BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

My favorite thing about trying a new recipe is getting asked to make it again before the meal is even halfway over.  That happened with these sandwiches.  I'm not even certain Dave swallowed the first bite before he asked me to make them again.  Of course, he finished two of these sandwiches before I could blink (which is super rare because I eat much faster than him).  The chicken just cooks in a sauce that starts with something store bought but doctored up with things from your pantry to give a fantastic flavor that's both sweet and smoky and clings to the shredded chicken.  I see us having these sandwiches on game day or just for a busy weeknight.

When I saw this recipe on Christina's blog, Sweet Pea's Kitchen, I tucked it away as something that sounded easy and delicious.  Which it totally was.  I'd forgotten to prep the crock pot before bed, but was easily able to pull this together in the morning before leaving for work.  No need to get one random ingredient (although I did accidentally misread that I need mustard seeds and added those to the ingredient photo--what can I say, it was 6 am).  Dave had to suffer through smelling this cook all day and gladly agreed to do the shredding of the chicken when it came time to eat.  He tried one with a slice of provolone cheese, declaring it good, but not necessary.  I love the kicked up sauce and served the sandwiches on lightly toasted buns.  This recipe can be easily doubled if you have a big enough crock pot, and would certainly feed a crowd.  Maybe try it with little slider buns for a tailgate?  Yes, I think we'll be seeing this recipe in our rotation again and again.



BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pinch of salt
6-8 sandwich buns

Place the chopped onions in the stoneware of a 4-quart crock pot.  Layer chicken on top of onions.

In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients (except buns) and pour on top of chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Remove chicken and pull or shred with two forks.  Return chicken to sauce, mix together.

Lightly toast buns.  Portion chicken onto toasted buns and serve.

Makes 6-8 sandwiches.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

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