This might sound weird to some of you…but these were SO GOOD. Super easy too! The pulled chicken is made in the crockpot, so there is next to no cooking involved. This is a perfect meal for a weeknight or when you are in a time crunch. It’s so full of flavor from the spice rub for the chicken, and the apple cider adds this amazing flavor and sweetness. I melted some creamy havarti over the chicken under the broiler and topped the sandwich with thinly sliced apples. A perfect, easy fall meal.
This is awesome for leftovers too. You can add the pulled chicken to enchiladas, pastas, you name it.
Serves 3-4 depending on how big you make the sandwiches.
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 T. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. + 3 T. BBQ sauce (homemade or store bought)
2 1/2 c. + 1/4 c. apple cider
1/2 c. cooking liquid from crockpot
2 T. apple cider vinegar
sliced havarti cheese (any cheese you like will work here)
thinly sliced apples
your favorite buns
Begin by combining the brown sugar, allspice, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Preheat a large skillet to medium/high heat, and add a drizzle of olive oil (2 T or so). Rub spice mixture onto the chicken until evenly coated. Cook chicken in skillet for 2-3 minutes per side. The chicken will still be raw in the middle, you just want to get a nice sear on the outside. Remove from heat.
Add onions to the bottom of a crockpot. Whisk together 2 1/2 cups of the apple cider and 1/2 c. of the BBQ sauce. Set aside. Next, add chicken to crockpot, and pour cider BBQ mixture over it. Cover, and cook on high for 4 hours. Don’t peek during cooking! After the chicken is finished, remove from crockpot, and let cool for several minutes before shredding with a fork, or your hands. I find that hands work best!
While chicken is cooling, combine 1/2 c. of the cooking liquid from the crockpot, the remaining 3 T. BBQ sauce, and remaining 1/4 c. of apple cider in a bowl and whisk together. Set aside. Pull chicken with your hands, and add to a bowl. Pour sauce over the chicken and stir together.
Preheat broiler to high. Place mounds of pulled chicken onto a baking sheet, depending on the number of sandwiches you are making. Top with slices of havarti and place under broiler for 1-2 minutes until bubbly and golden. Place chicken mounds on buns (I toasted mine and used whole wheat buns) and top with sliced apples.
YUM. I promise apples and chicken and cheese isn’t weird. Try it.
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