Crockpot BBQ Beer Pulled Chicken with Cheddar Corn Popovers.
Yesterday, the crockpot become my new best friend.
My oven is broken…again.
To a person who cooks all the time, this is the worst news.
Evvvveeeer.
Especially this time of year. All I want to do is roast this, bake that, broil this and toast that. To say I am bumming out is a major under statement. I guess it is not that bad, I do have a tiny little oven that does work… for now, but I am scared that since it is attached to the big oven – that doesn’t work – that it could go at any time. I am literally praying it doesn’t. This little oven though? It practically fits nothing! A 9×13 inch Pyrex pan just barely fits in (thankfully!). It’s just super hard to cook for eight plus people in an oven that fits only one Pyrex pan. Ugh.
For the next two weeks though (at least!), it’s all I’ve got and as I sit here typing this I am realizing, I should be thankful I at least have that!
You guys like small batch food?? My family is in for a surprise… and possibly smaller waist lines.
So ok, I am done with the complaints for today.
But at least you can understand why I now have all things crockpot on my brain. I guess it is kind of time to be breaking out the crockpot anyway. Some never put them away. I pretty much use mine all year round, but definitely in the fall and winter months the most. However much you use yours, the bottom line is – the crockpot rules. It’s high time I get myself a new one though, especially since I actually just sent mine down to Denver on Monday, full of this Gumbo, and I’m not expecting it back. I did it on purpose. My crockpot is horrible and I have decided I want one of those new fancy ones. Any suggestions? I clearly need one ASAP.
I actually made this Crockpot BBQ Beer Pulled Chicken a week or so ago, in an effort to shove corn into as many recipes as possible. Remember when I told you I was on a major corn bender towards the end of August? Well, I suddenly realized that almost all of my posts for that week contained corn. So I made the decision to spread a few out over September, because really September is one of the best corn months of the season.
But um, I may or may not have sliced up a pumpkin and made some puree today (in my tiny little oven – good thing those pie pumpkins are small!). I sort of feel guilty though, like I am cheating on the last few weeks of summer, but then I look out the window and make myself feel better because, here where I live, fall is in full swing. The leaves on the trees are turning a pretty shade of yellow and wow, it is getting so cold at night. We have also had a ton of rain, so that sort of helps with the whole “get into the mood of fall” thing too. And rain around here means snow on the peaks of the mountains. Yep, more fresh snow this morning up there.
I feel like this simple meal is a good mix of late summer and early fall. It’s got a little corn to keep things fresh, but the rest is all cozy, warm and the perfect food for a colder early fall night. And of course, Thursday night football.
Plus, the popovers?? I normally only make popovers on Thanksgiving and I usually just make them traditional, but corn filled cheesy popovers are so good! Very happy I stepped out of my comfort zone with these. They do not get to the height of a normal popover, but they still have that nice hole in the center. Perfect for filling with the best BBQ chicken.
I hate saying the best, but this pulled BBQ chicken really is SO good. It’s the sauce and the fact that it gets slow cooked all day long. Everything is better slow-cooked. So much flavor.
As for the left over chicken you may have (I didn’t have any – too many people here.)? I am thinking this needs to made into a beer bread grilled cheese.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Next time I am so doing this.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Crockpot BBQ Beer Pulled Chicken with Cheddar Corn Popovers.
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bbq chicken
This simple crockpot meal is a good mix of late summer and early fall. It's got a little corn to keep things fresh, but the rest is all cozy, warm and the perfect food for a colder early fall night.
Ingredients
BBQ Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast thighs or a mix of the two
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 3 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce
- 1 cup beer I used pumpkin beer!
Cheddar Corn Popovers
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk or 2%
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sharp white or yellow cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
Instructions
Chicken in the Crockpot
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Place the chicken in the bowl of a crockpot. Add the honey, smoked paprika, chipotle chile powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, BBQ sauce and beer. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-6 hours. If the sauce gets too thick, add more beer (or water) to thin the sauce out. Once the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the sauce and shred with two forks return the chicken to the sauce and toss. Keep warm.
Chicken on the Stove
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Heat a large heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken, honey, smoked paprika, chipotle chile powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Sear the chicken until almost blackened on both sides. Once the chicken has been seared on both sides, reduce the heat to low and add the BBQ sauce and beer. Give everything a good stir and then cover the pot. Simmer the chicken for 2-4 hours, the longer the better. If the sauce gets too thick, add more beer (or water) to thin the sauce out. Once the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the sauce and shred with two forks return the chicken to the sauce and toss. Keep warm.
Cheddar Corn Popovers
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Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease a standard popover pan or 12 muffin/cupcake molds.
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Using a blender or food processor, mix the eggs, milk, flour, corn, brown sugar and salt at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Add the melted butter and blend another 20 seconds or so. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese.
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Divide the batter among the prepared cups. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until puffed, golden and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Using a small, sharp knife, carefully cut around the sides of each popover to release. Serve immediately.
To Serve
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Split the warm popovers open and fill them with BBQ chicken. If desired top with shredded cheddar cheese and serve with slaw. Enjoy!
So saucy. I love it.
Beautiful pics of a scrumptious looking dinner! Definitely need to try this one.
I love popovers! If you’re looking for a nice slow cooker, I love my all-clad. It’s more expensive than most of them but the insert can go right on the stove for browning. That’s what sold me!
I’ve never made popovers but have always wanted to..That chicken looks so good I love how dark the sauce got as it slow cooked all day…in my house we would have leftovers and in a grilled cheese sounds insanely good.
I believe that with your photography you can make anything look scrumptious. I want to make everything you post!!!
hi did you leave the skin on or take off first?
The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken
I used skin off chicken. Hope you love this!
I love anything cooked in the crockpot, it’s my best friend in the kitchen! I love this meal, I will be making it as soon as weather cools off!
It’s all ready in my crock pot! Sorry for the dumb question…it looked like there was skin on!
My daughter and her friends, who are all in the high school band, come over to my house before each football game on Fridays. I always feed them, but often run out of ideas of what to make, so thank you for posting this today! I am going to try this tomorrow. I am sure it will go over well!
Oh no I am so sorry to hear about your oven! No wonder you are loving the slow cooker right now. At first I thought you were being in love with fall for slow cooking. But looks like you still come up with exceptionally delicious meals without an oven! This is great I love the addition of the popovers and that messy hands picture is awesome.
Thanks Erin!
This looks fabulous! My question is I would like to start this recipe on the stovetop like you explain, but then bake it in the oven instead of simmering on the stovetop. What temperature and how long would you recommend if I finish it in the oven?
Hi! I would bake it at 325 for 2-3 hours, but be sure to stir it once or twice to make sure the sauce it not getting too thick. If it gets too thick add more beer. Hope you love this!!
Thanks! One more question – if I use a standard popover pan, would it make 6 or 12 popovers?
6 popovers.
Thanks so much! You are so creative and make such delicious and beautiful recipes!
The mini-me upper ovens are similar to an easy bake oven, I’m always surprised they work (but they do, so no worries!). Hope you’re reunited with the big guy soon.
Love this messy, gorgeous dish! I have never used a crockpot; that must change, soon.
Me too! 🙂
Thank you so much, Valerie!
Ohh sorry about your oven. That stinks. I feel your pain. But thank goodness for crock-pots! This meal looks insanely good. That sauce!!! Re: crock pot recommendation. I LOVE my Versaware and this is why: the insert can be used on the stove top. So any recipe that requires browning meat or veggies can be done in the actual crockpot and no need to dirty another pan. And that’s a win in my book! And it looks kind of rustic, which I like!
Yes, thank goodness for crockpots!!
Thanks so much, Liz! Hope you had a great day!
Oh and that crockpot!! OMG I have to look into that! THANKS!
Love your popover pan! So neat. Had no idea they even made them. I always resorted to muffin pan.
Thank you! I got it at Williams Sonoma.
Hello Tieghan,
This looks fabulous, my family will love this! My first time posting here and I just wanted to say, THANKS! I have made the chocolate cake that your mother likes! It was a huge hit! My daughters and I really enjoy your recipes and pictures, you are an artist!! 🙂
Awe!! Thank you so much!! That is so sweet and I am so glad you love that cake! Have a great Friday! 🙂
LOVE popovers!!!
They are so good, right?!? Thanks!
Uh oh, no beer here (I don’t drink I, my husband does, and we were out). But I found some “hard apple cider” and used that. Apples and chicken 🙂 Can’t wait to make the popovers! Thanks for the recipe!
OH my gosh!! Apple cider would be so delicious! Enjoy!
No oven would be a nightmare, thank goodness you have a backup (and the crockpot!). What a great fall meal, and I’m seriously in love with those popovers!
I know, thank goodness! Thanks Laura!
This looks like perfect fall food! The sauce looks marvelously dark and sticky 🙂 Hopefully the oven will be fixed soon – I remember once our oven broke right before my birthday…sadface!
Thank you so much! Hope you had a great Thursday!
This is ultimate comfort food for the upcoming game-time months and the cooler weather! Plus, slow cooker means minimal effort from my part 😉 even more lovely!
Thank you so much, Julie!! Hope you have a great Friday!
Oh.My.Goodness. Could this meal get any more perfect?! No. No it definitely could not. So excited to break out my crockpot and make this!
Thanks Jenna! I love this time of year when you get to break out the crockpot! 🙂
May I ask a question? Can you do this in the oven at a lower temp? Thank you so much for your time!
Yup! No problem, just bake this, covered at 325 for 2-4 hours. That works great! Enjoy!
The pictures are wonderful.
Sorry to say but I have trouble picking up my slow cooker so I’m glad for your directions for the oven.
Do you also think you could put some cornmeal in those popovers??
I love my cornmeal.
Hey Nancy! Popovers are really temperamental, so I would stick to the recipe. You might be able to find another popover recipe online using cornmeal though. Hope you enjoy this meal!
Wow! These look fantastic! BBQ chicken, beer, and corn popovers….Mmmmmmm 🙂 Also, I love the photo of the bbq sauce covered fingers holding the delicious plate. I just want to grab a piece right off the screen 🙂
Thanks so very much, Karen! Hope you had a great day!
This looks delicious! Pulled saucy meat is really the only way to go. Also; can we talk about how freaking cute those mini cast iron skillets are?
Haha! Thanks!
Ugh, I’m so sorry about your oven! That is the absolute worst! I definitely use my crock pot more in the winter, too, but I really like it in the summer because it means I’m not standing over a hot stove 🙂 If you can believe it, I’ve never made popovers, but these sound like a FANTASTIC way to start! Holy moly! And that chicken… always yes to BBQ pulled chicken.
The crockpot in the summer is great! Thanks so much!
Made this last night to rave reviews! It was delicious and will definitely be making it again! Thank you so much!
YA!! So happy you guys all loved it! Thanks!
My oven is broken too! Do you have any suggestions for alternatives? I have one for you: the grill. I have grilled scones, cakes, “roasted” chicken, biscuits, you name it… and it works 🙂 (most of the time, anyway).
The grill is the best!! My only suggestion is the crockpot and the stove, but really the grill is the best! Thanks so much!
HOLY MOSES! That looks insanely good and scrummy and I can’t wait to buy some chicken and get this going! TFS this delish looking recipe!
Helen — Firenze Cards
Thanks so much, Helen! Hope you are having a great weekend!
Tieghan I just made this for dinner! It is very good and very spicy! My popovers didn’t come out as high as yours, I had to use a muffin tin, but the taste was there. Thanks again for another winner!
Oh, I hope it was not too spicy! I tend to go a little heavy on the spice.
So happy you loved this! Thanks Kathy!
Hi Tieghan! 😀 Yeo, this was AMAZING, family enjoyed this! First crockpot meal for Autumn, everyone came home from work and school to the wonderful aroma of this dinner. Thank you! ^-^
Oopa, “Yep” tee hee hee
I made this last week for dinner (including your bbq sauce recipe and the popovers) – amazing! Two days later it almost tasted better, I ended up eating the remainder cold for breakfast because I couldn’t help myself. Gross but true and actually really delicious. Absolutely loved the recipe!
SO happy you love this recipe! and yeah, I totally think it gets better the longer it sits. Oh and breakfast sounds perfect. I mean popovers are a breakfast food after all! 🙂
This recipe looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it! I’m planning to double (maybe triple) the recipe and was wondering if you’d recommend tripling the amount of BBQ sauce as well? 9 cups of BBQ sauce seems like it might be too much. Thanks in advance for your help!
Hey Alex, I would honestly probably use all nine cups, BUT I would start with around 5 cups and add more as needed. It just depends on how saucy you want the chicken. Please let me know if you have anymore questions. Hope you love this! 🙂
Excited to try this! Do you think leftovers would freeze?
Hey Lauren, i think they’d freeze great!
This might be a dumb question, but would this recipe work with pork instead of the chicken? Does the sauce pair well with pork?
Is it possible to make the popovers without cheese? I usua
Help! I’m confused! #2 direction says to add the honey,paprika,etc and then the BBq sauce and beer. Haven’t I already added those to the BBQ sauce and beer in the crockpot?
Hey Connie, That is fine, just continue to add the ingredients as directed. Hope you love this!
Funny but I read, “oh looks great!” many times. “Gonna have to try this!” Other types of questions but what I fail to see is, who made it and how does it taste…lol…Seriously someone make it already
Tieghan, I made this and it was fantastic. One thing that differed from what I expected was the consistency of the sauce. Mine was very watery vs. what appears to be a much thicker sauce. Any suggestions or help? Thanks
Hey Dan!
So happy you like this, if you want a thick, either use less beer or simmer the sauce longer. Both with help to thicken up the sauce. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Tieghan!
yummy. this sounds awesome. Thank you for posting this up. going to give this a go.
Simon
So, I tried this but doubled the chicken. When fine the sauce was extremely watery. Not sucking to the chicken like your awesome pictures. Am I doing something wrong?
Should’ve proof read that….
*When done…
*Not sticking…
Hey Michael, I would leave the top off the crockpot for 30 minutes to an hour before serving, this should thicken the sauce up for you. Sorry for the trouble.
I followed the recipe to the letter (8 hours on low in the slow cooker) and it came out delicious, but very, very liquidy. Basically the consistency of soup. I had to fish the chicken out of the broth. I’m not an experienced cook. Any suggestions for me for next time? Everybody loved the flavor, but just once I’d like to recreate what the original chef did!
Hey Sarah,
I am not sure why it was so liquidy, but next time try adding only half the beer. If it is still too soupy towards the last hour of cooking, remove the lid and let it cook on high. That should take care of it. Hope you love this even more the second time!
My family loved this! I’m throwing a co-Ed baby shower and planing on making this for 30 people. Any advice on making on making this 1-2 days in advance of the event?
Hey Nicole,
I think making this a day in advance will be fine, just warm it back up on low about an hour before serving and then once warm turn the crockpot to low to keep warm. Let me know if you have other questions and I hope everyone loves this!
Hi,
This recipe looks DELICIOUS! I am going to try and make it tonight. For the popovers, can you make the batter beforehand and then just refrigerate it before putting it in the oven?
HI MIKE! I don’t recommend keep the batter in the fridge as cold batter will be less likely to “pop”. That said, if you can bring the batter to room temp before hand, it might work ok. I would suggest leaving the batter on the counter 1 hour prior to baking.
Hope you love the recipe!
Just made this today and it is fantastic! It will be my go-to recipe for bbq chicken.
I used just a pinch of red pepper flakes (because I don’t care for super spicy food) and followed all the other directions to the letter (in the crock pot for 4 hours) and it turned out perfect. For the BBQ sauce I used 1-1/2 cups of Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet Vidalia Onion and 1-1/2 cups of Weber Applewood Brown Sugar, and for the beer I used Angry Orchard Summer Honey.
My SO said I need to put this on the make-again list. Thanks so much for this recipe!
SO excited you all loved this!! THANKS!! 🙂
Hi, can I make this with pork butt? It looks delicious, and I already have the pork defrosted.
yes, that will be fine. Enjoy!
Hi, Teighan. This sounds a little spicy with 2 tsp. Chipotle pepper and then the red pepper flakes. Could I use just regular chili powder and maybe half the red pepper flakes and still have good flavor? So want to try this. It looks yummy.
Of course! That will be great and I am sure much less spicy for you! Hope you love this and let me know if you have any other questions!
This is in the crockpot this morning, and I cannot wait to eat it later! Ive just come around to loving crock pot meals. We had your Philly Cheesesteaks last week and loved those, too. Please give us more crock pot meals!
I’ve made this recipe several times now; it is always delicious! However, the popovers never pop. What am I doing wrong? I put all of the ingredients in the blender as directed then use the 2 temps during baking, but they always fall flat/cave in I the centers. Does it need a baking powder maybe? I don’t have a popover pan, so I am using a standard muffin pan. Would this affect the outcome?
Hey Amber! Popovers can be a little tricky. I would try using 1/4 cup corn and 1/3 cup cheese. Sometimes if you put too much heavy ingredients in the batter they will not pop. Let me know if you have questions. Thank you so much! 🙂
Hi, I’m in the UK and have never made popovers. Is this plain all-purpose flour, or self-raising? Thanks!
Hey Becky! Plain all-purpose flour! Let me know if you have questions. Hope you love these! Thanks!
Really Great!!! Like summer/fall comfort food right here!!!
me and kids loved it, will make again.
Thank you so much Karen! I am thrilled you loved this!
Delicious!! My family loved it! I will be saving this recipe for another day.
Great! I hope you love it when you make it Gina!
Hi, made this yesterday. Turned out great but very spicy. Is there a ya you would modify it to cut down on the spice? Thnaks!
Sure! Just reduce the chili powder to 1 teaspoon. that should be great! Happy Holidays ? ?
Could this be made in the instant pot? If so, how long would the chicken need to cook?? Thanks!!
Hi Christie, See the below recipe link for the instant pot version of the chicken. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/instant-pot-bbq-beer-pulled-chicken-tacos/
This looks incredible! I am wondering if I can use my instant pot instead of a crockpot? How long would I cook it for?
Hi Liz! I am sure an instant pot will work well. I would cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Could you make the chicken in an Instantpot?
Hi Allison! Please see below for the instant pot version of the chicken! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/instant-pot-bbq-beer-pulled-chicken-tacos/
Is the longer the better really true? In some of your recipies you cook the chicken only 1-2 hours. Can I make mistakes here?
Hi Lena,
I think this recipe is best in the crockpot. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I love you Joann.❤️🙏