What’s for Dinner? Pulled Chicken in 30 Minutes

Andrew and Marilyn Hunter are on hiatus as Andrew begins shooting the premier season of a new reality TV show. During their absence, The Family Table will be penned by our Special Fork Food Editors.

By Joanne Lamb Hayes
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

When my family discovered pulled pork sandwiches at a local barbecue restaurant, they asked me if I would make them at home and I said, “Well, maybe.” But every time I thought about marinating, wet mopping and slow roasting a big chunk of meat for hours, I decided to just take them back to the restaurant.

Then on one visit we noticed something new on the menu, pulled chicken. It was delicious and I said, “This I can make!”

I decided on chicken thighs because they are reasonably priced and are less likely to become dry when simmered. I incorporated elements of the traditional marinade and mopping sauce in the cooking liquid to cut the preparation time.

The Cucumber Salad has been one of my family’s favorite quick-to-make sandwich sides for years. So the whole meal can be on the table in just under 30 minutes.

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Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Cucumber Salad

1-1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoon cider vinegar, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons Spanish sweet smoked paprika
Salt
1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 of an English cucumber
1 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon butter
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup ketchup
4 sandwich rolls or squares of cornbread

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine water, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, paprika, and 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken thighs, opening each so the mixture covers the cut side as well as the outside. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium and cook, partially covered, until the chicken is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn chicken pieces halfway through cooking time.

Meanwhile, make the Cucumber Salad: Peel cucumber and quarter lengthwise. Thinly slice crosswise. In a non-reactive bowl, combine cucumber with sugar, the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Set aside until ready to serve.

When chicken is almost tender, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes; stir in ketchup.

Remove chicken to a plate; stir cooking liquid into the onion mixture. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until reduced and saucy. Meanwhile, with two forks or a knife and a fork, pull the chicken into shreds. Add chicken to onion mixture and cook until chicken is hot. Serve on rolls or cornbread. With a slotted spoon, divide Cucumber Salad on top of sandwiches or serve on the side.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

Recipe by Joanne Lamb Hayes

Joanne Lamb Hayes is a New York City food writer, editor, food stylist and historian. She has developed, written and tested recipes for national magazines for decades. As Food Editor of Country Living magazine for 14 years, she shared her passion for cooking with fresh local ingredients. She holds a Ph.D. from New York University’s Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health. Joanne is the author or co- author of more than a dozen cookbooks.

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