Chicken with Maple Barbecue Sauce

This sweet and savory barbecue sauce is to-die-for! If you haven't considered adding maple syrup to your BBQ sauce - start considering it! Like right now! Sweet maple syrup partners unbelievably well with classic barbecue sauce ingredients, like tangy vinegar and ketchup, liquid smoke, and warming/pungent spices like chili, cumin, garlic, and onion. This leftover chicken is living the BBQ dream!

Got leftover chicken? Excellent! This is the PERFECT way to use it up!  I had 2 leftover roasted chicken breasts that I quickly diced up and added to the simmering sauce. You can do the same with any leftover chicken you have (whether it's been grilled, roasted, poached, etc.). If you don't have leftovers, grab a rotisserie chicken at the market and shred it up!

Look at that awesome baguette... We go through a LOT of bread in my house. In fact, I almost always have a baguette on the counter (and it usually has a chunk missing - not sure who's sneaking in and ripping off pieces... ). This is a sourdough baguette, but I would have been equally happy with a French loaf! Ciabatta works too!

Chicken with Maple Barbecue Sauce

1 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and ground black pepper
2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
1 baguette, cut into 4 equal pieces

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, ketchup, maple syrup, vinegar, liquid smoke, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5 more minutes.
Spoon the chicken and sauce onto the halved baguette and serve hot.

Serves 4