This 5-ingredient honey chipotle crockpot pulled chicken perfectly balances sweet and spicy in a recipe that’s perfect for meal prep or feeding a crowd. You can use it in everything from sandwiches, wraps, and even pizzas to salads or on its own with sides.
I’ve included recipes for a low fat ranch spread that’s great on sandwiches as well as a pan fried broccoli and Southwest sweet potato salad.
Honey Chipotle Crockpot Pulled Chicken Ingredients
It’s a short list! Here’s everything you’ll need:
- chicken breast
- chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- honey
- Walden Farms Pancake Syrup (or a sugar free pancake syrup)
- reduced sugar ketchup
That might look like a weird combo at first glance but just trust me.
What to Serve with Your Honey Chipotle Chicken
If you’re a sandwich lover, this chicken is great with a low fat ranch spread. Here’s what I used in the photo above (makes enough for two sandwiches):
- 1/4 cup (56g) Fat Free Greek Yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons (30g) Light Mayo
- 1-2 teaspoons Ranch Seasoning
Mix it up and you’re done! In a more recent recipe, I added pickle de gallo and extra honey to air fried honey chipotle chicken on a toasted baguette to make awesome chicken sandwiches.
Another option I’d highly recommend is my Southwest Sweet Potato Salad. It’s a spicy spin on the classic creamy potato salad with corn, black beans, and diced jalapeño. If you’re having a green veggie like broccoli, this is the perfect starchy compliment.
Speaking of broccoli, I made a simple pan fried broccoli for this recipe’s photos. Simply microwave frozen broccoli, drain, and cook in a hot skillet with half a tablespoon of olive oil and your choice of seasoning. Salt and pepper are hard to beat here.
Final Crockpot Pulled Chicken Recipe Notes
Be sure to take note of the amount of chipotle peppers you use. If you use the entire can, this honey chipotle chicken will pack a punch. A half can is quite mild in my opinion, but I’ve been accused of loving my spice in the past.
If you’re okay with having a few extra calories (not many), swapping chicken breast for chicken thighs makes a huge difference. You can stick to the script on this one and check out my pressure cooker Mexican chicken or smoked chipotle bbq chicken next. And if you’re looking more minimal ingredient recipes like this one, check out my Firecracker Ninja Foodi chicken thighs or chili coconut pressure cooker pulled chicken thighs recipes.
All right, that’s it. Be sure to let me know what you think about this crockpot pulled chicken when you try it!
Take a photo of your creation and tag me on Instagram @mason_woodruff. Or you can join my free Facebook group and share it with the Proton Party.
Honey Chipotle Crockpot Pulled Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- 7 oz can Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, using half the can for spice sensitive
- 1/4 C 84g Honey
- 1/4 C 60mL Walden Farms Pancake Syrup, or sugar free pancake syrup
- 1/4 C 68g Reduced Sugar Ketchup
Instructions
- Add everything but the chicken to a food processor or blender. If you’re sensitive to spice, use half the can of chipotle peppers. Blend until smooth and add to the crockpot with the chicken.
- Flip the chicken a few times to fully coat both sides.
- Cover and cook on low for around 2 to 2.5 hours or until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165F. Be careful not to overcook or the chicken will be difficult to shred. (You can cook on high, but the longer cook time will produce more flavorful chicken.)
- After the chicken is cooked, shred it with two forks or use a stand mixer with a flat beater attachment. (You can also chop the cooked chicken with a knife.)
- Set the crockpot to its keep warm function and add the chicken back to the crockpot. Let the chicken rest in the juices for an additional hour.
Notes
- Each serving has 3 Smart Points.
- For an Instant Pot, cook the chicken on manual for 12-16 minutes with quick release pressure. Make sure the chicken is fully cooked before shredding.
- If you wanted to make the chicken crispy, you could use the broiler like I used in my pineapple chipotle chicken tostadas recipe.
Nutrition
More Crockpot Recipes You Might Like
A new recipe on the blog, my Carolina BBQ Crockpot Shredded Chicken is super easy to make, too. If you like the tangy, mustard-ey barbecue, you’ll love this recipe. There’s a spicy white coleslaw that elevates any sandwich inside the recipe as well. And you could always make my pressure cooker bbq pulled pork or crispy pork tenderloin carnitas in the crockpot. You can make breakfast bakes, burrito bowls, quesadillas, and all kinds of goodies with these!
Thanks Mason! Can’t wait to try this one! What meat thermometer do you use? Mine just died and looking for a recommendation!
Hey Jeni, I use a little cheap digital thermometer I got on Amazon. I believe it’s on my list there: https://www.amazon.com/shop/mason_woodruff_773
Looking forward to making this in the IP. 2 questions, do you reduce the sauce in the IP and do you let the chicken rest in the IP for and hour like the crockpot?
Thanks!
I found that I didn’t need to reduce the sauce after letting the shredded chicken rest in it, but the Instant Pot may be a bit different. I’d let it rest in the IP for about the same time and then if you need to thicken the sauce, pull the chicken out, turn it on the sauté function, and heat until thick before adding to the chicken. Hope that answers your question!
What us a good substitute to chipotle peppers in adobo sauce? Is is not available to purchase where I live
What us a good substitute to chipotle peppers in adobo sauce? Is is not available to purchase where I live
You could try using tomato paste and add ground chipotle pepper powder.
I’m afraid it’s also not available for me… maybe I could add roasted paprika and a bit of cumin to the tomato sauce? Thank you so much for your reply and for your recepies! My family never believe me when I tell them I eat in a deficit because your recepies taste amazing (which can be hard while also being macro friendly), they all love it!
Do you start with frozen or defrosted chicken breast
I always use thawed chicken in my recipes unless noted otherwise.
Gonna try this soon! I’ve got half a can of chipotle peppers in adobo (left over from making the pineapple chipotle chili last night) so I’ll use it for this, plus add some other hot sauce to kick it up (love spice but don’t want to use a new can or I’ll still have 1/2 a can left over).
I bet 1/2 a can is plenty, but the hot sauce would be a safe bet. Hope you enjoy!
This chicken was so easy to make and delicious! I prepped it for dinner and had it with some potatoes and delicata squash, the next day I used the leftovers and turned it into a pita sandwich with a joesphs pita, cheddar cheese, and pickles. So good, so versatile!!
This is practically a weekly staple in our house! I love that I can blend all ingredients and toss in my crockpot. When I get home, dinner is practically ready! For buns, I like to use Arnold Sandwich Thins or Hawaiian rolls if mi have more room in my macros. I use a whole can because my family loves the spice. I also use sweet potato fries or steam broccoli for a side!
This may be my favorite recipe, the possibilities are endless. I’ve stuffed sweet potatoes, topped cast iron pizza, enchiladas, tacos and totchos so far. Yum!!!
you want versatility, make this! In a bun, top of a sweet potato..straight out of the fridge…. just a good solid easy recipe.