One Pot BBQ Pulled Chicken

This is the easiest, juiciest, most flavorful chicken you will ever eat. Nestle the smoky/sweet, buttery shreds into tortillas or lettuce leaves, pile it onto bread for sandwiches, spoon it over rice or pasta, or simply eat it plain - it's scrumptious no matter what.

You're seriously not going to believe how yummy and easy this is! All the ingredients for the sauce are dumped into a pot and brought to a simmer. Then the chicken dives in (refrigerated or frozen) and simmers until fork-tender. Since the chicken cooks directly in the sauce, it absorbs all the rich, savory flavors of ketchup, maple syrup, liquid smoke, vinegar, garlic, onion, and Dijon mustard. All pantry staples - and the world's best barbecue sauce ever.

Another great thing about the sauce? It's completely flexible, meaning you can adjust flavors to suit your needs. Or work with substitutions if you don't have the exact ingredients handy (I've provided suggestions below). You can also add some heat with your favorite hot sauce.

You can also make this dish with chicken thighs, legs, pork loin, and beef chuck!

One Pot BBQ Pulled Chicken 

4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
1 cup ketchup or tomato sauce
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup or honey
1 tablespoon liquid smoke, hickory or mesquite
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, refrigerated or frozen

In a large pot, whisk together the broth, ketchup, syrup, liquid smoke, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Set the pan over medium-high and bring to a simmer.
Add the chicken and return to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is fork tender (or slightly longer for frozen chicken).
Remove the chicken from the sauce, shred with two forks and return to the pan. Simmer for a few minutes to heat through.
Serves 4-6


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