BBQ Pulled Chicken (Dutch Oven)
10 minutes of hands-on prep time is all you need to make this BBQ pulled chicken in the Dutch oven which makes a tasty addition to a variety of meals. The fall-apart shredded chicken breasts or thighs are slow-cooked straight in a rich yet low-sugar BBQ sauce, turning it into a ready-to-serve chicken filling for burgers, sandwiches, wraps, or tacos.
Dutch oven shredded chicken – set and forget
My family loves my pulled lamb recipe so I had to try it with chicken of course and it’s just as good. It’s one of those recipes that is perfect for a slow Sunday at home when you spend 10 minutes of hands-on prep time at lunch, relax for the rest of the afternoon, and get rewarded for your foresight with tender and juicy BBQ pulled chicken 1 1/2 hours later.
Fill some Hawaiian dinner rolls to make pulled chicken sliders but this incredibly tender and juicy chicken also makes delicious shredded chicken wraps, sandwiches, or tacos.
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BBQ Pulled Chicken (Dutch Oven)
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken breast skinless or chicken thighs
BBQ Spice Rub
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
BBQ Sauce
- 15 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or beef stock
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 340F or 170C.
- Pour all sauce ingredients into a Dutch Oven, lidded casserole dish, or crockpot. Stir to combine.15 oz crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup chicken stock, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the dry rub ingredients.1 tbsp smoked paprika powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- Rub the chicken breasts with the dry rub on both sides.2 lb chicken breast
- Place the seasoned chicken meat into the sauce and add the lid. Slow cook for 1 1/2 hours. Halfway through the cooking process check the liquid levels and turn over the chicken breasts. Add extra chicken stock if needed.
- Once cooked the chicken will be super tender and fall apart. Shred the meat with two forks and combine it with the sauce at the bottom. Serve immediately or store it in an airtight container in the fridge once cooled.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken – Chicken breast or boneless thighs both work well.
- Tomatoes – Canned diced tomatoes but you can use crushed tomatoes or passata as well.
- Vinegar – Balsamic vinegar helps tenderize the meat and adds flavor to the sauce. You can use red or white wine vinegar too.
- Sugar – Brown sugar adds some sweetness. White sugar works well too. Add more than 1 tbsp for a sweeter sauce.
- Stock – Chicken stock works best but you can choose vegetable or beef stock as well.
- Dry rub spices – I used my lamb dry rub which is a versatile BBQ-inspired spice mix.
Step-by-step: pulled chicken in the Dutch oven
Combine all sauce ingredients in a Dutch oven.
Combine the dry rub ingredients.
Add the dry rub to both sides of the chicken breasts or thighs. Rub it in.
Place the seasoned chicken into the sauce. Add the lid and slow cook for 1 1/2 hours at 340F (170C).
BBQ shredded chicken 3 ways
Burgers and pitas: The BBQ chicken makes delicious pulled chicken sliders with Hawaiian dinner rolls, burgers, or pita pockets.
Sandwiches or wraps:Â Make shredded chicken sandwiches, pulled chicken wraps, or chicken grilled cheese toasties as a hearty lunch.
Tacos or burritos:Â For a Mexican twist, use the pulled meat as a filling for tacos, burritos, or quesadillas.