In addition to the delicious snacks that Wendy Rahamut suggested in today's Cookup, here's another option for the World Cup lime, barbecue shredded chicken. According to the folks at the food web site TheKitchn, it's a versatile and brilliant choice for parties, because it's so easy to make in the oven or the slow cooker. Simple, inexpensive, and relatively quick, chicken has some advantages over the heavier beef and pork. Here's how to make a batch of tender and delicious pulled chicken in the oven–or your slow cooker.Pulled chicken is just as easy as its beef and pork counterparts, but it takes less time and is lighter in fat and calories (if you pay attention to that sort of thing).
There is one really key element to making good barbecue sauce chicken, whether it's in the oven or the slow cooker: Use dark meat. Chicken breasts don't have enough fat or tenderness to get soft while braising; they just aren't going to fall apart into soft threads the way a slightly fattier meat will. You can use mostly boneless skinless chicken thighs, which aren't as dark as legs, but offer a light yet succulent texture. Mix in a breast or too as well, but don't use them for more than 25 per cent to 30 per cent of the total meat.You can also opt to use bone-in chicken, but the whole point of this dish is for it to be extremely easy and hands-off, and the extra work of skinning the chicken or working with the bones isn't worth it.After that, it's all easy. Here's a very basic, simple recipe or set of instructions for making barbecue sauce pulled chicken.
Barbecue Shredded Chicken
3 to 4 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, or a mix of thighs and breasts
Olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 (or more) cloves garlic, minced
2 tsps smoked paprika
2 tsps salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 (1 1/2 cups) ozs barbecue sauce, store-bought or homemade, plus more for serving
METHOD
Heat the oven to 325�F. Remove the chicken from its packaging and pat it dry.
In a Dutch oven or heavy pot (with a lid) heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until quite soft. Add the smoked paprka and stir.
Add the chicken piece by piece, stirring to mix well with the onion. Stir in the salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Pour in the barbecue sauce and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat.
Cover the pot with a heavy lid and put in the oven. Bake, covered, for 90 minutes, or until the chicken is extremely tender. Remove from the oven and use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken to a large bowl. Use two forks to shred the chicken finely.
Meanwhile, while you're shredding the chicken, put the sauce, uncovered, back on the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid in the pan to about half of its volume. Pour this thickened sauce over the chicken and stir.
Serve with buns, cole slaw, avocado, and extra barbecue sauce on the side.
Refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to three months.
Slow Cooker Instructions:Follow the recipe as written above, but instead of putting the chicken and sauce in the oven, pour it all into a slow cooker. Cook for five to seven hours on low. If desired, you can lift out the chicken and reduce the sauce in a separate pan on the stovetop, but this may not be necessary; it simply depends on your preference.
8 to 10 servings
(Adapted from thekitchn.com)