Oh hi hi…check out the new cool kid in town! This BBQ Chicken Baked Potato is the hip and trendy modern-day meat-and-potato dish.
Baked russet Idaho® potato smothered with savory sweet saucy slow cooker BBQ chicken, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chives. Jazz up your lunch and dinner menu with some fun and delicious BBQ Chicken Baked Potatoes!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Idaho® Potato Commission. All opinions and texts are mine.
Bake those russet Idaho® potatoes in the oven. Bring boneless, skinless chicken breast and a few pantry friendly seasoning and spices into the slow cooker. Walk away, do the other five thousand and sixty nine things you need to do in the house, and BAM, lunch (or dinner) is ready!
Bbq chicken baked potato is one of those recipe that will please just about anybody. Adults love it. Kids love it. I love it. You love it.
EVERYBODY loves it.
Baked Potatoes with Shredded BBQ Chicken
I love a good baked potato. And one of my favorite toppings to load up my baked potatoes is none other than bbq chicken.
Slow cooked, shredded chicken soaked in flavorful sweet and tangy bbq sauce.
We love making bbq chicken baked potatoes for lunch or a quick dinner. Shredded juicy chicken that is soaked in a bold flavored sauce compliments the soft and mild flavored potatoes so very well.
All in all, bbq chicken baked potato is tasty, easy to make, easy to cleanup, makes great leftovers or meal prep… seriously, just all the good things in life.
I made my first bbq chicken baked potato because I was bored.
In all seriousness, there were some baked potatoes lying around one time and I decided to pile on some toppings and call it ‘lunch’.
I was tired of adding the usual to baked potatoes – bacon, sour cream, cheese. As much as I love my bacon, I wanted to try something different.
So I piled on saucy, sticky, sweet savory shredded BBQ chicken onto these potatoes, and I thought heaven just burst into a song.
Mind-blowing. Delicious. WOW. Who would have thought shredded bbq chicken on baked potato could taste so amazing?!
Not to mention – simple, low-touch, and so dang perfect to make ahead for busy days.
It felt like I hit the jackpot.
Not to be overly dramatic or anything, but lunches have not been the same ever since. The life-changing effect of some bbq chicken baked potatoes is a beautiful thing.
How to make BBQ Chicken Baked Potato
BBQ Chicken in the Slow Cooker
As I mentioned, what I love about bbq chicken baked potato is how simple it is. And just you wait. I’m about to prove that to you.
First thing first, let’s talk about the bbq chicken. To make the BBQ chicken, add chicken breast to slow cooker or crockpot, along with these seasoning and spices:
- Your favorite BBQ Sauce. I typically use Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce.
- Brown Sugar – use less if your BBQ sauce is already sweet, or if you prefer a more savory BBQ flavor.
- Liquid smoke – to give it that nice smokey flavor even though there is no real smoke involved.
- Apple cider vinegar – white vinegar works too if that’s what you have on hand.
- Garlic powder
Cook on high for 3 1/2 hours, then shred chicken, and let it cook for another 10 minutes or so.
And that’s it!
The best part is you spend about five minutes putting everything together to make bbq chicken and the slow cooker does the rest of the work.
Baking potatoes in the oven
Now that we have the chicken covered, let’s make the baked potatoes portion of the bbq chicken baked potato. I typically make the potatoes simultaneously while chicken is still cooking in the crockpot.
The good news is, this is also another low touch, cook-it-and-forget-it kind of cooking.
First, wash and scrub russet Idaho® potatoes then place them on a baking sheet and bake for about an hour at 425℉.
No need to dry them because the slightly wet potato help retain the moisture and prevents baked potatoes from drying out.
Bring it together: Bbq chicken baked potato
Finally, let’s combine it all together and make the glorious final product that is our bbq chicken baked potato.
When potatoes are done baking, cut them lengthwise into half and pile them with shredded BBQ chicken along with garnished such as:
- Shredded cheddar cheese, or your favorite cheese!
- Sour cream
- Chives or green onions
Serve bbq chicken baked potato by itself as a quick and easy meal, or with a side salad or fruit!
Make ahead and reheating instructions
One of the best things about bbq chicken baked potato is that you can absolutely make ahead both the slow cooker bbq chicken and the baked potatoes.
Store them separately in the refrigerator, and when you are ready to eat, microwave them and assemble.
You can freeze the BBQ shredded chicken and keep it for longer if you’d like, but avoid freezing the baked potatoes. I tried freezing baked potatoes and while they don’t change the flavor, I find that potatoes get super water-y when defrosted.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but I find bbq chicken being much more tender and juicy when cooked in slow cooker. To make it on the stove top, bring chicken to a saucepan or skillet, along with BBQ sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder and liquid smoke. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low and cook chicken for 15-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked and can be shredded easily. If sauces dry out, add more bbq sauce.
Since rotisserie chicken is already cooked, simply shred rotisserie chicken and add to a skillet. Add BBQ sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder and liquid smoke. Heat skillet and cook until everything is combined and boiling. Lower heat and let it simmer for a few minutes, then turn off heat. There’s no need to use a slow cooker if chicken is already cooked.
Set valve in ‘sealing’ position. Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Release pressure naturally.
Time to say BUH-BYE to boring lunches (or dinner) and make this bbq chicken baked potato today! I promise you, it’s worth it! 💛
ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? Let us know how it was by leaving a rating and review below! 🤍
More potato recipes
- Garlic Parmesan Hasselback Potato
- Potato and Ham Au Gratin
- Creamy Potato Bacon Soup
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad
- Crispy Baked Potato Skins
- Grilled Fingerling Potatoes with Bacon Vinaigrette
- Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Garlic Scalloped Potatoes
- Cheesy Bacon Potato Casserole
BBQ Chicken Baked Potato (Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken breast
- 2 cups BBQ sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp liquid smoke
- 8 large russet Idaho® potatoes
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup chives chopped
Instructions
- Add chicken breast, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder and liquid smoke to the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 3.5 hours, or until chicken can be easily shredded.
- Shred chicken using a fork, stir, cover and cook on high for another 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Wash potatoes and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until potatoes are soft and can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Cut potatoes into halves, then top with shredded BBQ chicken, cheddar cheese, sour cream and chives.
- Serve and enjoy!
This was yummy! Perfect for a quick summer dinner!
Thank you! I’m so glad you liked it!
We are enjoying this BBQ chicken baked potato recipe! I had not worked with liquid smoke before – it makes such a difference and makes the dish taste like I put it in the smoker for hours. The kids ask for this often.
Thanks for sharing, Stephanie! I’m so glad you and the kids enjoyed it!
This was such a fun twist on a regular baked potato! We made it for dinner tonight and it was super tasty and filling too!
That’s great! Happy to hear that!
This recipe is just what my busy summer needed. easy, delicious, and gobbled up by my family.
Great to hear your family enjoyed it!
This loaded potato was incredible! What made it better was in the slow cooker it didn’t heat up our house. Thank you!
Great to hear that!