Barbecue pulled chicken with sweet potato wedges
This super-simple pulled chicken burger will become a firm family favourite! They're served with sweet potato wedges for a decent dose of fibre that the kids will love.
This recipe is part of a budget family batch cook meal plan. It is designed to be made in conjunction with a low-cost store-cupboard. If you are cooking it independent of the meal plan, you will only need a third of the chicken. The remaining chicken is used in a stir fry and a chicken chilli.
Each serving provides 656 kcal, 34.9g protein, 98.7g carbohydrate (of which 43g sugars), 11.3g fat (of which 3.2g saturates), 9.6g fibre and 1.32g salt.
Ingredients
For the batch-cooked chicken thighs
- 1.8kg/4lb chicken thighs, boneless and skin removed
- 2 tsp olive oil
- salt and ground black pepper
For the sweet potato wedges
- 1kg/2lb 4oz sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp paprika
For the barbecue pulled chicken
- â…“ of the batch-cooked chicken thighs, about 400g/14oz cooked weight (see above)
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú barbecue sauce
- 4 bread rolls or burger buns
Method
To batch cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Put the chicken thighs in a large roasting tin and coat with the olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, for 45–50 minutes or until cooked through. Alternatively, put the chicken in a slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2–3 hours or LOW for 4–5 hours or until cooked through. You should not need any liquid if you are using chicken thighs as they will give off plenty of liquid. If you do notice them drying out (this could happen if you have a particularly hot slow cooker), add a splash of water or stock. The chicken is cooked through when the juices run clear with no trace of pink when the thickest part of the meat is pierced with a skewer. Set aside.
For the sweet potato wedges, preheat the oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9. Put the sweet potato wedges on a baking tray and toss with the vegetable oil and paprika (using clean hands is the easiest way to coat them). Roast for 40–50 minutes or until cooked through and turning brown.
Meanwhile, to make the barbecue pulled chicken, take a third of the batch-cooked chicken and shred it using two forks (set aside the remaining chicken for other recipes in this meal plan). Add the shredded chicken, barbecue sauce and 4 tablespoons water to a small saucepan over a medium heat. Cook for 5–10 minutes, stirring regularly until the chicken is fully heated through and coated in the sauce.
While the chicken is warming, toast the rolls or buns. Pile the hot chicken into the buns and serve with the sweet potato wedges.
Recipe Tips
If you reduce the amount of chicken you are cooking, or are using a very large roasting tin where the thighs are more spread out, the thighs may cook more quickly.
We’ve used chicken thighs as they are cheaper and more tender than chicken breasts. If you prefer to use chicken breasts, just reduce the cooking time to about 20–30 minutes in the oven.
This chicken makes a great filling for other sandwiches or wraps too. You could add slices of cheese, mayo, mustard or gherkins to these pulled chicken sandwiches if preferred.
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