Crock pots aren’t just for fall and winter – in fact, they’re the perfect tool for easy summer meals.

Summer crock pot meals often skip the heavy root vegetables and broth, relying on fresh vegetable side dishes and accompaniments to make them shine. Although, let’s be honest – a tomato-y chicken cacciatore is welcomed any time of year.

Another great summer perk to using your crock pot: you don’t have to heat up the kitchen using the oven or stove. Stave off the stifling heat and still have pull-apart meats, tender veggies and velvety soups at the end of your day (Hint: These 20 crock pot recipes can get you started if you’re running low on inspiration!)

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With just a few minutes of hands-on prep time, the handy crock pot let you laze away your afternoons doing something other than cooking.

Here are four crock pot shredded chicken recipes to help take the heat (and pressure) off this summer season.

The Real Food Dietitians

Crock Pot Hawaiian Pulled Chicken Chard Wraps

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Total time:5 hrs
15 mins

Cook Time: 5 hrs 5 hours

Prep Time: 15 mins 15 minutes

Serves:5

Crock Pot Hawaiian Pulled Chicken Chard Wraps

Recipe by: The Real Food Dietitians

Hawaiian Pulled Chicken is the perfect blend of sweet and savory. It’s flavorful, light, and a simple crock pot meal. It’s perfect for summer or really….any season. Follow the recipe and serve the chicken in a Swiss chard wrap - or feel free to serve it however you wish: on a bed of greens, in a Paleo wrap, on top of a sweet potato, or over cauliflower rice. This recipe makes for great leftovers and can be served hot or cold.

Ingredients

• ½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
• ½ lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
• ½ small onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, not drained
• ¼ cup coconut aminos
• 1 lime, juiced
• ½ t ground ginger
• ¼ t red pepper flakes
• ¼ t sea salt
• ¼ t black pepper
• For the wrap: Swiss chard leaves (or leaf lettuce), avocado slices, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, green onions, fresh cilantro.

Instructions

• Place chicken, onions and garlic in a crock pot.
• In a small bowl, combine pineapple, coconut aminos, lime juice, ground ginger, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to mix, and then add to crock pot.
• Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot and shred with two forks.
• Return chicken to crock pot, stir to mix all ingredients, and set temperature to warm (or low) until ready to serve.
• Assemble Swiss chard wraps with desired ingredients.

The Real Food Dietitians

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken Sloppy Joes with Sweet Potato Bun

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Total time:5 hrs
15 mins

Cook Time: 5 hrs 5 hours

Prep Time: 15 mins 15 minutes

Serves:5

Nutrition facts:6 grams of fat6 grams of sugar450 milligrams of sodium187 calories

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken Sloppy Joes with Sweet Potato Bun

Recipe by: The Real Food Dietitians

A traditional comfort food with a unique but oh-so-delicious twist. These Shredded Chicken Sloppy Joes are a winner for the entire family. Served between two sweet potato rounds, it makes for one delicious and hearty Paleo meal. Lighten it up by serving the chicken in a lettuce wrap, over a bed of greens, or whatever you please.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 14 oz. can tomato sauce
• ⅓ cup canned tomato paste
• 3 T yellow mustard
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• 3 dates, finely chopped
• ¾ cup shredded carrots
• ½ t garlic powder
• ½ t onion powder
• ½ t chili powder
• ¼ t sea salt
• ¼ t black pepper
• 2 sweet potatoes, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
• Olive oil

Instructions

• Place all of the ingredients in the crock pot. Mix to combine.
• Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
• Remove chicken from crock pot and shred with two forks.
• Return back to crock pot, stir to mix all ingredients, and set temperature to warm (or low) until ready to eat.
• While the chicken is cooking, preheat oven (or grill) to 375ºF. Brush sweet potato rounds with olive oil and a dash with sea salt. Bake for 15 minute or just until soft. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
• Place chicken between two sweet potato rounds. Add desired toppings such as pickles, onion, greens, broccoli slaw, mayonnaise, etc.

The Real Food Dieticians

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce

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Total time:4 hrs
15 mins

Cook Time: 4 hrs 4 hours

Prep Time: 15 mins 15 minutes

Serves:8

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce

Recipe by: The Real Food Dieticians

The Peach BBQ Sauce recipe makes about 1 quart of sauce so you’ll have plenty left over for another recipe. The sauce takes just 15 minutes to prepare and once it’s made, you just have to toss it in the crock pot with a few chicken breasts and you’re just 4 easy hours from a satisfying, family-friendly meal.

Ingredients

• 4 dates, pitted
• ½ cup boiling water
• 2 T ghee
• ½ cup minced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 12 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 peaches, peeled and roughly chopped (may substitute 4 canned peach halves)
• ¼ C apple cider vinegar
• ¼ C dijon mustard
• 1 t smoked paprika
• 1 T chili powder
• ¼ t ground cumin
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• ½ t natural liquid smoke
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 C Peach BBQ Sauce

Instructions

• Place pitted dates in a blender or food processor. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 5 minutes to allow dates to soften.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt ghee and saute onions 7-8 minutes or until translucent and soft. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Transfer onion and garlic mixture to blender with the dates.
• Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
• Place chicken breasts in the bottom of crock pot
• Pour 1 cup BBQ sauce over chicken. Stir to coat each breast then cover with lid and cook on LOW heat for 4 hours or until cooked through.

The Real Food Dieticians

Crock Pot Chicken Chile Verde

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Total time:4 hrs
5 mins

Cook Time: 4 hrs 4 hours

Prep Time: 5 mins 5 minutes

Serves:8

Crock Pot Chicken Chile Verde

Recipe by: The Real Food Dieticians

It hardly gets any easier than this recipe with just 5 ingredients! Look for a salsa verde without preservatives or added sugars - we like the Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde because it’s just tomatillos, green chiles, water, onions, jalapeños, salt and spices. Serve over cauliflower rice or tucked into lettuce wraps.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken thighs or breasts (or combination of the two)
• 1 jar Salsa Verde (such as Trader Joe’s)
• 1 4 oz can fire roasted green chiles
• ½ t ground cumin
• ½ t dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh cilantro and lime wedges, optional
• Cauliflower rice for serving

Instructions

• Place chicken in crock pot.
• In a small bowl, combine salsa, green chiles, cumin and oregano. Pour over chicken.
• Place lid on crock pot and cook on LOW heat for 4 hours.
• Remove lid and allow chicken to cool slightly before shredding it with 2 forks right in the crock pot.
• Transfer to serving dish, top with chopped fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges, if desired.
• Serve over cauliflower rice or in lettuce wraps.