Shredded Chicken Sandwiches made in the slow cooker and topped with a sesame slaw, a weeknight dinner I've been making for years because it meal preps beautifully and tastes just as good cold as it does hot.
After nearly two decades of cooking and meal prepping for my family, I've learned that the best weeknight dinner recipes aren't just easy, they are forgiving. This honey lime shredded chicken sandwich is one of those recipes.
The slow cooker does most of the work, the flavors hold up perfectly for days in the fridge and assembly takes less than 10 minutes. I've made this more times than I can count and it hasn't let me down yet.
reasons you'll love this shredded chicken sandwich
- Quick + Easy - Assembly takes 10 minutes or less.
- Versatile - Very easy to adjust based on your personal preference. These ingredients work well as sandwiches, tacos, wraps or salads.
- Meal Prep Friendly - cook once, eat multiple times throughout the week
Recipe Video
Wondering how these crockpot shredded chicken sandwiches come together? Watch the 1-minute video below! Find more of my videos on my YouTube channel.
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Which ingredients do we need?
For this shredded chicken sandwich recipe, you will need:
- Shredded chicken- we are using slow cooker honey lime chicken.
- Slaw- we are using cabbage, shredded carrots, zucchini and cilantro. Save yourself some time by using a bag of slaw
- Vinaigrette- a quick sesame vinaigrette gives the slaw some tanginess
- Buns- go for the big, fresh, fluffy buns.
Find my favorite slow cooker and other kitchen tools in my shopTips for the perfect sandwich
Make Ahead & Freezer Notes
Preassembled sandwiches will result in very soggy sandwiches. However, storing the ingredients separately works like a charm.
- Refrigerator:
- Shredded chicken: store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
- Prepped veggies: store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
- Vinaigrette: store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer: the raw, marinated chicken can be frozen before cooking (simply add to the slow cooker when ready). The cooked, shredded chicken also freezes well up to 3 months. Slaw does not freeze well, make it fresh.
Yes and yes!
Instant Pot- cook for 8 minutes with a quick pressure release. If you have large chicken breasts (10 oz), add 1-2 minutes onto the cook time. Shred and toss in the sauce.
Oven- bake at 425 in a covered baking dish for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Shred and toss in the sauce.
Yes, many people prefer chicken thighs because they have more fat, which means they stay juicer longer and tend to have more flavor. If using boneless, skinless chicken thighs you do not need to do anything different for this recipe.
More slow cooker chicken recipes
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Honey Lime Shredded Chicken Sandwiches
Video
Ingredients
Honey Lime Shredded Chicken
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 2 limes, juiced
- 6 cloves garlic , minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
Slaw
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- ½ cup shredded zucchini
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ¼ cup torn cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon dijon
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
Sandwiches:
- 6 buns
Instructions
For the Shredded Chicken
- Whisk together the honey, chicken stock, lime juice, garlic and salt in the bottom of a 4-6 quart slow cooker.
- Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat in the sauce.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and transfer to a bowl. Shred with two forks or an electric hand mixer.
- Toss with cooking liquid and enjoy.
Slaw
- In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, zucchini, carrots and cilantro.
- Shake together all vinaigrette ingredients, and toss slaw to coat.
Assembly:
- Top each bun with around ½ cup of pulled chicken and cabbage slaw.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Hi, I'm Annie. With a Bachelor of Science degree, a minor in nutrition and nearly 20 year of both classical training, and self-taught experience, I've spent my career proving that home cooking can be practical, delicious and inspiring. What started in 2013 as one food blog has grown into a full-time business. Today, my husband Clayton and I run five food websites that connect with millions of home cooks every month.
When I'm not in the kitchen or behind the camera, I'm using fueling my love of travel, or chasing down new ideas that keep food fun and fresh.
Nicole says
All of my kids love this. We add a little sriracha Mayo and Serrano peppers and it’s amazing! Thanks for this simple dish.
Erin says
I made this for my husband's birthday and it turned out great! Cooking the chicken in the crockpot was so easy and toasting the buns took it to a higher level! I used bagged slaw mix, but the dressing is what makes it delicious. We will be making it again soon.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Erin! Ah, yay! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed, and I completely agree on toasting the buns...I can't NOT do it now LOL
H.K. says
Please add the chicken recipe to this recipe. It would be much easier to have everything in one place.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi H.K. Thanks for your feedback! You can find the slow cooker honey lime chicken on this separate post - due to the length of the recipes we find it's best to keep them separate.
A.B. says
Agreeing with H.K on this. I am trying to get the chicken recipe to open up up but something is wrong with the link and I keep getting errors. So I'm having to skip this recipe for now 🙁
Alicia Gross says
I made this tonight for dinner and loved how easy it was to make and how delicious the flavours are! The flavours are bright and refreshing, the perfect summer meal!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Alicia! I'm so happy to hear the recipe was a hit for you! Thank you so much for taking the time to report back 🙂
Joe L says
I'm not seeing the recipe for the chicken portion.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Joe, sorry for any confusion! Here's the chicken recipe: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/slow-cooker-honey-lime-chicken/
Mary Lorrain says
How much honey and lime do I put in with the chicken? I don’t see that listed on the recipe!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Mary, the slow cooker honey lime chicken recipe is linked in the post and the recipe card. Here is is again: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/slow-cooker-honey-lime-chicken/
BJ Kopishke says
In the assembly it says, "Top each bun with around ½ cup of pulled chicken and corn and cabbage slaw.". I don't see corn anywhere in the recipe. Did I miss something?
Denise Bustard says
Hi BJ, thank you for catching that! The old version of this recipe had corn but I missed that on the recipe card.
Laurel says
Do have the nutritional info for just the slaw?
Denise says
Unfortunately I do not, but you could plug it into a nutritional calculator like on My Fitness Pal?
Eric says
Just curious if I missed something... I don't see lime anywhere in the recipe, just in the title. Should this have lime juice?
Denise says
Hi Eric, sorry for the confusion, the honey lime chicken recipe contains the juice of two limes, it is linked in the recipe card and you can see it in that post.
Colleen says
Instead of boiling your corn, please try microwaving individual ears of corn - husk and all - wrapped in a damp paper towel for 3-4 minutes (3 for just-picked or smaller pieces). Peel after it's cooked and the silk just slides off! Corn will be very hot so microwave well before you will serve/use to cool down a bit.
Denise says
Great tip, Colleen! That would cut down the cook time even more! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Rachel Pattison (Little Chef Big Appetite) says
YUM! These look absolutely delish!
Denise says
Thanks so much, Rachel!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
The flavours of this sandwich sound incredible. And so perfect for summer too - which is great because the season is just arriving for us here in Australia!
Denise says
Oh I'm jealous! Except I know how HOT summer is in Australia (I lived there for 2 years)! I don't want winter to come 🙁
marcie says
I don't want summer to go away yet -- I don't know what I'll do without fresh corn and berries! This sandwich is right up my alley and would be perfect for our Game Day meal -- I think I'm putting it on the menu this weekend!
Denise says
I know! I'm not ready for cold weather, but it is here already! I need to move farther south, ha ha! Thanks, Marcie!
Catherine says
Dear Denise, judging by the weather we have been having, I would have to say we still have some time until fall. I too plan on enjoying all the freshness of the summer...this sandwich sounds absolutely wonderful and mouthwatering. xo, Catherine
Denise says
I want some of your weather, Catherine! We have had cooler weather here (in Canada), and I've even seen some yellow leaves. I'm not ready for summer to end 🙁
Izzy says
I am loving all these recipes and I don't even really eat chicken that much, haha! You are making me want to though! They seriously all sound so good and look so pretty! I especially want those soba noodles 🙂
Denise says
Thanks, Izzy! I love soba noodles!