3 ingredients and a slow cooker will make this truly mouth-watering Cranberry BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich. Make the apple slaw ahead of time and you've got yourself the quickest dinner on the block! We love a fast meal that's healthy, filling and so delicious, and we know you will too!
Simple Ingredients for Cranberry BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich
Chicken Thighs - I tried this recipe with breasts and thighs, and thighs are the clear winner. When using a crock pot or slow cooker, chicken breasts can easily become dried out. But chicken thighs can handle the temperature for much longer while still remaining moist and full of flavor!
BBQ Sauce - The sauce you use will be a very flavorful part of this dish, so be sure to use a BBQ sauce you love. I tried it with sweet and spicy sauces. I liked both, but my kids preferred the sweeter BBQ sauce, such as Stubbs Sweet and Sticky or Sweet Baby Ray's.
Cranberry Sauce - I've made this with multiple different kinds of cranberry sauce. My favorite is the whole jellied cranberry, because it had a nice texture and visual appeal with the whole cranberries. But really any sauce will work. I even used a jar from Trader Joe's; completely delicious!
How to make Cranberry BBQ Pulled Chicken
- Add chicken thighs, cranberry sauce and one cup of bbq sauce to a slow cooker.
- Cook on high 2-3 hours, or on low 5-6 hours. Check for doneness using an instant read thermometer.
- Remove chicken thighs and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes so the juices stay in the chicken.
- Shred chicken using two forks, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. See how we do that process here.
- While chicken is resting, pour the cranberry sauce from the slow cooker into a pot or sauce pan. Heat on medium until bubbling.
- Make a slurry by combining cornstarch and water. Pour slurry into sauce mixture and allow to bubble for about 2 minutes while the sauce thickens.
- Return the sauce and the chicken back to the slow cooker and keep warm until ready to serve.
How to make apple slaw
Feel free to adjust the amounts of ingredients for a creamier or sweeter coleslaw. I prefer a simple dressing that doesn't overpower the flavor of the cranberry chicken, but rather adds a crunchy, fresh buddy.
- Pour coleslaw mixture into a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, salt and pepper to taste and an optional ½ cup diced green onion.
- Add 2 medium granny smith apples (diced into matchsticks) and a 12 ounce bag of pre-made coleslaw. Mix to combine. Taste and make adjustments as needed.
- Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Is pulled chicken gluten free?
Yes! Chicken is naturally gluten free. But please be careful to check your bbq sauce. Sometimes bbq sauce is made with wheat or worcestershire sauce, which has gluten.
To make these sandwiches gluten free, you'll also want to find gluten free hamburger buns at the store. These are often in the freezer.
Looking for more easy weeknight meals in a slow cooker? Try these!
- The Only Carnitas Recipe you need
- Korean BBQ Tacos - one of our most popular recipes!
- Buffalo Chicken Burger with Blue Cheese Slaw
- Green Chile Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Super Quick Green Chile Shredded Chicken
Cranberry BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
Cranberry BBQ Pulled Chicken
- 8-12 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup bbq sauce
- 1 can cranberry sauce whole or jellied is fine
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
Apple Slaw
- 2 medium granny smith apples diced into matchsticks
- 12 ounce bag of pre-made coleslaw
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup diced green onion optional
Serving
- 1 package hamburger buns
- sliced Swiss cheese optional
- 1 cup dried cranberries optional
Instructions
For the Cranberry BBQ Shredded Chicken
- In a crockpot or slow cooker, add chicken thighs, cranberry sauce and barbeque sauce. Heat on low 4-5 hours or high 2-3 hours.
- Once chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F, remove from slow cooker and place on baking sheet. Cool for 10 minutes and then shred using 2 forks.
- Pour cranberry bbq sauce from slow cooker into a large sauce pan.
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Pour slurry into bbq sauce mixture. Heat on medium until bubbling and sauce has thickened.
- Pour sauce and shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and keep warm until ready to serve.
For the Apple Slaw
- Pour coleslaw mixture into a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients.
- Cut apples into matchsticks or similar small size and add to coleslaw.
- Pour dressing over mixture and toss to combine.
- Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Make Sandwiches
- Spoon plenty of chicken and apple slaw on a potato bun (or your favorite). ENJOY!
Nutrition
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