Name: Slow-Cooker Pulled Chicken
Total time: 5 h
Ingredients: 5 (10- to 12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts , trimmed; 7 (3-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed; Salt and pepper; 1 onion , chopped fine; 1/2 cup tomato paste; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 5 teaspoons chili powder; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 cup ketchup; 1/3 cup molasses; 2 tablespoons brown mustard; 4 teaspoons cider vinegar; 4 teaspoons hot sauce; 3/4 teaspoon liquid smoke; 10 sandwich rolls

Why This Recipe Works

To produce tender, smoky barbecued chicken in the slow cooker, we ditched the bottled sauce that most recipes call for. Traditional barbecue sauce starts with onions sautéing on the stove, but we found that microwaving them with some oil and spices was just as good. We supplement our sauce with liquid smoke to replicate the smoky grill flavor of the original dish. Bone-in chicken parts stay juicy even after hours in the slow cooker, and a combination of white and dark meat provides the best texture and balanced, meaty flavor.

Before You Begin

Use a relatively mild hot sauce, like Frank’s, or the sauce will be too hot.

Instructions

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Combine onion, tomato paste, oil, chili powder, garlic, and cayenne in bowl and microwave until onion softens slightly, about 3 minutes, stirring halfway through microwaving. Transfer mixture to slow cooker and whisk in ketchup, molasses, mustard, and vinegar. Add chicken to slow cooker and toss to combine with sauce. Cover and cook on low until chicken shreds easily with fork, about 5 hours.

Transfer cooked chicken to carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Using large spoon, remove any fat from surface of sauce. Whisk hot sauce and liquid smoke into sauce and cover to keep warm. Remove and discard chicken skin and bones. Roughly chop thigh meat into ½-inch pieces. Shred breast meat into thin strands using 2 forks. Return meat to slow cooker and toss to coat with sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on sandwich rolls.