This Slow Cooker Coca Cola Chicken is cooked in Coca Cola and BBQ sauce for 5 to 6 hours, then finished with extra sauce until tender and coated in a rich, sweet and savory glaze. It costs just $1.29 per serving and makes an easy slow cooker dinner.
Coca Cola Chicken is a recipe we grew up eating, and the slow cooker version has become one of the most made dinners in our house. The Coke helps tenderize the chicken while the BBQ sauce creates a sticky, sweet glaze my family loves. At just $1.29 per serving, it feeds six and requires very little effort.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- Budget Friendly — $7.75 total for a sweet savory slow cooker dinner
- The Coca Cola tenderizes the chicken and creates a caramelized BBQ glaze unlike anything else
- The two-stage sauce method keeps the glaze thick, rich and deeply flavored throughout
- Serve it whole, shredded, over rice or pulled on buns — three completely different meals from one recipe
After 14 years of developing recipes, I know the best slow cooker chicken dinners deliver great flavor with very little effort. This Coca Cola Chicken does exactly that. You may also enjoy our Crockpot Chicken Adobo, Slow Cooker Chicken Curry, and Crockpot Chicken and Noodles.
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts — six standard chicken breasts fit perfectly in a standard 6-quart slow cooker. Always use skinless chicken breasts for this recipe — the skin does not crisp in a slow cooker and becomes rubbery. Chicken thighs work as a juicier more flavorful substitute and are even more forgiving in the slow cooker
- Black pepper — seasoning applied directly to the chicken before the sauce goes on. Simple but essential for depth throughout
- Garlic salt — adds both garlic flavor and saltiness throughout the chicken during the long cook. Substitute with equal parts garlic powder and kosher salt if preferred
- Barbecue sauce, divided — used in two stages — half goes in at the beginning and half goes on fresh in the final hour for the thick concentrated glaze. Sweet Baby Ray’s is the most popular choice for this recipe. Hickory smoked gives a deeper flavor and spicy BBQ gives a bolder kick
- Coca Cola — the secret ingredient. The phosphoric acid and natural sugars tenderize the chicken and caramelize into the glaze during cooking. Pepsi Dr Pepper root beer and Diet Coke all work as substitutes — stick to dark sodas for the best flavor and color
How to Make Coca Cola Chicken in the Slow Cooker
Step 1 – Add the Chicken – Place the chicken in the bottom of a crock pot.
Step 2 – Top with Ingredients – Top with the pepper and garlic salt. Pour half of the barbecue sauce and 1 cup of the Coca-Cola on top.
Step 3 – Cover and Cook – Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
Step 4 – Drain – Drain the liquid from the crock pot and leave the chicken in the crock pot.
Step 5 – Whisk Ingredients – In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining barbecue sauce and remaining Coca-Cola.
Step 6 – Pour – Pour this mixture on top of the chicken in the crock pot.
Step 7 – Continue Cooking – Cook for 1 more hour on low.
Step 8 – Serve and Enjoy – Then the chicken is ready to serve. You can serve the chicken whole topped with the sauce from the crock pot. Or shred the chicken and mix it back into the sauce in the crock pot. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Always drain before adding the second sauce. The drained liquid is thin and watery — adding fresh sauce to the drained chicken gives you the thick concentrated glaze that makes this recipe so special
- Do not skip the final hour. The last hour of cooking with the fresh sauce is when the glaze develops — rushing this step gives you a thin sauce rather than a sticky coating
- Shred for the best presentation. Shredded Coca Cola chicken tossed back into the glaze gives you maximum sauce coverage in every bite — perfect over rice mashed potatoes or on buns
- Use a meat thermometer. Always confirm the chicken reaches 165°F internally before draining and adding the second sauce
- Double the batch and freeze half. This recipe freezes beautifully — make two batches at once for two complete dinners with almost no extra effort
Can I Use a Different Soda?
Yes — any dark carbonated soda works beautifully in this recipe. The dark color gives the sauce a richer deeper appearance and flavor than clear sodas:
- Pepsi — the most direct substitute with nearly identical results
- Dr Pepper — gives a slightly spicier more complex flavor with subtle cherry notes
- Root Beer — gives a sweeter more vanilla-forward glaze that pairs beautifully with hickory BBQ sauce
- Diet Coke or Coke Zero — works well with slightly less caramelization since diet sodas contain no sugar
- Avoid clear sodas — Sprite and ginger ale give a completely different flavor profile and the sauce will not have the same rich color
Three Ways to Serve Coca Cola Chicken
Whole with glaze — serve each chicken breast whole topped generously with the thick glaze from the slow cooker alongside mashed potatoes or roasted broccoli for a classic plate presentation.
Shredded over rice — shred the chicken with two forks and stir back into the glaze in the slow cooker for the most saucy flavorful result. Spoon generously over white rice for a simple complete dinner.
Pulled chicken sandwiches — pile the shredded glazed chicken onto toasted buns with a scoop of coleslaw for a budget-friendly pulled chicken sandwich that beats any BBQ restaurant version.
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap chicken breasts for chicken thighs for a juicier more flavorful result that is even more forgiving in the slow cooker
- Add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a spicy sweet glaze variation
- Stir in soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce with the BBQ for a deeper more complex flavor
- Add sliced bell peppers and onion to the slow cooker with the chicken for extra vegetables and color
- Substitute ketchup for half the BBQ sauce for a tangier less sweet glaze
- Make it in the oven — place the chicken in a baking dish pour the ingredients over the top and bake at 400°F for 25 minutes
- Make it in a skillet — cook the chicken in olive oil over medium-high heat then pour the sauce over and simmer for 20–25 minutes until the sauce reduces
What to Serve with Coca Cola Chicken?
Coca Cola Chicken can be served with many different side dishes. These are some of our favorite.
- Instant Pot White Rice – Rice is one of the easiest side dishes to make. You can save a ton of time by using the instant pot. We love making rice bowls with this recipe.
- Roasted Broccoli – Serve this chicken recipe with some roasted vegetables. They are easy to make and taste delicious with simple seasoning.
- Mashed Potatoes – Serve the BBQ chicken over the top of mashed potatoes. Add a side of green beans and you have a complete meal. Make sure to serve more of the sauce over the top for delicious flavor.
Storage and Freezer Instructions
Refrigerator
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days — the chicken tastes even better the next day as it continues to marinate in the glaze overnight. Store in individual portions for the easiest grab-and-go lunches
Freezer
- Cool completely then freeze in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or in a covered baking dish at 325°F for 20 minutes
Reheating
- Reheat in the microwave in 30-second intervals or in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of extra BBQ sauce to loosen the glaze
Frequently Asked Questions
The phosphoric acid and natural sugars in Coca Cola tenderize the chicken from the inside out during the long slow cook while the sugars caramelize with the BBQ sauce into a thick sticky glaze in the final hour.
Yes — Diet Coke and Coke Zero both work but the glaze will caramelize slightly less since diet sodas contain no sugar. The flavor is still excellent.
Yes — draining the thin watery cooking liquid before adding fresh BBQ sauce and Coke in the final hour is what gives you the thick concentrated glaze that makes this recipe so special.
Yes — place the chicken in a baking dish pour all the BBQ sauce and Coke over the top and bake at 400°F for 25 minutes until the chicken reaches 165°F internally.
This Slow Cooker Coca Cola Chicken is a family favorite with tender chicken coated in a thick, sweet BBQ Coke glaze. It costs just $1.29 per serving, and the slow cooker does all the work while you go about your day. If you make it leave a star rating and a comment below — I love hearing whether you served it whole over rice or shredded on buns and whether your family guessed the secret ingredient!
More Easy Coca Cola Recipes
Slow Cooker Coca Cola Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Breasts
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
- 1 ½ cup Barbecue Sauce divided
- 12 ounces Coca-Cola
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a crock pot.
- Sprinkle the chicken with black pepper and garlic salt, then pour barbecue sauce (half of the 1½ cups total) and Coca-Cola (from the 12 ounces) over the top.
- Cover and cook on low for 5–6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
- Drain the liquid from the crock pot, leaving the chicken in the crock pot.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ¾ cup barbecue sauce and the remaining Coca-Cola.
- Pour the mixture over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 1 more hour.
- Serve the chicken whole topped with the sauce, or shred the chicken and stir it back into the sauce.
It calls for a 12 oz in the recipe,
But it says to put a cup in the crockpot, and then it says later on to make the sauce, put the remaining Coke but it says it’s 8 ounces of Coke. Where is the mistake? Should you start off with 16 ounces of Coke or when you put the remaining Coke in for the sauce, do you only put 4 ounces of Coke in?
Karen – I’m so sorry for the confusion. I use 1 12 ounce can for this recipe. I put 1 cup of the soda in the crock pot when cooking the chicken and then mix the remaining soda with the remaining barbecue sauce to top with the chicken after the cooking time. I have updated the recipe to make it more clear. Sorry about that!
Are steps 5 and 6 the same?
Yes, that was redundant so I have edited that and made it more clear. So sorry for the confusion!
we tried the coca cola chicken….a direct hit!…great recipe and will try it with pork chops next time
Thank you!
That’s great Gail! So glad it was a hit!