It’s great on its own, in a bun or a sandwich, or as a tasty filling for a lettuce wrap. There’s something about slowly cooked meat. It’s true for beef (see this pot roast recipe), pork (boneless pork roast), and it’s also true for chicken. Add some bbq sauce, and you’re in for a real treat. The homemade barbecue sauce I use here is delicious and very easy to make, but you can obviously use any sauce that you like.
Ingredients
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty chicken recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need: Fresh chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe. I don’t recommend using chicken breast. It’s too dry. For the homemade bbq sauce: Tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and a sweetener.
Instructions
Making pulled chicken is easy! The detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
Expert tips
How long to cook the chicken:
I usually bake this dish for three hours. Baking for four hours works well to make the chicken exceptionally tender. But if you bake for so long, the barbecue sauce sometimes reduces too much despite the foil. Next, you add some bbq sauce. Make sure it covers the chicken pieces. Cover the pan in foil and bake the chicken in a 300°F oven for 3-4 hours. Once done cooking, shred the meat with two forks or a spatula (as shown in the video below) and mix it well with the bbq sauce. In fact, pressed for time one afternoon, with only two hours until dinner, I baked the chicken at 400°F, covered, for 2 hours. The result was delicious and moist - so this is definitely an option if you’re in a rush.
Frequently asked questions
Storing leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. It’s best to reheat them very gently so as not to dry them out. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, on 50% power The barbecue sauce gets beautifully caramelized as the dish slowly bakes, which makes for a very tasty dinner, but also for a tough cleanup job later on. However, if you prefer not to use foil when cooking, what I usually do is allow the Pyrex baking dish to cool a little (so it doesn’t explode), then fill it to the brim with very hot, soapy water. I let it soak overnight, on a dishtowel on the counter (never put a hot Pyrex dish directly on a cold counter!). The next morning, cleanup is a breeze. It’s also good on a bed of cauliflower rice, microwave spaghetti squash, or shredded lettuce. A tasty yet a bit messy option is to use it as a filling for lettuce sandwiches. I like to add pickled red onions - so good.
Related recipes
👩🏻🍳 I typically publish a new or an updated recipe once a week. Want these recipes in your inbox? Subscribe! You can unsubscribe at any time.
Recipe card
❤️ Let’s connect! Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter.
