Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Slow Cooker Smoky Mountain Chicken
Barbecue chicken under bacon and melted Colby Jack is a tempting combination for a hearty appetite. The sauce has an extra smoky note, with plenty around the chicken to enjoy as you cut into it. Cheese settles over the bacon, making the first bite especially inviting.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 240 min
- Total
- 250 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 5 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken · Pork
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Slow cooker
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: over 60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Sauce underneath first
Pour half the mixed barbecue sauce into the cooker before laying the chicken breasts side by side.
2. Cover the chicken
Spread the remaining barbecue mixture over the chicken and keep the cooker covered during the main cooking stage.
3. Add toppings near serving
Wait until near serving time to lay the cooked bacon and cheese over each chicken breast.
Get to know the ingredients
Liquid smoke
Mix the liquid smoke thoroughly into the barbecue sauce before dividing the mixture above and below the chicken.
Cooked bacon
The topping uses bacon already cooked, with slices placed directly over each breast near the end.
Colby Jack slices
Lay a slice of Colby Jack over the bacon on each breast before covering the cooker again.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 3 steps completeMake room for Slow Cooker Smoky Mountain Chicken
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Let the cheese melt
Keep the topped chicken covered for the final cooking stage, then serve hot once the cheese is melted.
A little more help as you go
Two cooker settings
The directions offer both high and low cooking settings for the chicken before the final topping stage.
A suggested plate
Try mashed potatoes and a side salad alongside the chicken.
A few questions you might have
Do I put all the sauce on top?
No, pour half into the cooker first, arrange the chicken, then add the remaining barbecue sauce mixture.
Is the liquid smoke added separately?
Mix it with the barbecue sauce first so the mixture can be divided above and below the chicken.
How is the chicken arranged?
Lay the breasts side by side in the bottom of the slow cooker over the first sauce layer.
Does the bacon go over the cheese?
Put the cooked bacon on each breast first and lay the cheese slice over it before covering.
What sides are suggested?
Mashed potatoes and a side salad go well with the finished barbecue chicken.
Any more cooking tips?
Pro tip: Serve with mashed potatoes and a side salad for a complete meal.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: lecremedelacrumb.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
