Sweet Tangy Pulled Chicken Sandwich Recipe

SERVES 4
COOKING TIME: 2 TO 3 HOURS ON LOW

A simple spice mixture and a quick -to-assemble homemade barbecue sauce makes it easy to turn anytime into a slow-cooked bone-in chicken into tangy, silky shredded chicken-perfect for piling onto buns.

Microwaving onions with tomato paste, chili powder, paprika, and cayenne softens them and infuses them with layers of barbecue flavor. Simply seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper before nestling the breasts into our quick sauce of ketchup,
molasses, and the aromatics.

Use a cooker’s low-and-slow moist heat, so the chicken becomes infused with the rich essence of the sauce. Stirring in vinegar at the beginning of cooking makes the sauce too
thin and dulled its acidity, but adding 2 tablespoons of vinegar at the end of cooking, along with some mustard, gives the sauce the perfect consistency and let it retain its bright flavors.

Sweet Tangy Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Carolina-Style Coleslaw

A tangy vinegar-based coleslaw of cabbage and carrots is easy to assemble while the chicken cooked; it will be ready to be piled on top as soon as the pulled chicken is complete. Serve the chicken and coleslaw on hamburger buns with pickle chips.

Combine onion, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon oil, chili powder, paprika, and cayenne in bowl and microwave, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to 5 1/2 to 7-quart slow cooker.

Stir in ketchup and molasses. Season chicken with salt and pepper, nestle into slow cooker, and turn to coat with sauce. Cover and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 2 to 3 hours on low.

While chicken cooks, toss cabbage and carrot with 1 teaspoon salt in colander and let drain until wilted, about 1 hour. Rinse cabbage and carrot with cold water, then dry thoroughly with paper towels. Whisk 2 tablespoons vinegar, sugar, parsley, celery seeds, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil together in large bowl; add cabbage mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until chilled.

Transfer chicken to cutting board and let cool slightly. Using 2 forks, shred into bite -size pieces; discard bones. Stir mustard and remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar into sauce left in slow cooker. ( Adjust sauce consistency with hot water as needed.) Stir in chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste. Portion chicken onto buns, top with coleslaw, and serve.

Shredding Chicken for the Sweet Tangy Pulled Chicken Sandwich

To shred chicken, use two forks, inserting the tines into the meat. Gently pull the forks away from each other, breaking the meat into bite-size pieces.

Sweet Tangy Pulled Chicken Sandwich Recipe Ingredients

1 onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons molasses
2 (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, skin removed, trimmed
Salt and pepper
4 cups shredded red or green cabbage
1 small carrot, peeled and shredded
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Pinch celery seeds
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 hamburger buns