Oven-Baked Pulled Chicken
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
3 hrs
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Additional Time
5 mins
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Total Time
3 hrs 20 mins
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Servings
4 servings
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Calories
306 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Oven-Baked Pulled Chicken
Description
This Oven-Baked Pulled Chicken recipe starts with boneless, skinless chicken thighs scored with slits to help absorb a homemade barbecue sauce comprising tomato paste, aged balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and a sweetener such as stevia or maple syrup. The chicken is coated evenly with this sauce and baked tightly covered at 300°F for around three hours, allowing it to become very tender. Alternative baking times and temperatures can be used for quicker results, but longer low-heat cooking enhances tenderness and deepens flavors.
The cooking process yields chicken that pulls apart easily and combines with a caramelized, flavorful sauce. It can be served immediately as pulled chicken for sandwiches, salads, or other dishes.
To prevent difficult cleanup from caramelized sauce residue, the use of foil lining in the baking dish is recommended. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or frozen up to three months. Reheating is best done gently in a microwave at reduced power to preserve moisture.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pound chicken thigh boneless, skinless
Barbecue sauce:
- ¾ cup tomato paste 7-ounce jar
- ¾ cup balsamic vinegar aged (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon salt sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon stevia glycerite
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the chicken thighs in a square 8-inch baking dish. Make a few slits in the chicken with a sharp knife.
- To make the barbecue sauce, mix the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and sweetener in a medium bowl.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken, coating it evenly. Use your hands to ensure the sauce not just covers the chicken but also gets inside the slits.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with a double layer of foil and place it in the oven. It will start to smell amazing after about 2 hours, but you should cook it for 3 hours, until very tender.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Carefully remove the foil - hot steam will escape - and allow the dish to cool for about 5 minutes until easier to handle.
- Using a knife and fork or a rubber spatula, shred the chicken while still in the baking dish and toss it with the sauce.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Replace stevia with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup if preferred, noting the impact on sugar content.
- Use aged balsamic vinegar to avoid excessive acidity; a young vinegar is too sharp.
- For faster cooking, bake covered at 400°F for 2 hours, which still produces moist pulled chicken.
- Line the baking dish with foil to ease cleanup from caramelized barbecue sauce.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or freeze for up to three months, reheating covered at 50% microwave power.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 306 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 0.25recipe | |
| Calories | 306kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 15g | 5% |
| Protein | 32g | 64% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Sodium | 802mg | 33% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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