In my freezer, buried, I found a whole chicken that looked a bit worn out. Think it’s called freezer burn, plus it was missing a wing. Turning the chicken into a piece of art by roasting it, wasn’t going to happen so I found a recipe to make pulled chicken. The best part was putting it in the slow cooker and having extra for lunch the next day.
Barbecue Pulled Chicken
If you are really short on time buy the barbecue sauce, but remember: read the label and find the one with the least amount of sugar and extra added chemicals. I cut the whole chicken in half and placed both halves in the slow cooker and covered them with the sauce. When the chicken was done I took it all apart—easy while still warm. Serve it on a bun with a side salad and you have a hearty main course with leftovers for lunch the next day.
** I doubled the sauce recipe
1 cup tomato sauce or pasta sauce
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp ground chipotle chile
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat or whole chicken cut in half
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1. Stir all the ingredients together except the chicken.
2. Place a little bit of the sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker, add the chicken and pour the rest of the sauce over the chicken.
3. Put the lid on and cook on low until the chicken can be pulled apart, about 5 to 6 hours.
4. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with a fork. If using a whole chicken take the skin off first, then pull the meat from the bones, then shred with a fork.
5. Return the chicken to the sauce, stir well and serve.
**Makes 6 servings