Description
This Mexican Pulled Chicken recipe offers a flavorful and tender chicken dish slow-cooked with a blend of spices, tomatoes, and tangy ingredients. Perfect for tacos, burritos, or served over rice, it combines the sweetness of agave nectar with the heat of various hot sauces for an authentic and delicious meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 sweet red pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into large rings
- 1 large onion, trimmed and cut into large rings
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 tablespoons agave nectar
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano (leaves)
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 2 tablespoons Rocket Fuel hot sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
Instructions
- Prepare Vegetables: Stem, seed, and cut the sweet red pepper into large rings. Trim and cut the onion into large rings. Set aside.
- Combine Chicken: Trim both the chicken breasts and thighs to remove any excess fat or skin. This will ensure tender, lean pulled chicken.
- Mix Sauce: In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, cider vinegar, tomato paste, agave nectar, whole grain mustard, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, Tabasco sauce, dried oregano, coriander, and Rocket Fuel hot sauce. Stir until thoroughly mixed to create a rich and spicy sauce base.
- Layer Ingredients: In a slow cooker, place the cut rings of red pepper and onion at the bottom to add flavor and moisture. Then place the chicken breasts and thighs on top of the vegetables.
- Add Sauce: Pour the prepared sauce mixture evenly over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker, ensuring the chicken is well coated.
- Cook Slowly: Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on low heat for 3 hours. This slow cooking allows the chicken to become tender enough to easily shred.
- Shred Chicken: After cooking, remove the chicken pieces from the slow cooker and use two forks to shred the meat finely. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the sauce and vegetables.
- Serve: Serve the pulled chicken warm on tortillas for tacos, over rice, or as desired. Garnish with fresh cilantro, chopped onions, or a squeeze of lime if you like.
Notes
- You can substitute the hot sauces to adjust the heat level to your preference.
- Using both chicken breasts and thighs offers a balance of lean and juicy meat but you can use all thighs for more moist results.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, ensure the hot sauces and mustard used do not contain gluten.
- This recipe freezes well and can be reheated gently on the stovetop or microwave.
