Prior to Alpha Gal, I was a serious contender for the best east Carolina pulled pork sandwiches, so I miss them A LOT! This version made with chicken thighs is as close as I get to pulled pork now, but it's way faster and still quite excellent. I make this quite often for office potlucks and other similar events and it's usually one of the first items gone, so always make sure to get yourself or your AG family member a nice plate right away!
Directions for the Pulled BBQ Chicken:
Trim the chicken thighs to remove excess fat. Rub lightly with the dry rub and cover and refrigerate for several hours (usually at least one hour or up to overnight).
Over medium high heat on the stove top, add the oil/duck fat and heat until hot. Add the chicken thighs and sear one side and then turn them over and reduce the heat to braise them for about 45 minutes, or put them in the slow cooker (usually on a stove top, I set it to 2.2 for 45 minutes until very tender) *Note* if you will be finishing them in a crock pot, sear both sides and pre-heat the crock pot to high (or low for a little slower cook). Add a couple of drops liquid smoke prior to braising/slow cooking.
This recipe turns out deliciously made the night before and re-heated in a crock pot for a party or pot-luck type event.
Serve with hamburger buns/rolls, coleslaw and a the traditional east Carolina BBQ sauce below.
Ingredients for Jon's dry rub (combine all ingredients):
2Tbsp dark brown sugar
2Tbsp sweet paprika
1tsp cumin
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp ground black pepper
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
Ingredients:
1 Family pack boneless skinless chicken thighs (bone-in work well also, but require just a little more work)
1-2 Tbsp high heat oil or duck fat for searing
1 recipe Jon Smith's dry rub (see below)
2-3 drops (or to taste) liquid smoke
1 recipe Jon Smith's Carolina BBQ sauce (see below)
Hamburger buns
Coleslaw
Carolina Style Pulled Chicken BBQ
Recipe for Jon's east Carolina BBQ sauce:
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 TBS salt
1.5 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup brown sugar
Mix all ingredients until the salt and brown sugar are well dissolved. Best if made at least one day ahead of time.