Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

This recipe is promoted under Cooking Light's "100+ Slow Cooker Recipes." Yet the recipe says nothing about cooking it in a slow cooker.... Am I missing something here?

We've made this easy recipe several times and it's always a favorite for the whole family. The sauce is amazing - sweet and spicy! I followed the recipe exactly as written, but prefer to use chicken breast. We like it best on Hawaiian rolls and serve it with cole slaw and potato salad. It's even great as leftovers. :)

I made this almost exactly to the recipe. My only substitutions were dijon mustard (~2 tsp) in place of dry mustard and a clove of minced garlic instead of garlic powder for the sauce (if you do this, put them in when you add the ketchup and other wet ingredients) and I used bakery fresh kaiser rolls instead of hamburger buns. My entire family (kids age 8 and 5, plus two adults) loved these sandwiches, and that's rare.

Just wow. I wasn't expecting this to be this good and it was absolutely fantastic and so easy. I topped the sandwiches with the tequila slaw with lime and cilantro from the August 2013 issue instead of the called for pickles. This is going into our regular warm weather weekday rotation.

Very nice BBQ sandwiches. Internal temp of 180 degrees is way to high. USDA in 2006 said that internal temp of 165 degrees produces a much juicier piece of chicken and is safe at that temp. I did my thighs over indirect coals for 25 min and then placed over direct coals for about 90 sec each side. The sauce and rub does have some wonderful character about it. Don't forget get the pickles!

Fantastic flavor! The whole family loved this meal. I only needed enough for 3 so I halved the chicken but kept the sauce as written so the chicken was really coated well. Tater tots and sliced tomatoes and avocado complimented the meal.

I can't rave about this recipe enough. I tripled it for a large party, and I did not change a thing, and it was perfect. The thigh meat is so tender and flavorful, and the rub and sauce are fantastic together. I served it on handburger buns with Wickles and a spicy slaw (also from CL). The leftovers were great, and it froze wonderfully. As the recipe suggests, it's also great on potatoes - that's how the frozen leftovers ended up being repurposed.

This recipe was a big hit! I used 3 chicken breasts instead of the thighs cooking it the same way on a grill pan. I used smoked paprika instead of regular. I cut the brown sugar as suggested in other reviews. I used 1.5 TB for the rub and .5 for the sauce. Served on toasted hawaiian hamburger buns and with a side of creamy cauliflower mash. Will definitely be making this again!

This is truly excellent. Without a doubt, It will become one of my standby recipes. The sauce was really good. It had a bit of a kick from the cayenne, which I liked. If you're not a fan of hot/spicy, leave this out. However, next time, instead of shredding the chicken with two forks, I will let my KitchenAid mixer do the shredding work. (Saw a number of online recommendations to use the regular paddle, which reportedly shreds chicken in less than a minute.

I am so proud of myself, I am a complete beginner in the kitchen and this was my first attempt from Cooking Light and my boyfriend and I LOVED it. It was so simple! I didn't include ALL the spices in the sauce because of budget so I used reg mustard instead of dry, no molasses and no all spice. I also did what many reviewers suggested and slightly grilled it and then tossed it in my slow cooker for a about 5 hrs. IT FELL APART and soo tasty. 12:18 PM

Really good sandwich! We ate leftovers the next day and it was still delicious. I served it on Kings Hawaiian rolls and it was great. The pickles are a must, they really make the sandwich. I'll be making this again!

These were so good! My husband is not fond of chicken but he raved over this! I used a pre-made rub I had on hand that had similar ingredients. I also subbed thin chicken breasts that I pounded before I grilled them. The pickles make the sandwich so don't skip them. I will definitely make this one again and again.

Fantastic. We followed the recipie except we doubled it and barbequed it with hickory instead of grilling it. We shredded it and mixed it with the sauce in a slow cooker. The volume of sauce seemed to be about right for our tastes. The recipie was not too spicey for those who didn't care for too much heat. Several were eating the chicken on it's own.

INCREDIBLE!!! make this tonight! i've made it 4 times in 2 months. we could eat it every night! wow soooo good!

I just made this (and quadrupled the recipe) for my Halloween party. The sauce is SOOOO good. Take time to make it rather than getting store bought. I used the spice rub and then did a quick sear on the chicken on the stovetop. Afterwards, I slow cooked the chicken in a crockpot for about 4-5 hours with diet A&W Rootbeer (an AMAZING way to keep the chicken, or other meat, very moist). After the chicken was done I shredded it and added the sauce to it. Definitely make this!

This was so yummy, and easy too! Check out my post on this recipe here: http://www.icancookthat.org/2011/09/pulled-chicken-sandwiches.html

It was really sweet but I liked it that way. Will definitely make again!

This chicken was really good. I, too, put the rub on the chicken and seared it. Not sure if that necessarily makes it any different, but I wanted to not 'mix' all those rub ingredients with the sauce. Then put it in a crock pot and topped it with the sauce. I cooked on high for 5 hrs or so. Deboned & shredded the chicken, and put it back in the crock pot. Three pounds of bone in breasts fed 2 men (2 sandwiches each) and 4 women. I also made an extra half-recipe of the sauce to account for the extra 1lb of meat. Oh, I also cut back on the brown sugar in the sauce (instead of using 3T as would for 1.5 recipes). I used 1 T for the 1.5 recipe and it was plenty sweet for Texas BBQ. Great recipe!

This recipe was to die for! The sauce was just the right sweetness to go with the smoky flavor of the ckicken. Hope to make these again in the future.

The chicken w/o the sauce is wonderful. I had to add a little water to my sauce b/c it was a little thicker than I like it and I reduced 1 tablespoon of the total amount of brown sugar, but even after that, as previous reviewer mentioned, it was still too sweet; next time I will reduce the total sugar to 1 tablesoon (1/2 in chicken rub and other 1/2 in sauce).

WOW, what a great change from pulled pork! I followed the lead of others and cooked in the slow cooker. These came out great! Even my two picky eaters loved them.

This was delicious I made it tonight. Love it! The sauce really is great! Will make again!

We loved this, though we shortened the cooking time and used a rotisserie chicken. The sauce was very good. We are from NC and pulled pork sandwiches are found everywhere, but this much lighter version was wonderful!

I made this almost exactly like the recipe, except I subbed half a cup of pureed canned tomatoes for half of the ketchup. (To cut down on the sugar). I didn't have dried chipotle peppers, so I subbed smoked paprika. I didn't notice in the beginning that my package of chicken thighs was 3 pounds, but there was enough sauce to moisten it all. Outstanding flavor and one of my Chief Eater's favorites to date. Served on a homemade whole wheat bun, with purple coleslaw and corn relish on the side.

Fantastic! We loved these sandwiches! I forgot to buy dry mustard, so had to use Grey Poupon, but I will use the dry mustard next time. I thought the sauce was a little too sweet, so I put in a tad of bbq sauce. I'll probably cut down on the sugar next time. I am also going to use chicken breasts. I definitely did not get 8 servings from the 2# of chicken thighs. I grilled the thighs on my outdoor grill and then shredded. I may double the recipe next time and freeze the leftovers. So, so good!

Amazing recipe and so yummy. I did not have molasses but the recipe still turned out well.

Although I love that this recipe calls for homemade barbeque sauce, this particular sauce is a bit too sweet for my taste. Next time I will eliminate the brown sugar (but keep the molasses, as it imparts a lovely depth of flavor). I will also add in a pinch or two of cayenne pepper for a spicy kick.

This is great. I am one of those types of people who take a recipe and always changes it to make it better, but this I didn't have to change a thing. It is perfect just as is. It is great for company and for large family events. I always make double to have leftovers in the fridge. I haven't made it for anyone who hasn't loved it:) Make this!!!

This is a very excellent recipe. I cooked this in the slow cooker for 5 hours on Low. I have cooked this many times I omitted the allspice from the recipe because I didn't like the flavor of it on the chicken. I also made 2x's the sauce to have enough for the chicken. Other than that this is a great recipe that my entire family loves and want me to make all of the time.

Used the slow cooker method mentioned in previous review - seared chicken and then slow cooked for 5 hours. It came out perfect. My family voted it a keeper and they are very picky. The sauce was excellent, not too spicy but not bland. Definitely will become a staple in our family and it was quite easy. Leftovers can be microwaved for lunch at the office or school and then just put on roll.

Yum! The chicken could have stayed on the grill a bit longer, but the flavor was great and the spice rub really made a difference. I made a fennel slaw to put on the buns instead of the pickle, and enjoyed that.

We discovered this recipe when we were sick of grilling the same chicken & burgers all of the time. We use chicken breast for this recipe and it turns out great! Other than that, we follow the recipe exactly. It also makes great leftover sandwiches.

This was fantastic. The sauce is excellent and the chicken comes out great. I tossed some mesquite chips onto the coals that I'd been soaking for most of the day and I think it really added some extra grilled smoky flavor to the chicken. Watch for flare ups if you add chips - have a water pistol handy to spray out the flare-ups. Also, remember, you can close the vents on your grill cover to keep down flame ups. Twenty minutes on mdeium heat was fine. This was some first rate BBQ.

This was a good recipe. Next time I will use chicken breast and make it a little bit spicier. But all in all it was good. It made a great lunch the next day.

Served this for a July Birthday..Everybody loved it. I grilled it and then threw it in a slow cooker until it was fall off the bones. Will make this again.

We all loved it! Can't wait to eat leftovers tomorrow. When we make it again, I think we are going to double the sauce ingredients. While delicious, I just expected it to be soupier. Sometime, it might be nice to put the spice rub on chicken and just eat the chicken that way! LOL! It smelled so good. Definitely will make again. Tonight, we made it per the original recipe. We served this with Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1041892

This recipe was a hit with my friends. I doubled the sauce recipe (made the sauce the day before and refrigerated it), seared the chicken on a grill pan, then combined the chicken and the bbq sauce in the slow cooker on the low setting. When I got home from work, I removed the chicken and pulled it, then covered it with the sauce in a serving dish. I served it with grilled corn on the cob with a chili powder/cumin butter. Dill pickle chips and sliced red onion on the sandwiches added extra layers of flavor and cut the sweetness of the sauce. The sauce has a nice kick to it, but not too spicy. I will definitely make this recipe again! p.s. I'm a beginner cook and this dish got rave reviews!

This is easily the recipe out of Cooking Light that I prepare most often. I do it a little differently, though. After dozens of times cooking this, I now brine the chicken thighs first, then I slow cook them on the smoker for nearly 2 hours. They turn out much more tender and juicy, even though I love the original recipe too.

As others have said, this is a great recipe. Flavors all go well together and you can add more spices if you like. I used a chipolte chile in adobo sauce and actually ended up adding a bit more because I wanted it spicer. I did use chicken breasts and would recommend that if you use them to either marinade them or cut them in half so that the rub will not just be on the outside of the chicken.

My husband and I both loved this meal. It can be for both a weeknight dinner or a party. I did alter the recipe but only in the cooking method. I rubbed the chicken and cooked the sauce (doubled recipe) then put everything in a slow cooker on low for 5 hours. When I opened it the chicken basically fell apart-it was AWESOME! This is definitely something I will keep in the monthly meal plan.

These were amazing! I made them as written, and my family loved them! Will make again and again!

Delicious and easy to make! No substitutions.

I didn't do this exactly as written; I had a bag of frozen leg quarters that I've been wanting to use up, so I used them instead. I rubbed the spice mixture into the legs and slowly roasted them, tightly covered with foil, at 300 degrees for an hour. When they reached 180, I let them cool, pulled off the skin, and pulled the meat off the bone, placing directly into the cooled barbeque sauce. I had all the sauce ingredients on hand so I doubled the recipe and leg quarters were on sale for $.39/lb, so I used ten lbs and fed 12 people for less than $5.00 (including buns)!! Now that's a cheap and tasty recipe!

I make this all the time for potlucks and things of that nature. I usually double the recipe though. It is easy to make, you've got most of the ingredients in your cupboard except the chicken. I sometimes serve it on toasted Hawaiin Sweet rolls. My husband loves it. A definite hit.