Some days are not exotic. They’re everyday days. When you’re workin’ like a feudal farmer, and want to eat like a King or Queen, preparing good nourishing food needs to be simple. On these days, Bon Appétit comes to the rescue! Smart home chefs doctor up a store-bought barbeque sauce to make this delectable recipe for Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Slaw. My boys loooove this recipe. Here are a few added tricks of our own to make it work every time: 1) The bread rolls make a huge difference. Select a roll that will crisp up well in the oven. Otherwise, the barbeque sauce makes the sandwich too soggy. We prefer Beckmann’s Francese Homebake rolls. 2) Naturally, the barbeque sauce matters too. Our personal favorite is this Bone Suckin’ Sauce. In fact, we love it so much that we double the BBQ sauce. Pull on your farmer bibs and dig in like a royal!
I found this vintage platter, a Blue Delft with a crack down the middle, at the estate sale of a former neighbor along with a 1940s cookbook and a war time copy of an Isaak Dinesen novel. They will remind me of Elaine Elkins, a woman who lived well into her nineties and always opened her door on Halloween night to all the neighborhood children.
Best ever leftovers: this bbq chicken sits well overnight, refrigerated in its barbeque sauce for an even more flavorful sandwich the next day, but don’t forget to toast the bread for a crispy shell.
- Slaw:
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1½ teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- ½ small head of cabbage, very thinly sliced
- Chicken and Assembly:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- ½ small onion, finely chopped onion
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo
- 1 bay leaf
- ¾ cup barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1½ pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 ciabatta or sandwich rolls, split, lightly toasted
- Slaw:
- Whisk vinegar, mayonnaise, cilantro, honey, and celery seed in a large bowl. Add cabbage and toss to coat. Cover and chill.
- Chicken and Assembly:
- Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Whisk in chipotle chile, bay leaf, barbecue sauce, vinegar, and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is slightly reduced, 15–20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until deeply browned, 5–7 minutes. Turn chicken, add ¼ cup water to skillet, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, cover skillet, and cook until cooked through, 8–10 minutes. Let cool, then shred with 2 forks. Add chicken to barbecue sauce and toss to coat.
- Fill rolls with chicken and slaw.
This is one of our favorite meals, too! We make it with pork usually but chicken is just as yummy. I make the cole slaw with two kinds of mayo: regular and the wasabi mayo from Trader Joe’s — gives it an extra kick! Now I know what I want for dinner!!!
Oooooo….. Wasabi Mayo! Great idea. Thank you Caroline 🙂
These photos are everything. Thanks for making my stomach rumble long before lunch time!!!
I will definitely make these for you and David sooooon!!! 🙂