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🔥 Juicy, tender Smoked Shredded Chicken packed with flavor! Perfect for meal prep, sandwiches, tacos, or rice bowls. So easy and delicious! 🍗
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Pin ItSmoked Pulled Chicken
If you’re looking for a flavorful and easy way to make smoked pulled chicken, this recipe delivers tender meat packed with smoky BBQ flavor. Whether you call it pulled smoked chicken or smoked pulled chicken breast, this dish is perfect for sandwiches, wraps, salads, or meal prep. All it takes is a simple spice rub, broth, BBQ sauce, and a few hours in the smoker to create a juicy and satisfying meal.
This smoker pulled chicken recipe uses chicken breasts, but you can easily swap in thighs for extra richness. It’s the kind of recipe that tastes like you spent all day on it – but really, your smoker does most of the work. If you’ve been wanting a go-to smoked pulled chicken recipe that’s versatile and family-friendly, this is the one.
⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple prep with big flavor
- Great use of the smoker for a hands-off main dish
- Easy to scale for feeding a crowd or weekly meal prep
- Versatile – serve it in sandwiches, tacos, or over rice
🛒 Ingredients & Substitutions
- chicken breasts – or thighs, if preferred
- salt
- lemon pepper – substitute with ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- chicken bouillon cube – substitute with bouillon powder
- chicken broth – try apple juice for sweetness, or beer for added depth. Just avoid water to prevent losing flavor.
- BBQ sauce – use your favorite sweet, smoky, or spicy blend
✨ Variations
- Make it spicy: Add cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or a spicy BBQ sauce.
- Make it sweet: Stir brown sugar into the broth or use a honey BBQ sauce.
- Try thighs: For richer flavor, use boneless, skinless thighs instead of breasts.
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🔥 Tips
- Keep the chicken in the sauce after shredding to stay moist.
- Add wood chips like maple or apple for subtle sweetness.
- Don’t skip flipping halfway – it ensures even cooking and flavor.
❓ FAQs
Maple, apple, or cherry gives a sweet, mellow smoke that pairs well with BBQ sauce.
Sandwiches, wraps, rice bowls, tacos, salads, and even on baked potatoes.
Yes, it reheats well. Store it in the fridge with the sauce to keep it moist, then reheat before serving.
Definitely. It’s easy to make in bulk, stores well, and can be used in multiple meals throughout the week.
Yes, that step is optional. It adds more flavor and texture, but the chicken is ready to serve once shredded and coated in sauce.
🍽️ Other Recipes You May Enjoy
Smoked Shredded Chicken
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Equipment
- smoker or BBQ
- disposable aluminum pan
- grill-safe thermometer
- forks (for shredding)
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (about 2 pounds)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your BBQ or smoker to 300°F. If using charcoal, add maple wood chunks or chips for mild sweetness once the BBQ reaches temperature.
- In a 9×13 aluminum or heat-proof BBQ-safe pan, place the chicken breasts in a single layer.
- Sprinkle salt, lemon pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder evenly over the chicken.
- Crumble the bouillon cube over the chicken.
- Pour chicken broth and BBQ sauce over the top. Spoon some sauce over each breast.
- Place the pan on the smoker and cook for 90 minutes.
- Flip the chicken breasts, then cook for another 90 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and shred it using two forks in a separate dish.
- Return the shredded chicken to the sauce in the pan and mix to coat.
- OPTIONAL: Place the pan back on the smoker for 10 more minutes to allow the sauce to slightly caramelize.
- Serve hot.
Notes
🥡 STORAGE
- Store cooled pulled chicken in an airtight container with all the sauce.
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days to maintain moisture and flavor.
♨️ REHEATING
- Air fryer: Heat in a heatproof bowl at 350°F for 3-4 minutes, adding extra sauce if desired.
- Microwave: Reheat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until warmed through.
- Skillet: Warm over medium heat with a splash of broth or sauce until hot.
- Oven: Cover with foil and bake at 325°F for 10-15 minutes.
❄️ FREEZING
- Freeze in a freezer-safe container or bag with some of the sauce.
- Store for up to 2 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
💡 TIPS FOR BEST RESULTS
- Always shred chicken into the sauce to keep it juicy.
- Use a digital thermometer to ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Don’t skip the flip halfway through smoking – it helps cook evenly.
🍳 ALTERNATE COOKING METHODS
- Oven: Bake covered at 300°F for 2.5-3 hours until tender.
- Slow cooker: Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Stovetop: Simmer in a covered pan on low heat until cooked and shreddable.
♻️ LEFTOVERS
- Serve in sandwiches, wraps, or tacos.
- Add to pasta, rice bowls, or baked potatoes.
- Use in quesadillas or sliders for a quick meal.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
