Pulled Chicken Slaw Sandwich (Printer-friendly)
Juicy chicken coated in barbecue sauce, layered with fresh cabbage-carrot slaw on soft sandwich buns.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Pulled Chicken
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lb)
02 - 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
03 - 1 cup barbecue sauce
04 - 1 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
08 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
09 - 1/2 tsp salt
→ For the Slaw
10 - 2 cups shredded green cabbage (about 5 oz)
11 - 1 cup shredded red cabbage (about 2.5 oz)
12 - 1 medium carrot, grated
13 - 2 tbsp mayonnaise
14 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
15 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
16 - 1/2 tsp sugar
17 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ For Assembly
18 - 4 soft sandwich buns
19 - 1 tbsp butter or olive oil (optional, for toasting buns)
# How To Make It:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
02 - Add chicken breasts, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Pour in chicken broth. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20–25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
03 - Remove the chicken from the skillet and shred using two forks. Return shredded chicken to the pan, add barbecue sauce, and stir to coat. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and flavors to meld. Remove from heat.
04 - In a large bowl, combine green and red cabbage, grated carrot, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper, then toss well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
05 - Lightly butter or oil the inside of each bun and toast in a skillet or under the broiler until golden.
06 - Pile pulled chicken onto the bottom half of each bun. Top generously with slaw, then finish with the top bun. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The contrast between warm saucy chicken and cold crisp slaw is the kind of simple pleasure that makes a Tuesday feel special
- Leftovers actually taste better the next day when the sauce really settles into every shredded piece
02 -
- The chicken needs to rest in the cooking liquid for at least a few minutes after simmering or it will shred into dry strings instead of tender pieces
- Letting the barbecue sauce simmer uncovered creates that thick restaurant style coating that actually clings to the chicken
03 -
- Shred the chicken while it is still hot because it separates into those perfect tender strands much more easily
- The slaw tastes better after sitting for at least 15 minutes so make it first and let it wait