1. 1. Prepare the Slow Cooker Chicken: Place the boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs in the bottom of your slow cooker. In a separate bowl, whisk together the BBQ sauce, chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper until well combined. Pour this sauce mixture evenly over the chicken in the slow cooker, ensuring the chicken is mostly submerged.

2. 2. Cook the Chicken: Cover the slow cooker with its lid. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 8 hours. The chicken is done when it is very tender and easily shreds with a fork. The internal temperature should reach 165 F (74 C).

3. 3. Shred the Chicken: Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove it from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board or in a large bowl. Using two forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir it into the BBQ sauce, ensuring it’s fully coated and soaking up all that delicious flavor. Keep it on the warm setting while you prepare the quinoa.

4. 4. Cook the Quinoa: While the chicken is finishing or warming, rinse the uncooked quinoa thoroughly under cold running water in a fine-mesh sieve. This step is crucial for removing saponins, which can give quinoa a bitter taste. In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa, 3 cups of water or vegetable broth, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

5. 5. Simmer the Quinoa: Bring the quinoa mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan tightly with a lid, and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa appears fluffy and the germ has separated from the seed (it will look like little spirals).

6. 6. Fluff and Combine: Remove the quinoa from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Then, fluff it gently with a fork. Stir in the thawed frozen corn into the cooked quinoa.

7. 7. Assemble the Meal Prep Bowls: Divide the cooked quinoa and corn mixture evenly among your meal prep containers. Top each portion with a generous amount of the slow cooker BBQ chicken. If desired, garnish with chopped red onion and fresh cilantro before serving or sealing for later.