These oven-baked pulled chicken thighs are fall-apart tender and full of delicious flavor. They're made with a homemade chili, chipotle and paprika spice rub and finished with a sweet and tangy homemade BBQ sauce. The sauce mellows out the spiciness of the chicken and balances the flavors perfectly.
Layers of flavor from a spice rub and a sauce:
Rather than cooking the chicken thighs directly in the sauce, I decided to slow-bake them with a spice rub and then toss them with the sauce later. The spice rub infuses the meat with flavor and also creates a a semi-soft spice "crust." That crust provides a nice texture contrast to the sauce.
Spice rub ingredients:
I used chili powder and Hungarian paprika for a rich and intense chili flavor and ground chipotle pepper to give the chicken a mild smokiness.
Sauce ingredients:
Because the spice rub infuses lots of flavor into the chicken thighs there is no need for additional spices in the sauce. Instead, I focused the sauce purely on sweet and tangy flavors from honey, tomato and apple cider vinegar.
How to make it:
See full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below!
- Heat the oven and trim excess fat off the chicken thighs. Mix spices and salt together and rub on the chicken. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire rack on it. Place the chicken thighs on the wire rack.
- Cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil. Tightly seal the foil around the edges so the meat doesn't dry out in the oven.
- Bake the chicken for 2 hours, then let it cool a bit. Carefully remove the cover foil. (There will be a lot of hot steam underneath!) Pull the chicken with two forks.
- Heat oil in a pan, then sauté minced onion until soft. Stir in tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, canned crushed tomatoes, honey and salt. Bring to a boil, then toss the chicken with the sauce and serve.
What to serve it with?
- Stuff the pulled chicken into burger buns along with a pickle for some great chicken sandwiches. (For a great pickle recipe, I recommend these refrigerator sweet pickles.)
- Use the chicken in a lettuce wrap or a sandwich wrap.
- Make the pulled chicken a main course and serve with a side dish, like these lemon basil potatoes.
- Use the pulled chicken to make chicken tacos.
Full Recipe
Pulled Chicken Thighs (in Oven)
Equipment:
Ingredients:
Method:
- Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Trim excess fat off the chicken. Mix Hungarian paprika, chipotle pepper, chili powder and salt together in a bowl. Rub the spice mix evenly on the chicken.6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika, 1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, 2 teaspoons chili powder*, ½ teaspoon salt
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on it. Set the meat on the wire rack and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Make sure to seal the foil well around the edges of the baking sheet.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 2 hours.
- Take out of the oven and let cool a bit.
- Carefully remove the cover foil from the chicken. (There will be a lot of hot steam underneath!)
- Heat the oil in a pan.2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- Add the onion and saute until starting to soften.¼ cup minced white or yellow onion (you need about ⅓ of a small onion for that)
- Stir in tomato paste, cider vinegar, crushed tomatoes, honey and salt.4 teaspoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, ½ cup canned crushed tomatoes, ¼ cup honey, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Bring to a quick boil, then turn the heat off.
- Pull the chicken with 2 forks and toss with the sauce.
- Serve in a bun, a wrap, in tacos or as a main course with a potato side dish.
Recipe notes:
Nutrition (estimate only):
More spice-rubbed chicken recipes:
- These seasoned Cornish hens are easily roasted in a cast iron pan.
- For a great wing recipe, try this dry rub for chicken wings in the oven.
- This smoked paprika rub for chicken adds amazing flavor and a great texture.
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