Beer Braised Pulled Chicken
This is the perfect dish to have leftovers all week – or stash some in your freezer for those weeks when even One Great Meal seems impossible. I’ve included the recipes for Pulled Chicken Sandwiches and Creamy BBQ Chicken Spaghetti.
Ingredients
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 yellow onion
3 sprigs fresh oregano
1 ½ teaspoons sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (12-ounce) lager style beer
Cooked rice, for serving
Guacamole, for serving
Salsa, for serving
Preparation
Roughly chop the chipotle chile and reserve 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce from the can. Halve and thinly slice the onion. Strip the oregano leaves from the stems. In a small bowl, stir together the paprika and cayenne. Sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt and pepper.
In a large high-sided pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and sear until golden on the outside, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
Add the onions and oregano to the same pan over medium heat and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika and cayenne and cook for 1 minute. Add the vinegar and Worcestershire and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the brown sugar, crushed tomatoes, beer, chopped chipotle, and reserved adobo sauce and stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then return the chicken to the pan, nestling it in. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and braise until the chicken easily shreds when pulled with a fork, about 1 hour.
Uncover and carefully shred the chicken with 2 forks. Raise heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
Serve over rice and garnish with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.
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