Pulled chicken

Pulled chicken

It's beyond easy to make a tender flavorful chicken in the slow cooker or on the stove. The perfect keto dinner with sour cream and crispy vegetables.
November 19 2018 recipe by , photo by , nutritional review by in Recipes, Dinner, Meal

Pulled chicken

It's beyond easy to make a tender flavorful chicken in the slow cooker or on the stove. The perfect keto dinner with sour cream and crispy vegetables.
USMetric
6 servingservings

Ingredients

  • 1 (4 oz.) 1 (110 g) yellow onion, finely choppedyellow onions, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup 60 ml water
  • 3 tbsp 3 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
  • 3 tbsp 3 tbsp tamari soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp 2 tbsp chipotle powder or chili powder
  • 1 tbsp 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp ½ tsp salt
  • 2 lbs 900 g boneless chicken thighs
Serving
  • 11⁄3 cups 325 ml crème fraîche or sour cream
  • 10 oz. (8 cups) 280 g (1.8 liters) lettuce
  • 3 (11⁄3 lbs) 3 (600 g) avocadoavocados
  • 2 (1 oz.) 2 (30 g) scallionscallions
  • fresh cilantro
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Instructions

  1. Mix the ingredients for the marinade directly in the slow cooker and combine. Add the chicken and stir. Set the slow cooker on high heat for 3 hours or low heat for 5 hours.
  2. When the chicken is ready, pull apart the meat with two forks into small stringy strips in the slow cooker and stir to mix with the cooking juices.
  3. Serve with finely chopped scallions, avocado, fresh cilantro, lettuce and a generous dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream.

Can I make pulled chicken without a slow cooker?

If you don't have a slow cooker you can use a spacious heavy-bottomed pot. Mix the marinade, add the chicken and combine well so the meat is covered. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium-high. The chicken should simmer for 1.5-2 hours with the lid on. Flip the chicken fillets halfway through and further lower the heat. Add water if needed.

Recommended special equipment

Slow cooker or a heavy-bottomed pot

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💬 Have you tried this recipe?

What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

30 comments

  1. 2 comments removed
  2. 3
    Luke
    November 20 2018
    thanks for this - looks great! any idea what kind of times to cook this in a pressure cooker?
    Reply: #4
  3. 4
    Reply to comment #3 by Luke
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    November 21 2018

    thanks for this - looks great! any idea what kind of times to cook this in a pressure cooker?

    Boneless chicken cooks very quickly in a pressure cooker. 10 to 15 minutes will be sufficient.

  4. 3 comments removed
  5. 8
    Patty
    December 7 2018
    can you triple this recipe and put it all in a slow cooker? i made this the other night ... didn't have chili powder, but had chili sauce and it was delish
    Reply: #9
  6. 9
    Reply to comment #8 by Patty
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    December 7 2018
    6lbs of chicken would require a large slow cooker but other than that, it should work just fine.
  7. 10
    Patty
    December 7 2018
    thanks, Kristin! I have a huge Instant Pot, so should do the trick
  8. 11
    Ivy
    January 19 2019
    Love this! Make it all the time now
  9. 12
    Mark
    March 22 2019
    Letting this simmer on the stove, although easy, may not get the right steady temp. What would be the temperature if I slow cooked this in the oven? 280 F / 135 C? Thanks.
    Reply: #13
  10. 13
    Reply to comment #12 by Mark
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    March 23 2019

    Letting this simmer on the stove, although easy, may not get the right steady temp. What would be the temperature if I slow cooked this in the oven? 280 F / 135 C? Thanks.

    We have not tested this in the oven.

  11. 14
    Elsa
    April 7 2019
    I made this and it was so salty I couldn't finish it,
  12. 15
    Lorie
    April 14 2019
    Wish I would have read the comments about the salt seemed like too much so I didn’t put the whole TBL in it. Too late now though it’s sll in the pot☹️
  13. 1 comment removed
  14. 17
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    April 16 2019
    Thank you all for leaving your feedback! This recipe has now been adjusted for a lower amount of salt.
  15. 18
    Tina
    August 8 2019
    This was delicious, it's hard to find chipotle seasoning in Perth, I used smokey paprika and chili flakes instead and then discovered I had a bottle of chipotle liquid with no added sugar so put a bit of that in. The lettuce, avocado and creme fraiche with it made it feel quite indulgent, I used the lettuce cups as "wraps" or San Choi Bow style with the avo and creme fraiche on top.
  16. 19
    Emily
    August 26 2019
    a lot of people are talking about the salt measurement but did anyone find the chili to be overpowering? 3 tbsp made it so spicy as to be inedible. Was there a typo?
    Reply: #32
  17. 20
    Lauren Clark
    October 3 2019
    I don't have any red wine vinegar what could I substitute for this?
    Thank you
    Reply: #21
  18. 21
    Reply to comment #20 by Lauren Clark
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    October 4 2019

    I don't have any red wine vinegar what could I substitute for this?
    Thank you

    You may find this helpful.
    https://tastessence.com/red-wine-vinegar-substitute

  19. 22
    Julie Ellington
    January 5 2020
    Could you do this with Beef Brisket?
    Reply: #23
  20. 23
    Reply to comment #22 by Julie Ellington
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    January 7 2020

    Could you do this with Beef Brisket?

    This should work well with any protein!

  21. 1 comment removed
  22. 25
    Susan
    August 13 2020
    Nice recipe!
    But...
    The measurements were for 12 servings and 6 tablespoons chili and 2 teaspoons salt we’re way to salty and the chili powder is very overwhelming.

    I had to double the 1,8kg boneless chicken thighs to that recipe/12 servings To =24 servings 3,6kg and I did not add the other 12 servings spice marinade, only the meat.

    We do like chili, but I must say it was just too much. 13/08/2020

    I really like all Anne Aobadia’s recipes and this was the first one I found the measurements was not right. Thank you for all the delicious meals/recipes.

    Reply: #26
  23. 26
    Reply to comment #25 by Susan
    Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
    August 13 2020

    Nice recipe!
    But...
    The measurements were for 12 servings and 6 tablespoons chili and 2 teaspoons salt we’re way to salty and the chili powder is very overwhelming.
    I had to double the 1,8kg boneless chicken thighs to that recipe/12 servings To =24 servings 3,6kg and I did not add the other 12 servings spice marinade, only the meat.
    We do like chili, but I must say it was just too much. 13/08/2020
    I really like all Anne Aobadia’s recipes and this was the first one I found the measurements was not right. Thank you for all the delicious meals/recipes.

    I will share your comments with our recipe team. Chili powder is typically a blend of several chilis and I wonder if the one you are using is extra potent or if it has added salt?

  24. 27
    Susan
    August 13 2020
    No salt in the chili, it is pure chili powder. Thank you.
  25. 28
    Cynthia
    September 1 2020
    I got lucky and didn’t find this recipe until the measurements were corrected. I used closer to 1/4 teaspoon of salt knowing I could add more to taste. My chipotle chili powder is potent, so I only used 1 teaspoon along with 2 tablespoons of regular chili powder. The chicken was spicy and quite delicious. This was a real hit in our household. I served it over cauliflower rice topped with a dollop of sour cream. I’ll be making this again.
  26. 29
    D-Fly
    September 6 2020
    If you have a pressure cooker that works too! 9 mins and tasty goodness!
    Reply: #30
  27. 30
    Reply to comment #29 by D-Fly
    Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
    September 6 2020

    If you have a pressure cooker that works too! 9 mins and tasty goodness!

    Thanks for the tip!

  28. 31
    Heidi
    February 11 2021
    Insanely easy and tastes like you're eating something naughty.
  29. 32
    Reply to comment #19 by Emily
    Sherie
    March 6 2021
    I found the same thing!!! I’m very sad, as I also doubled the recipe.
  30. 33
    Simone Angelica
    September 12 2021
    Made this twice now. Don’t have a pressure cooker so the meat has to cook long (approx 2 hrs) your and the marinade reduces, which intensifies the taste (whilst you must add water during cooking, at least twice). Because of this, I don’t add any salt at all and use the less salty soy sauce. It turns out delicious. As a side I slow-cooked cherry-tomatoes and baby-bellpeppers. Just add creme fraiche when you decorate the plates. A delight and really easy.
  31. 34
    Simone Angelica
    September 12 2021
    Ps. I use locally grown chillis (Italy), grinded and very little of it cause they are VERY hot.
  32. 35
    Simone Angelica
    September 12 2021
    Made this twice now. Don’t have a pressure cooker, so the meat has to cook for a longer time (approx 2 hrs) and the marinade reduces, which intensifies the taste (whilst you must add water during cooking, at least twice, approx. 30 ml each time). Because of this, I don’t add any salt at all and use the less salty soy sauce. It turns out delicious. As a side I slow-cooked cherry-tomatoes and baby-bellpeppers. Just add creme fraiche when you decorate the plates. A delight and really easy.
  33. 36
    sherry
    September 16 2021
    Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs and drumsticks in most of the recipes , stay with the same weights or does it change?
    Reply: #37
  34. 37
    Reply to comment #36 by sherry
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    September 17 2021

    Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs and drumsticks in most of the recipes , stay with the same weights or does it change?

    They are generally interchangeable for the same amounts.

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