With summer drawing to a close, what better time is there to enjoy a barbecue pulled chicken sandwich? This one is full of delicious smoky flavors without ever having to utilize a smoker! Bring in a taste of fall by adding a scoop of apple coleslaw to your sandwich and it’s a sweet, savory bite that you’ll want to have again and again.
Beyond being delicious, the cabbage, apples, and carrots in the coleslaw provide great sources of fiber. Serve it on a whole wheat bun and you’ve got a meal that is going to keep you feeling full longer without compromising on taste. Fiber offers many more benefits beyond just increasing satiety; you can read more about them here. #fiberisyourfriend
So get creative and add more fruits and vegetables or sources of whole grain to your plate!
When making this dish, I will often make extra sauce and freeze it so that I have it on hand for easy meals in the future. And by using the pre-shredded coleslaw mix, the prep for this recipe is easy - plus there’s less clean up! Who doesn’t love that? See additional cooking notes at the bottom, and enjoy!
Ingredients
For the apple coleslaw:
1 bag tricolor coleslaw mixed, washed
1 Granny Smith apple, cut into matchsticks
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Kosher salt and black pepper
For the chicken & barbecue sauce:
4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cayenne
Kosher salt and black pepper
¼ cup olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
½ cup minced shallots
12 ounces stout beer
⅓ cup Worcestershire sauce
⅓ cup tomato paste
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
Preparation
For the apple coleslaw: In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and poppy seeds. Whisk together until smooth.
In a large bowl, place coleslaw mix and apple matchsticks. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and stir until well combined.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve cold.
For the barbecue chicken and sauce: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Make sure chicken breasts are dry and place onto a baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix together 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon cumin & cayenne, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in ¼ cup olive oil, then pour over chicken and toss to coat.
Bake the chicken for 35 to 45 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Set aside to cool enough to handle, reserving the pan drippings.
While the chicken is cooling, prepare the BBQ sauce. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and stir occasionally until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Once shallots are tender, add the beer, vinegar, Worcestershire, tomato paste, brown sugar, honey, mustard, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper, along with ½ teaspoon paprika and a pinch of cumin. Whisk together until smooth. Bring to a boil before turning heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until reduced and thickened.
Shred the meat and place into a large bowl. Add a few tablespoons of reserved drippings and toss to coat.
If serving immediately, add the chicken to the sauce, toss and warm over medium heat. Serve on hamburger buns and top with apple coleslaw. If preparing in advance, add the sauce to the chicken, toss well, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan set over medium heat before serving, or partly covered in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.
LeAnne's Cooking Notes
The barbecue sauce (begins at Step #6) can be made in advance and frozen for future use. A great way to use up any leftover beer! Just remove frozen sauce from the freezer, thaw in the refrigerator and heat on the stove with cooked chicken.
I like to get creative with side dishes for this main dish. One of my favorites has been roasted beets and sweet potatoes with a maple syrup drizzle. The possibilities are really endless, the choice is yours! Play around at what is currently in season and get inspired with creative ways to add fruits and vegetables you can add to your plate.
Barbecue Pulled Chicken adapted from NYT Cooking/Lidey Heuck.
Apple Coleslaw adapted from Damn Delicious/Chungah Rhee
