Ridiculous Pulled Chicken
I’ve got a policy against ordering barbecued chicken. It’s usually a case of someone having slathered some jarred sauce onto some chicken that seems to have more than the usual allotment of bones and skin.
Don’t get me wrong: I might knock you down charging to get the right sort of piece of chicken skin. However, I would also knock you down to get away from the wrong sort of chicken skin, and barbecued chicken seems to be all about floppy chewy skin.
Also, if there’s barbecued chicken, there’s also often barbecued something else. Like pork. I love pulled pork.
This is a take on pulled pork, rather than a take on bbq chicken. Prepare to freak when you see how easy and delicious it is. This recipe was co-invented by my friend Heather by some friends named Julia and Lynda. I ate some of Heather’s last week and then I made some last night. It’s really my sort of recipe, consisting mostly of pantry staples, with plenty of room for personalizations, though you don’t need them. There are certain blog readers who believe they can’t cook. I suggest they start here!
Pulled Chicken Ingredients
Boneless skinless chicken thighs (some)
Ketchup (some)
Mustard (some)
Apple Cider Vinegar (some)
Brown Sugar (some)
Pulled Chicken Procedure
Get out a Dutch oven or other oven-worthy pot. Preheat the oven to 350. EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil) the outside of the thighs, and add some salt and pepper, and place in the Dutch oven.
Put mostly ketchup, plenty of mustard, a good amount of vinegar, and a tablespoon or so of sugar in the Dutch oven. Stir it around. You could add: onion, garlic, orange juice, tamarind, uh, Coca Cola if you’re so inclined. Allspice, ginger, cinnamon, bourbon, whatever. Dose with cayenne, Sriracha, Frank’s Hot Sauce, or anything else you’d like to make it hot. Or, just leave it with the original four ingredients.
Do not taste for seasoning, since it is covering raw chicken.
Cover and cook for 50 minutes. Remove chicken, shred it using two dueling forks, and boil the liquid on the stovetop to reduce for a supplemental sauce. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Serve with cole slaw (I like to buy a bag of shredded cabbage, and then add a bit of mayo, some vinegar, some salt, some sugar). Add hamburger chips pickles and sliced onions on a soft roll.
Great for a hands-off dinner, or reheated the next day.
Hooray!
Church Avenue Chomp 
Mmmm. Also, I bet you could do this in the crock pot. I say that cause it reminds me of Chicken Ranchero, which was the signature dish of my first year of marriage. Here’s how you do it: Chicken thighs and Mexican type sauce (salsa, enchilada sauce, whatever). You can also throw in a bag of frozen pepper/onion strips. Or a can of beans. Or some cheese. Cook it all day, then serve with tortillas and taco toppings. Or rice and beans.