Citrus Barbeque Pulled Chicken

Citrus Barbeque Pulled Chicken 

These delicious pulled chicken sandwiches feature a homemade citrus barbeque sauce that would also be great with that leftover turkey from a holiday meal.  So what did you do with your leftover turkey?  I actually made a ham for Thanksgiving this year.  Let's just say that my daughter and husband weren't in the mood for the bird.  You can see what I did with the porcine leftovers in my next post on Wednesday.  

But if I did have leftover turkey it would have been fantastic in this sauce.  And since this dish is made with boneless skinless chicken breasts, these sandwiches are a much leaner alternative than those tangy pulled pork we all love.  We can all afford to cut back where we can during the holiday season.  And the sticky citrus barbecue sauce, is a welcomed change to accompany the lighter meat choice featured in these sandwiches.   

Citrus Barbeque Pulled Chicken

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 40 min

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste  
• FOR THE SAUCE:
• 2 slices bacon, diced
• 1 small onion finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup applesauce
• ½ cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp steak sauce
• 2 tbsp orange marmalade
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• the juice and zest of an orange
• 1/3 cup of water
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp sambal sauce, optional
• salt and pepper to taste

Video Tutorial

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (or 175 °C) and combine the chicken breasts in a bowl with the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Let the chicken marinate for 10-15 minutes then add it to a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick spray then bake it for 25 minutes while you make the barbecue sauce.
3. In a medium skillet, sauté the bacon until it just starts to get crispy then add the onions and garlic and sauté until they just start to soften and the bacon looks crisp. 
4. Drain any excess grease from the pan then add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine then cover and simmer on a low heat for 15-20 minutes. 
5. Once the chicken has finished baking, let it rest for 10 minutes then using either 2 forks or your hands, shred it into long strips then add it to the pan with the sauce and simmer together for about 5 minutes.  Serve once the chicken is well coated in sauce and heated through. 

Notes: For a smooth sauce you can blend the sauce with an immersion blender before stirring in the chicken.