Pulled Chicken Thighs (Oven)
These fall-apart tender, slow-baked oven pulled chicken thighs are made with a homemade spice rub and tossed in a sweet and sour sauce.
Servings: 4
Calories (Estimated): 697kcal
Equipment:
- knife and cutting board
- measuring spoons and cups
- mixing bowl
- whisk
- rimmed baking sheet and wire rack
- aluminum foil
- pan
- wooden spoon
- 2 forks
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
- 2 teaspoons chili powder*
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the sauce:
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup minced white or yellow onion (you need about ⅓ of a small onion for that)
- 4 teaspoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup canned crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
For the chicken:
- 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 the meat 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!)
For the sauce:
- 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:
*Chili powder is a spice blend usually made from ground chili peppers, cumin, oregano, dried garlic and salt. It's widely available in spice shops.
Storage: Store leftover pulled chicken tossed with the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
