"Pulled chicken is a great alternative to pulled pork when you need something quick and easy!"
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon celery seeds
1-pound package coleslaw mix
1 small onion, sliced thinly
2 Smoked Chicken Halves, heated
1⁄2 cup North Carolina BBQ Sauce (see below), warmed, plus more for drizzling
4 brioche buns
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and celery seeds. Add the coleslaw mix and onion and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it until ready to use.
Remove all the meat from the chicken, discard the skin, and shred the meat. Add the chicken to the warm BBQ sauce and mix well.
Pile the pulled chicken on the lower halves of the buns and drizzle with extra BBQ sauce. Top them with the Carolina slaw and close the sandwiches to serve.
North Carolina BBQ Sauce
“The sauce has a vinegar base with a good amount of ketchup, rounded out with mustard and brown sugar. The finished sauce is not as thin as most Carolina sauces, making it a tangy and versatile accompaniment to pork, chicken and most other barbecue meats.”
Makes: about 2 1⁄2 cups
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup, such as Simply Heinz
1/3 cup prepared yellow mustard
1⁄2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat to low, and simmer until it’s slightly thickened, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Let the sauce cool, transfer it to a jar, and store it in the refrigerator for up to a month.