Shredded Saucy BBQ Chicken Sammies Recipe

Juicy Shredded Saucy BBQ Chicken Sammies Recipe for Everyone

Crafting delectable shredded saucy bbq chicken sammies becomes a weekend cooking adventure that promises pure comfort.

Tender meat gets transformed with smoky spices and tangy sauce.

Juicy chicken falls apart beautifully, melting into soft rolls with delightful ease.

Each bite delivers a perfect balance of rich flavors and hearty textures.

Napkins will definitely come in handy for this messy yet irresistible sandwich experience.

Simple ingredients combine to create something magical on your plate.

Dive into this mouthwatering recipe and make dinnertime something special.

What Makes These BBQ Chicken Sammies So Saucy

  • Craft Mouthwatering Flavor: Combines beer-poached chicken with zesty BBQ sauce for an incredible taste explosion that makes every bite memorable.
  • Master Simple Cooking Technique: Poaching chicken creates tender meat while simmering in sauce ensures deep flavor absorption without complicated preparation steps.
  • Quick Family Meal Solution: Delivers restaurant-quality sandwich experience at home with minimal ingredients and straightforward cooking process that everyone will love.
  • Customize Your Comfort: Flexible recipe allows personal touch by adjusting hot sauce levels or pickle types to match individual taste preferences and spice tolerance.

Ingredients You’ll Need for BBQ Chicken Sammies

Protein:
  • Chicken Breasts: Tender, lean meat that becomes juicy and flavorful when poached and simmered in sauce.
Aromatics and Vegetables:
  • Garlic, Onion: Provide a deep, savory base flavor that enhances the overall taste of the dish.
Sauce and Seasoning Ingredients:
  • Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a tangy, umami depth to the BBQ sauce.
  • Hot Sauce: Brings a spicy kick to the chicken mixture.
  • Grill Seasoning: Contributes a robust, smoky flavor profile to the dish.
  • Brown Sugar: Offers a sweet balance to the tangy and spicy elements of the sauce.
  • Tomato Paste: Creates a rich, concentrated tomato base for the BBQ sauce.
Liquid Components:
  • Chicken Stock, Beer: Provide moisture and additional flavor during the poaching process.
  • Olive Oil: Used for sautéing aromatics and creating a base for cooking.
Pickle and Pickle Relish:
  • Mixed Pickles: Add a tangy, crunchy contrast to the saucy chicken.
Bread:
  • Buns: Serve as the foundation for the sammies, holding the saucy chicken.

Steps to Build Juicy BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Step 1: Poach the Chicken

Combine chicken stock and beer in a medium skillet. Gently simmer chicken breasts, flipping once halfway through the cooking process.

Cook until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.

Step 2: Sauté Aromatic Base

Heat olive oil in a separate skillet over medium-low heat.

Gently cook garlic and onion until they become soft and release their fragrant aroma, approximately 5-6 minutes.

Step 3: Create Flavor-Packed Sauce

In a mixing bowl, blend:
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Hot sauce
  • Grill seasoning
  • Brown sugar
  • Tomato paste

Add two ladles of poaching liquid and stir until ingredients are well combined.

Step 4: Shred and Coat Chicken

Remove chicken from poaching liquid. Slice the chicken, then use two forks to shred into tender pieces.

Thoroughly coat the shredded chicken in the prepared sauce mixture.

Step 5: Simmer Saucy Chicken

Transfer the saucy chicken to the skillet with garlic and onions.

Simmer for 5-10 minutes, adding extra poaching liquid if needed to achieve desired sauciness.

Step 6: Prepare Pickle Topping

Mix different pickle varieties in a small bowl to create a tangy relish.

Step 7: Assemble Sandwiches

Split buns and generously fill with the saucy BBQ pulled chicken. Top with the pickle relish and serve immediately while hot.

Tips for Finger-Licking BBQ Chicken Sammies

  • Poach chicken in beer and stock for extra tenderness and flavor depth that keeps meat juicy and prevents drying out.
  • Use low heat when sautéing garlic and onions to prevent burning and release sweet, mellow aromatics that enhance the sauce's complexity.
  • Create a rich sauce by combining Worcestershire, hot sauce, and poaching liquid, which adds layers of tangy and spicy notes to the BBQ chicken.
  • Shred chicken with two forks for perfect texture and better sauce absorption, ensuring each bite is packed with delicious barbecue flavor.
  • Choose soft burger buns that can handle the saucy chicken without falling apart, and mix different pickle types for a balanced, zesty topping.

Tasty Style Twists for BBQ Chicken Sammies

  • Slow Cooker Carolina Pulled Chicken: Replace stovetop method with 6-8 hours of low and slow cooking in a crockpot, using apple cider vinegar and regional Carolina-style BBQ sauce for authentic flavor.
  • Spicy Mexican Street Chicken Tortas: Transform sammies by adding jalapeños, swap pickles for fresh pico de gallo, incorporate chipotle peppers into sauce for bold southwestern heat.
  • Honey Mustard Ranch Chicken Sliders: Modify sauce with honey mustard, ranch seasoning, reduce hot sauce, incorporate chopped fresh herbs like parsley and chives for fresh garden notes.

What Goes Well with BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

  • Craft the Ultimate Flavor Symphony: BBQ Chicken Sammie Pairings
  • – Crisp Beer Companions: Grab a hoppy IPA or amber ale to complement the rich BBQ sauce, cutting through the chicken's sauciness with refreshing bitterness.
  • – Tangy Slaw Sidekick: Whip up a zesty coleslaw with apple cider vinegar and fresh herbs to provide a crunchy, acidic contrast against the sweet and savory chicken.
  • – Smoky Potato Crunch: Serve thick-cut russet potato wedges seasoned with smoked paprika and sea salt, offering a crispy texture that echoes the BBQ's smoky profile.

How to Store BBQ Sammies Without Drying Them Out

  • Refrigerate: Store leftover BBQ chicken in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Keep the pickles separate to maintain their crispness.
  • Freeze: Pack cooled chicken in freezer-safe containers or zip-lock bags, removing excess air. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
  • Microwave Reheat: Place chicken in a microwave-safe dish, sprinkle a few tablespoons of chicken stock or water to prevent drying. Cover and heat on medium power for 1-2 minutes, stirring midway.
  • Stovetop Reheat: Warm chicken in a skillet over medium-low heat, adding a splash of chicken stock or beer to restore moisture.

Sammie FAQs for Your BBQ Chicken Cravings

  • What liquid ingredients are used in poaching the chicken?

Chicken stock and beer are used to gently poach the chicken breasts, adding depth of flavor and keeping the meat tender and moist.

  • Why add poaching liquid to the sauce mixture?

Adding poaching liquid helps create a more complex sauce by incorporating the flavors developed during cooking and adjusting the sauce’s consistency.

  • What gives this BBQ chicken its unique flavor profile?

The combination of Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, grill seasoning, brown sugar, and tomato paste creates a rich, tangy, and slightly sweet BBQ sauce that coats the shredded chicken.

  • How do I achieve the perfect shredded chicken texture?

After poaching, use two forks to pull the chicken apart, creating those classic pulled chicken strands that soak up the delicious BBQ sauce.

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Shredded Saucy BBQ Chicken Sammies Recipe

Shredded Saucy BBQ Chicken Sammies Recipe


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4.9 from 36 reviews

  • Total Time: 35-40 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x

Description

Savory BBQ chicken sammies bring mouthwatering Southern comfort to your dinner table. Juicy shredded chicken drenched in tangy sauce nestles perfectly between soft buns, promising a flavor explosion you’ll crave again and again.


Ingredients

Scale

Protein:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces / 170 grams each)

Liquid Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (240 milliliters) chicken stock
  • 1 bottle Mexican beer
  • 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) hot sauce

Seasoning and Flavor Enhancers:

  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) grill seasoning blend
  • 3 tablespoons (45 grams) dark brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons (60 grams) tomato paste
  • 1 large sour deli pickle, chopped
  • 6 to 8 slices sweet bread and butter pickles, chopped
  • 6 soft sandwich buns

Instructions

  1. Gently poach chicken breasts in a simmering blend of chicken stock and beer for 10 minutes, flipping midway to ensure even cooking.
  2. Meanwhile, sauté garlic and onion in olive oil over medium-low heat until they become soft and release their aromatic essence, approximately 5-6 minutes.
  3. Create a robust sauce by whisking together Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, grill seasoning, brown sugar, and tomato paste, then incorporate two ladles of poaching liquid to develop depth of flavor.
  4. Extract chicken from poaching liquid, slice, and meticulously shred using two forks, then thoroughly coat with prepared sauce mixture.
  5. Transfer saucy shredded chicken into the skillet with sautéed garlic and onions, allowing it to simmer for 5-10 minutes and adjust liquid as needed for desired consistency.
  6. Combine different pickle varieties in a small bowl to create a tangy relish.
  7. Divide buns, generously pile with saucy BBQ chicken, crown with pickle relish, and serve piping hot for maximum flavor enjoyment.

Notes

  • Choose chicken breasts with similar sizes to ensure even cooking during poaching.
  • Replace beer with chicken broth or apple juice for a non-alcoholic version that maintains moisture and flavor depth.
  • Experiment with different hot sauces to customize spice levels, ranging from mild Tabasco to fiery habanero for heat lovers.
  • Use rotisserie chicken as a time-saving alternative, quickly shredding and mixing with prepared BBQ sauce for a quicker meal option.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
  • Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
  • Method: Simmering
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 6
  • Calories: 450
  • Sugar: 10 g
  • Sodium: 850 mg
  • Fat: 15 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 54 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 30 g
  • Cholesterol: 85 mg
Olivia Brooks

Olivia Brooks

Contributing Writer

Expertise

  • Healthy recipe development
  • Plant-based cooking
  • Nutritional analysis
  • Food writing and content creation

Education

Culinary Institute of America
Accelerated Culinary Arts Certificate Program
Focus: Culinary fundamentals, nutrition, and healthy cooking technique


Olivia believes good food should feed both the body and the soul. She earned her Accelerated Culinary Arts Certificate from the Culinary Institute of America, where she focused on nutrition and practical cooking techniques that make healthy eating easy.
At 10 Below Ice Cream, Olivia shares single-serving recipes that are fresh, plant-forward, and full of heart. She loves helping people eat better, without stress, strict rules, or sacrificing flavor.
Beyond the kitchen, Olivia spends her time tending her backyard garden, practicing yoga, and discovering hidden gems in Portland’s food scene.

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