Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Apple Slaw
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen.
Tender pulled chicken cooked in a pressure cooker with warm spices and a tangy barbecue sauce, piled high with a crisp, fresh apple and cabbage slaw.
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Method
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Equipment
- large bowl
- small bowl
- electric pressure cooker (such as an Instant Pot)
- potato masher
- heatproof jug
- wooden spoon
- instant-read thermometer
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 499 kcal |
| Protein | 36.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 53.6 g |
| of which sugars | 21.5 g |
| of which free sugars | 16.2 g |
| Fat | 15.2 g |
| of which saturates | 2.8 g |
| Fibre | 3.4 g |
| Salt | 3.88 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
7.4 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 6 servings
Slaw
- 1½ tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 4 g light brown sugar about 1 tsp
- 6 g fine sea salt or table salt about 1 tsp
- 140 g green cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 tart green apple (such as Granny Smith), cored and cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 shallot, halved and thinly sliced
Barbecue sauce
- 180 ml ketchup
- 24 g light brown sugar about 2 tbsp
- 1½ tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp hot sauce
Chicken
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped about 80 g
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 4.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¾ tsp
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 900 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
To serve
- 6 brioche burger buns, split and toasted if you like
- 1
Slaw. Whisk together 1½ tbsp cider vinegar, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp light brown sugar and 1 tsp fine salt in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves. Toss in 140 g shredded green cabbage, a tart green apple cut into matchsticks, and a sliced shallot, then set aside.
- 2
Sauce. Combine 180 ml ketchup, 2 tbsp light brown sugar, 1½ tbsp cider vinegar, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp Dijon mustard and 2 tsp hot sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
- 3
Build. Heat 30 ml vegetable oil in the pressure cooker on its highest sauté setting and soften 1 small chopped onion for 3-5 minutes. Stir in 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp chilli powder, ¾ tsp fine salt and ½ tsp cayenne pepper for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
- 4
Pressure cook. Add 120 ml of the sauce and 900 g chicken thighs to the cooker and mix to coat everything evenly in a single layer. Lock the lid, close the valve and cook at high pressure for 6 minutes, then quick-release the pressure, opening the lid away from you.
- 5
Shred. Reserve 120 ml of the cooking liquid from the pot and keep 60 ml of it to one side; discard the remainder. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces using 2 forks directly in the pot and check that the thickest part reaches 74 °C.
- 6
Reduce. Switch the cooker back to sauté and simmer the chicken, scraping the bottom as it cooks, for 6-8 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated and a little browning forms on the base of the pot.
- 7
Finish. Remove from the heat and stir in the reserved 60 ml of cooking liquid and a further 60 ml of the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- 8
Serve. Pile the pulled chicken onto split brioche buns, spoon more sauce over the top, add a generous heap of apple and cabbage slaw and top with the bun lids. For smaller portions, use slider buns instead.
Storage
Best eaten straight away while the chicken is warm and the slaw is still crisp. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
