Go Back
–+ servings

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Coleslaw One-Pot Recipe Made Easy

This one-pot recipe combines smoky, tender chicken with a tangy, vibrant coleslaw, all crafted to mimic slow-smoked barbecue flavors indoors.
With minimal cleanup, this dish is perfect for entertaining or weeknight meals, delivering deep, smoky flavor in under two hours.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 to 8 people

Equipment

  • Dutch oven
  • Fine mesh strainer
  • Fat separator

Ingredients
  

For the Coleslaw:

  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 cups shredded red or green cabbage

For the Sauce:

  • 1½ cups ketchup
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

For the Chicken:

  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon liquid smoke divided
  • 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, halved crosswise
  • Hot sauce to taste
  • 6 –8 hamburger buns

Instructions
 

Prepare the Coleslaw:

  • Whisk vinegar, oil, and sugar in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves.
  • Add cabbage and toss to combine. Set aside for serving.

Make the Sauce:

  • Whisk all sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

Cook the Chicken:

  • In a Dutch oven, combine chicken broth, molasses, sugar, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke, gelatin, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve gelatin.
  • Add chicken and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken shreds easily with a fork (about 25 minutes).

Separate Fat and Strain:

  • Transfer chicken to a medium bowl and set aside. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a fat separator, letting it settle for 5 minutes.
  • Skim fat from the surface and set aside. Reserve 3 tablespoons of rendered fat and the defatted cooking liquid.

Shred Chicken and Finish:

  • Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces using tongs. Return shredded chicken, 1 cup sauce, ½ cup defatted liquid, 3 tablespoons reserved fat, and remaining 1 teaspoon liquid smoke to the Dutch oven.
  • Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is slightly dry on the exterior (about 5 minutes). Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.

Assemble:

  • Toss coleslaw to recombine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve pulled chicken on buns, topped with coleslaw, and pass remaining sauce separately.
Keyword Dutch oven pulled chicken, Easy pulled chicken sandwich, Indoor barbecue chicken, One-pot barbecue recipe, Sweet and tangy coleslaw recipe
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!