Pic Credit: Livestrong
Smoked Pulled Chicken is one of those things that is tender, and flavorful—the very epitome of what you want in your outdoor cooking event. It combines deep, smoky barbecue chicken flavors with the ease of slow-cooked meat. Whether it’s a summer barbecue you’re after or just something to satisfy, this pulled chicken recipe will do the trick with just a few basic ingredients and hardly any prep time to whip up something good that everybody loves.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
To make this delightful pulled smoked chicken recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- Wood chips for smoking, hickory, apple, or cherry
MEASURES & PRECAUTIONS
- Measure Ingredients Carefully: Make sure to measure all of your spices and liquids for this recipe to get the same great taste.
- Safety Precaution: While handling raw chicken, always ensure clean hands and cleaning of the utensils to prevent cross-contamination. Meanwhile, do consider placing your smoker in a safe outdoor area.
Pulled Smoked Chicken Recipe
INGREDIENTS NOTES
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Chicken: Chicken breasts or thighs can be used. Since thighs contain relatively more fat, they become delicious compared to chicken breasts.
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Barbecue Sauce: Your favorite can be used. One hampering factor is the desire for Smoky flavored barbecue sauce. In that scenario, add in sauces that possess smoke flavor as an ingredient.
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Wood Chips: All will provide a good smoke flavor, but the type of wood chip used will determine the flavor. Hickory will give a strong, smoky flavor while apple or cherry wood adds a sweeter, milder flavor.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
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Prepare the Chicken: Evenly rub a small amount of olive oil into the chicken breasts or thighs. Then, liberally dust with the spice mixture, which includes smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
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Crank Up the Smoker: Get your smoker going at 225°F. Apply the wood chips to the smoker.
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Smoke the Chicken: Put the chicken into the smoker for 23 hours or until the temperature is 165°F. This is the temperature I was at originally for low and slow when I smoked this dish.
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Shred the Chicken: Remove from the smoker and let rest about 10 minutes. Pull the chicken apart with 2 forks into shreds.
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Toss with BBQ Sauce: This is just tossing the pulled chicken in with barbecue sauce, really as much or little as desired.
RECIPE TIPS & VARIATIONS
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Spice Level: If you like it spicy, increase the amount of cayenne pepper or add a few dashes of hot sauce.
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Sauce Variations: Try different barbecue sauces, like a tangy vinegar-based sauce or a sweet honey barbecue sauce.
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Analogous to the above, you can increase the hour of smoking if you want your meat to have a strong smoky flavor.
EQUIPMENT
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Smoker
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Meat thermometer
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Mixing bowls
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Tongs
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Forks for shredding
Note
SERVING TIPS 💡
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Serve your pulled smoked chicken on sandwich buns, just like a plain sandwich, covered with coleslaw or salad, with a side of potato salad or coleslaw or even baked beans. Top your nachos with them or slip them into a tortilla wrap with all your favourite veggies.
Are you looking for another tasty chicken dish? Chicken Fried Deer Steak Recipe is a flavorful twist!
