Indoor Pulled Chicken

Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen which states, “Do not trim the fat from the chicken thighs; it contributes to the flavor and texture of the pulled chicken. If you don’t have 3 tablespoons of fat to add back to the pot in step 3, add melted butter to make up the difference. We like mild molasses in this recipe; do not use blackstrap. Serve the pulled chicken on white bread or hamburger buns with pickles and coleslaw.”

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Indoor Pulled Chicken

  • Total time: 1 Hour
  • Servings: 6 Servings

Ingredients

Sauce:

  • 1 1/2 Cups Ketchup
  • 1/4 Cup Molasses
  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Hot Sauce
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper

Chicken:

  • 1 Cup Chicken Broth
  • 2 Tbsp Molasses
  • 1 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Liquid Smoke
  • 1 tsp Unflavored Gelatin
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 2 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, halved crosswise
  • Hot Sauce

Directions

  • 1)

    For the sauce: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl. Set aside.

  • 2)

    For the chicken: Bring broth, molasses, sugar, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke, gelatin, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add chicken and return to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is easily shredded with fork, about 25 minutes.

  • 3)

    Transfer chicken to medium bowl and set aside. Strain cooking liquid through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl (do not wash pot). Let liquid settle for 5 minutes; skim fat from surface. Set aside fat and defatted liquid.

  • 4)

    Using tongs, squeeze chicken until shredded into bite-size pieces. Transfer chicken, 1 cup sauce, 1/2 cup reserved defatted liquid, 3 tablespoons reserved fat, and remaining 1 teaspoon liquid smoke to now-empty pot. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until liquid has been absorbed and exterior of meat appears dry, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

Notes

Source: https://www.kcet.org/shows/americas-test-kitchen-from-cooks-illustrated/recipe-indoor-pulled-chicken