Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

By Todd Martin August 29, 2024 5 mins read 151 Views

There’s nothing quite like the taste of smoky pulled chicken sandwiches. Smoking a whole chicken gives it a rich, smoky flavor. And when it’s paired with flavorful BBQ sauce, crunchy slaw, and pickles, the result is fantastic!

If you’re looking for a crowd pleaser, you need to try these smoky pulled chicken sandwiches. The combination of the chicken, sauce, and slaw nestled between soft hamburger buns is a BBQ lover’s dream come true. Whether you’re hosting a fun cookout or craving a hearty homemade sandwich, this recipe will do the trick!

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, 3-3 1/2 pounds
Chicken brine
Poultry rub (sodium-free bottled or homemade)
Apple juice (sub with 1 part apple cider vinegar, and 1 part water)
Hamburger buns toasted
Sandwich slaw (store bought or homemade)
BBQ Sauce or Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce (bottled or homemade)
Sliced dill pickles or Fried pickles (optional)

Brining the Chicken

Easy Chicken Brine

For best results, we recommend brining whole chicken. You can use a dry brine, but honestly, a wet brine is our top choice for this recipe. This step is important as it helps the meat retain moisture during cooking.

Prepping and Seasoning

All Purpose Poultry Rub

Prepare the poultry rub, omitting the salt. If you are using a bottled rub, ensure that it is sodium-free.
Once brined, remove the chicken from the liquid and pat it dry with paper towels.
Optional step: Apply a sodium-free chicken injection marinade in breasts and thigh sections.
Apply a thin coating of binder like mustard or Worcestershire sauce (optional), and season the chicken with 1 tablespoon per pound of rub. Gently work the dry rub under the breast skin and inside the chicken’s cavity as well.

Best Wood for Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Use mild to moderate flavored wood pellets like apple, peach, cherry, maple, or pecan for this recipe. For more robust smoke flavor, use hickory.

Smoking the Chicken

Spritzing Smoked Chicken — derrickriches.com

Now, it’s time to get the chicken on the pellet grill. This process will give the meat its signature smoky flavor and tender texture.
- Preheat your pellet grill or smoker to 250 degrees F. Use apple, cherry, or pecan wood pellets.
- Place the seasoned chicken on the smoker, breast side up, and close the lid.
- Smoke the chicken until its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. in the center of the breast and 170 in the thigh meat. Depending on the size of the chicken, this typically takes about 3 hours.
- Halfway through cooking, spritz the chicken with warm apple juice to help keep it moist.
- Once cooked, remove it from the pellet grill and place it on a clean cutting board. Loosely tent with aluminum foil.
- Let it rest for 20-25 minutes to allow the internal temperature to rise slightly due to carryover cooking. It will also make it easier to pull (shred) the chicken.

Shredding and Saucing

Pulling chicken with forks — derrickriches.com

Once it has rested, it’s time to shred the meat. Use two forks or your hands to pull the meat apart into bite-sized pieces. Discard the chicken skin and save the bones to make a delicious stock.
Next, toss the pulled chicken with 1/2-3/4 cup of warmed BBQ sauce until well combined. If you are using vinegar sauce, start with 1/2 cup and increase the amount as needed.

Building the Perfect Pulled Chicken Sandwich

Now that your pulled chicken is ready, it’s time to assemble the sandwich.

Pile a generous portion of the sauced shredded chicken on the bottom half of each toasted bun.
Top with your desired amount of coleslaw.
Add sliced dill pickles or fried pickles for extra crunch and tang.
Top with extra sauce if desired.
Cap the sandwich with the top half of the bun and serve immediately.

Storing Leftovers

Store the leftover smoked pulled chicken separately from the remaining sandwich ingredients. Place everything into airtight containers and store them in the refrigerator. The chicken can be kept for 3-4 days, while the slaw will be good for 2-3 days.

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