This deliciously succulent pulled chicken is smothered in a tasty homemade barbecue sauce and baked in the oven until wonderfully tender.
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 (pot roast, beef cheeks, goulash) and pork (pork roast), and it's also true for chicken.
Add some barbecue 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 use any sauce that you like.
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Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.
Fresh chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe. I don't recommend using chicken breast. It's too dry to use in a slow-cooked recipe.
For the homemade bbq sauce: Tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and a sweetener. I use stevia, but you can use your sweetener of choice to equal 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Variations
One way to vary this recipe is to tinker with the homemade barbecue sauce seasonings. Sometimes I add cayenne pepper to make it spicy.
Other good additions that I've tried and liked include onion powder and just a pinch of ground cumin.
You can also use a store-bought sauce. In fact, when pressed for time, I often do and it works great. Since there are so many of them, this is another good way to vary the recipe and make it a little different each time.
Just make sure to check the ingredients list and make sure it fits your way of eating. Some store-bought sauces are very sugary.
Pulled Chicken Instructions
The detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Start by mixing the homemade bbq sauce. (Photos 1-2).
Now, place the chicken pieces in a baking dish. (Photo 3).
Add the sauce. Make sure it covers the chicken pieces. (Photo 4).
Cover the pan in foil and bake the chicken in a 300°F oven for 3-4 hours, until very tender. (Photos 5-6).
Once done cooking, shred the meat with two forks or a spatula and mix it well with the bbq sauce. (Photos 7-8).
Expert Tips
How long to cook the chicken:
I usually bake the chicken 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.
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.
Easy cleanup tips:
One important tip I have for you is to line the bottom and sides of the baking dish with foil.
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.
Recipe FAQs
I think it is! Pulled pork is amazing, no doubt. But when slowly cooked in a rich bbq sauce, then shredded, check is just as good, as long as you make sure to use chicken thighs which are nice and fatty.
I don't recommend using chicken breast in this recipe. It's too lean and will dry out during the long cooking time. Use that to make a baked chicken breast.
Chicken thighs are fattier and juicier. They're far more suitable for slow cooking. And they are way more delicious!
Yes. It's best to portion it out, place it in freezer-safe containers, then freeze it. You can thaw it in the fridge, then reheat it in the microwave in a covered microwave-safe dish.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this saucy dish on cloud bread, 90-second bread, or thick slices of almond flour bread.
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 - it's so good!
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, at 50% power. You can also freeze pulled chicken for up to three months.
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Recipe Card
Pulled Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
Barbecue sauce:
- 1 (7 oz) jar tomato paste (¾ cup)
- ¾ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon stevia glycerite (or 2 tablespoons of maple syrup if you don't mind the carbs)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300°F. Place the chicken thighs in a square 8-inch baking dish. Make a few slits in the chicken with a sharp knife.
- To make the barbecue sauce, in a medium bowl, mix together the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and sweetener.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken, coating evenly. Use your hands to make sure the sauce not just covers the chicken, but also gets inside the slits.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with a double layer of foil and place it in the oven. It will start to smell amazing after about 2 hours, but you should cook it for 3 hours, until very tender.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Carefully remove the foil - hot steam will escape - and allow the dish to cool for about 5 minutes, until easier to handle.
- Using a knife and a fork, shred the meat while still in the baking dish, and toss it with the sauce. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
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. 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, at 50% power. You can also freeze the chicken for up to three months.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition per Serving
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
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