These Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches with Dill Pickle Slaw are the perfect weeknight or weekend meal. The chicken is slow cooked in a tangy and slightly sweet homemade gold barbecue sauce, shredded, then topped with our creamy and briny dill pickle slaw.

There’s no single star of this dish. Instead, all of the players work together to create a sandwich that is balanced and irresistible. The barbecue sauce is tangy and a little sweet and the perfect partner for the shredded chicken. Topping the chicken with our dill pickle slaw brings another layer of savory tart flavor. We like these sandwiches best when served on a toasted brioche bun and covered with something crunchy like fried onions, crispy fried jalapeños, or even crushed up potato chips, but it’s up to you!

There’s nothing like a good slow cooker recipe, and this one is a winner!

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: easy recipes are not always quick! This recipe is not hard to make, but it does take some time to come together. For most of that cooking time, however, the slow cooker is doing the work while you’re outside on the patio sipping on iced tea (or a nice hazy IPA, if you’re like us), which is one of the reasons why we love this meal. Plus, whenever you walk back into the kitchen, you’ll be met with the tangy and sweet smell of the homemade gold barbecue sauce, which will definitely increase your appetite!

Ingredients for the Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches with Dill Pickle Slaw

This recipe has three main components: the gold barbecue sauce, the slow cooked chicken, and the dill pickle slaw. Each part is just as important as the next!

Gold Barbecue Sauce

Gold barbecue sauce is typically less smokey and less sweet than Kansas City barbecue sauce. It uses yellow mustard for much of the volume, bringing a tangy flavor to the sauce. Our version of gold barbecue sauce has a nice balance between tangy and sweet, with just a touch of smokiness.

We like to make a double batch of the gold barbecue sauce so that we have enough to cook the chicken in and enough to slather on top of the sandwiches (and dip our side of fries into, of course). Here’s what you’ll need:

Mustard – this recipe works best with regular yellow mustard instead of Dijon or spicy brown. You want that tangy kick that you can only get from this classic, simple condiment.
Ketchup – this will add some sweet tomato flavor, typical of many barbecue sauces.
Dark brown sugar – using dark brown sugar instead of granulated sugar gives this sauce a hint of molasses flavor. If you only have light brown sugar, that’ll work too, but it’ll have a milder molasses taste.
Apple cider vinegar – this gives the sauce a little additional tanginess.
Honey – we love adding honey to this recipe since it goes so well with mustard. This helps sweeten up the sauce a little without making it too sweet overall.
Worcestershire – this is added for some subtle umami flavor. If you’re allergic to anchovies or don’t eat them, you can use vegan Worcestershire.
Spices – smoked paprika, onion powder, cayenne, and garlic powder make up the spices in this sauce. They add smokiness, heat, and balance.
Salt and pepper – always make sure to season your sauces.

Slow Cooked Chicken

The chicken comes together in the crock pot, which does all of the work for you once you’ve made the sauce. Here are the ingredients for the slow-cooked chicken:

Boneless, skinless chicken breast – we like to use chicken breasts here since they shred up nicely. If all you have is chicken thighs, that might still work, but be sure to trim them of any fat before adding them to the slow cooker.
Prepared gold barbecue sauce – you’ll use all of the sauce for the chicken. We like to make a second, separate batch to add to the sandwiches later, but it’s optional.

Dill Pickle Slaw

This slaw would be great on its own, and it adds such a nice crunch and savory tart flavor to the sandwiches.

Here’s a list of items you’ll need for the dill pickle slaw:

Dressing

Mayonnaise – like many good slaw dressings, this one starts with mayo. Be sure to use a good quality mayonnaise like Best Foods/Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
Plain Greek yogurt – any fat content will do here (we often use nonfat in this recipe).
Dill pickle relish and pickle brine – the relish adds some nice texture and extra pickly deliciousness, and since the recipe for the slaw uses cut up pickle spears, you can use the brine from that same pickle jar.
Spices and seasonings – we season this dressing with a little sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and cracked black pepper. If your pickle brine or relish are super salty, you can use less salt. Just be sure to taste, and know that the dressing will be used on a lot of cabbage, so it should be seasoned enough to go for all of the slaw.

Slaw

Shredded green cabbage – a medium sized cabbage, shredded thinly, will work perfectly here.
Red onion – this will bring some color and a nice sharpness to the slaw.
Chopped dill pickle spears – this is a dill pickle slaw, after all, so adding actual dill pickles to it really drives that flavor home.

Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

To make the ultimate sandwich, here’s what else you’ll need:

Brioche burger buns (or other variety) – make sure to warm them or toast them in a pan for added flavor and texture. We like to spread a thin layer of mayo on ours, then toast them, face down, in a hot pan for a few minutes until golden.
Crispy fried onions (like French’s), crispy fried jalapeños, or potato chips – use whatever you like. The key is to add some additional crunch (and whimsy).
Optional extra sauce – we strongly suggest making a second batch of the sauce to add to your sandwiches. Any extra can be used as a dip for fries on the side, or you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

How to Make the Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

To make the gold barbecue sauce, mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl or container. This sauce can be made ahead of time. You’ll need all of the sauce for the chicken, but we recommend making a second, separate batch for topping on the sandwiches. Leftover sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

To make the slow cooked chicken, pour one full batch of the barbecue sauce into a slow cooker. Add the chicken breasts and toss them to coat in sauce. Cook the chicken on HIGH for 4 hours (or LOW or 8 hours), then remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it with a couple of forks. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and cook for another 1 to 1.5 hours on HIGH. This will help the barbecue sauce deepen in flavor.

To make the dill pickle slaw, first whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Add the cabbage, red onion, and sliced pickles to a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss until fully combined. Note that the longer the slaw sits while dressed, the more liquid it will give off, so it’s best to dress the slaw right before using it.

To assemble the barbecue chicken sandwiches, grab a toasted bun (we like to spread a thin layer of mayo on each half of a bun and toast them, face down, in a hot pan for a few minutes until they’re golden brown). On the bottom half of a burger bun, pile on a generous amount of chicken. If you made extra sauce, spoon some of it on top of the chicken. Add some of the dill pickle slaw onto the chicken, top it with some fried onions (or jalapeños or chips, if using), then cover it with the top half of the bun.

Grab a napkin (these sandwiches are messy) and enjoy!

Equipment

Slow Cooker