + 1 tablespoon and add it to the pan, and simmer uncovered over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, or until desired consistency is reached.
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
Prevent your screen from going dark
-
Spray the inside of your slow cooker basin with cooking spray and place the chicken in the slow cooker, as spread out as space allows; set aside momentarily.
-
To a medium bowl, add all the remaining ingredients (except for the Coke and the parsley), and gently whisk to combine taking care due to the carbonation in the Coke.
-
Evenly pour the mixture over the chicken. Then pour in the Coke. Stir lightly to combine it a bit.
-
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and slow cook on HIGH heat for 3 to 4 hours. OR cook on LOW heat for 5 to 6 hours. Slow Cooking Tips – Chicken is done when the internal temp reaches 165F as measured by a thermometer. Do no guess; use a thermometer. All slow cookers vary in their heat output, as chicken breasts vary in their size and thickness, as do kitchens vary in how warm they are. All these variables will affect the cook time. Cook until the chicken reaches the correct temperature, and this can vary by hours. It’s best though not to keep opening the lid and “checking” on it. Check, but not excessively, so that precious steam and heat aren’t escaping and unlike a normal oven, a slow cooker won’t come back up to temp for a longer time period, which just prolongs the cooking process unnecessarily.
-
After the chicken is done, I always spoon extra sauce/cooking juices from the slow cooker over the chicken for extra flavor and juiciness. Tip – If you want to make a thicker sauce, read the FAQs in the blog post for how to do this with cornstarch.
-
Optionally garnish with parsley and serve.
Storage – Extra chicken will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in the microwave, or as desired.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 316kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 72mg, Sodium: 1261mg, Potassium: 632mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 38g, Vitamin A: 196IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes:
Crock-Pot Whole Chicken – 🍗🙌🏻😋 The EASIEST way to cook a whole chicken because your slow cooker does all the work for you! The chicken is lightly flavored with lemon, garlic and herbs, and turns out so moist, juicy, and tender! Potatoes cook alongside the chicken to create an effortless built-in side dish. Planned leftover chicken is always great to have on hand and if a recipe calls for shredded rotisserie chicken, use this instead!
Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks – 🍗🍯🧄 These honey garlic chicken drumsticks marinate in a mixture of soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and more which gives them a balance of sweet, savory, and lightly smoky FLAVOR! After slow cooking for hours, the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and juicy! The EASIEST way to make chicken drumsticks because your slow cooker does all the work and everyone adores the result!
Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala – This classic comfort food recipe is complete with tender chicken breasts that are slow cooked with mushrooms and herbs in a flavorful creamy Marsala wine sauce! The rich sauce makes the perfect gravy served over rice or potatoes. Learn to make this restaurant quality dish at home in your Crock-Pot so that it’s EASY enough for weeknight dinners!
Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken — An EASY recipe for fiesta ranch chicken that the whole family LOVES! There’s tender chicken, cream cheese, salsa, black beans, green chiles, and more which creates a little fiesta in your mouth! Serve it as-is, over rice, or in tacos. Perfect for busy weeknight dinners or make it for your next game day party!
Slow Cooker Chicken Carnitas — These EASY and flavorful chicken carnitas are seasoned with Mexican spices, citrus juices, chipotle peppers in adobo and slow-cooked to PERFECTION! A quick trip under the broiler ensures those traditional crispy bits and then it’s ready to use in tacos, burritos, salads, or other Mexican-inspired dishes for a simple but family FAVORITE weeknight dinner!
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken — The easiest orange chicken ever because your slow cooker does all the work!! Super juicy, tender, and coated with a sweet-yet-tangy orange glaze that’s irresistible!!
Slow Cooker Green Chile Chicken — 🫑🍗🍋🟩Tender, juicy, chicken that’s simmered with green chiles, jalapeno, salsa verde, onions, garlic, and spices for the most FLAVORFUL and versatile green chile chicken! Use it in tacos, burritos, casseroles, sandwiches, or as a meal prep recipe. Best of all, it’s SO EASY because your slow cooker does ALL the work!
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken — This Crockpot chicken recipe is packed with pineapple flavor thanks to the combination of pineapple preserves and canned pineapple. Serve it over rice for a quick weeknight dinner!
