Pulled Chicken – Fast and Easy
Who doesn’t love a a good pulled chicken sandwich? I certainly do, especially one topped with a nice slaw! What’s more is that I like a good pulled chicken sandwich during the week. In order to make this happen, a few short cuts are needed. In the long version, the chicken quarters are smoked on the grill for at least an hour and the buns are made from scratch. During the week, when after school activities tighten my time for cooking dinner or when other life pressures hit, I need an easier and faster way. Surprisingly, it is so easy to make a great pulled chicken sandwich in a fast and efficient manner that it should be on your list of weekday meals. Here is how I do mine…
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 sweet onion
- 1 green onion
- 3/4 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
- 1 bag shredded cabbage mix (red or white)
- 1 granny smith apple
- 1 cucumber
- 1 big bunch of cilantro
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
- sugar
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 store bought buns – like kaiser rolls
- butter
- olive oil
- Chop the garlic fine. Slice the onion thin. Slice the green onion, white and light green parts only. In a medium pot, sautée the onion and garlic cloves in olive oil until they were translucent/soft.
- Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pot with enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Simmer the chicken over low heat for about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken and reserve the cooking liquid in the pot (now technically a stock). Add the barbecue sauce to the pot and bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Shred the chicken breasts with 2 forks. When the sauce is reduced, add the chicken and sliced green onion. Mix well allowing the chicken to warm through and the green onion to wilt. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Slice the apple into match sticks. Quarter the cucumber then slice to make small pieces. Chop the cilantro. In a large bowl, mix the cabbage mix, apple and cilantro. In a small bowl, make the dressing* by mixing the mayonnaise and vinegar and seasoning with salt and pepper. Adjust the taste as needed with sugar, salt and pepper. Dress the cabbage/apple mixture.
- Turn the oven’s broiler on the lowest setting.
- Split the buns and butter the top and bottom. Place the buns butter sides up under the broiler until toasted and golden brown.
- Fill the bun with chicken and top with slaw. Enjoy!
The best ratio of mayonnaise to vinegar for a slaw is 3:1. This ratio never disappoints! For more chicken impact, chicken thighs and low sodium chicken broth can be used instead of chicken breasts and water. Of course, for a smokier taste, use liquid smoke or a BBQ sauce with smoke flavours. I love when the tangy flavours of the slaw mix with the tomatoey goodness of the barbecue sauce. The buttery, toasted bun makes it extra special! Butter has that affect on most things! Sure it is not the most complicated pulled chicken, but it is a delicious pulled chicken and one you can get done on weeknight!
Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!
How do you make your pulled chicken sandwiches? What tips and tricks do you have to share with us? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook.
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