Whether you’re wondering how to make oven baked boneless skinless chicken thighs or in search of something to make in your new Dutch oven, this BBQ shredded chicken is the answer you’re looking for. Prep is as simple as it gets, with everything coming together right in one pot.
Meal Ideas Using BBQ Chicken
This recipe makes a huge batch of shredded BBQ chicken that’s perfect for feeding a crowd or making fun meals all week long. Some of our favorites include BBQ chicken nachos, quesadillas, stuffed baked potatoes, BBQ sliders, pizza, mac and cheese, and more. It also works great as a substitute for BBQ rotisserie chicken in recipes like my BBQ chicken wraps.
Meal Prep Bowls
It doesn’t get much more “bro” than green beans, potatoes, and chicken. But I think that works really well here.
For the bowls pictured below, I quartered and air fried baby gold potatoes in olive oil, ranch seasoning, and a bit of citrus pepper seasoning. I combined that with the shredded chicken, steamed green beans (you can also air fry them), and a drizzle of bbq sauce to make bowls for the refrigerator or freezer.
I would also recommend serving these with a squeeze of lemon juice (especially the green beans) and/or dill pickles and low calorie ranch.
However you end up serving your Dutch oven shredded chicken, I’d love to hear about it. Let me know in a comment or recipe review below or on your favorite social media platform.
How to Make Pulled Chicken in a Dutch Oven (Video)
If you have a question about making BBQ baked chicken thighs, you can leave it in the comments at the bottom of this post. I’d be happy to help!
Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup (96g) Dark Brown Sugar , or (120g) Maple Syrup*
- 2 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce**
- 2 Tablespoons Coarse Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ cup Water
- 3 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and mix all the ingredients up to the chicken thighs together in a 5.5-quart Dutch oven. Once mixed, add the chicken and mix to evenly coat in the sauce.
- Cover and bake for 50-60 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and fall-apart tender. (For chicken breast, only cook to 165ºF before removing and shredding. A little extra time beyond 165ºF with chicken thighs tends to make the chicken more tender.)
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl to shred before returning to the sauce.
- Place the uncovered Dutch oven with the shredded chicken on the bottom rack of your oven. Broil on low for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is crispy and browning around the edges. Make sure your Dutch oven is heat safe up to 550ºF+.
Notes
Nutrition
Update Notes: This recipe was updated on 12/5/2025 to streamline the broiling process after shredding the chicken. Previously, the recipe called for thickening the sauce with corn starch before broiling on high for 5-10 minutes. After testing, broiling with low heat for 15-20 minutes thickens the sauce and crisps the shredded chicken without the need for additional ingredients. The instructions for the potato and green beans meal prep bowls were also added to the post at this time.
Hi! Do you have a Dutch oven that you recommend?
I use and love a 5.5-quart Dutch oven from Made In. It’s an investment. But for what it’s worth, it’s about half the price of comparable (in my opinion) Le Creuset or Staub Dutch Ovens.
@Mason Woodruff, thank you!
I want to make this for a crowd (about 20 people). Can I just double the recipe and put it in an oven roasting pan? I would seal ot with foil and put the lid on it as well.
That should work just fine. Have fun and hope everyone enjoys!
Hi Mason,
Have you tried making this with chicken breasts? Wondering if I could sub thighs for breasts?
I didn’t test this particular method with chicken breasts, but they should work fine. You’ll want to be a bit more careful not to over cook but other than that, good to go!
Is this overly sweet?
Not in my opinion. I think the sugar is nicely balanced with the other spices and tanginess of the mustard. You can reduce the brown sugar a bit if you’re worried about the sweetness, but you may need to slightly reduce the salt as well. You can always salt to taste at the end.
For the last step do you put the chicken back in the Dutch oven with the sauce you just thickened to broil or do you put the chicken on a sheet pan? Thank you!
Back in the sauce before broiling together.
Whoa – this was DOOOOPE!!
I used a bit less sugar, extra tbsp of cumin, black garlic swap (and had breasts on hand vs thighs), and I can’t stop picking at it. This will for sure be added to my regular rotation!
Thanks!!
1
Didn’t have dark brown sugar so I used light and added a teensy bit of molasses
I just finished inhaling my shredded chicken sandwich. It was so easy to make, tastes amazing, and will definitely be made over and over again!