Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches on Homade Buns!

One day a couple weeks ago I wanted BBQ pulled pork. Problem! We didn’t have any pork, so I thought, why not chicken?  After looking a round a bit I found this recipe: http://jeanetteshealthyliving.com/2013/07/crockpot-barbecue-pulled-chicken.html . It is amazing!  Everyone in the family absolutely loved it. I have to say, it was the most positive response I have ever gotten from any recipe I had made for dinner. (gotta exclude those desserts!) Try it next time you are in the kitchen, I promise you everyone will love you for it!

Pulled BBQ Pulled Chicken:

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes

Yield: 8-10

Ingredients

3 medium onions, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast

2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided

1 teaspoon chili powder salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups ketchup

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

3 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons

Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (I omitted)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (I omitted)

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper dash of cinnamon (I omitted)

Directions:

Place half the sliced onions in the bottom of the slow cooker. Season chicken with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin and chili powder. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and use a spatula to cover bottom of the skillet. Place chicken in skillet in a single layer and cook until nicely browned on both sides. In a bowl, mix together ketchup, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, vinegar, molasses, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, Sriracha sauce, cayenne and cinnamon. Dip chicken pieces in sauce and place in single layer in crockpot. Add rest of the onions, chicken and sauce. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours until tender and cooked through. Do not overcook. Remove chicken from pot and shred using two forks. Blend sauce in food processor or using hand stick blender. If sauce still needs thickening, reduce it on the stove, and if desired, thicken with a slurry of a little cornstarch and water. Return chicken and sauce to crockpot, mix well and keep warm on low until serving time.

Adapted from Cooking Light.

– See more at: http://jeanetteshealthyliving.com/2013/07/crockpot-barbecue-pulled-chicken.html#sthash.X9idPtzI.dpuf

Okay! Round two! Making the rolls…..

I found the recipe for hamburger buns on this site: http://www.eatliverun.com/homemade-hamburger-buns/ . I have made them I few times now and I am never disappointed!

Homemade Hamburger Buns

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter, softened

1 cup milk

1 packet dry active yeast (1/4th oz)

2 tbsp warm water (about 100 degrees)

1 egg

1.5 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

3 cups flour (plus a little additional flour if you need it)

for topping—

2 egg yolks + 1 tbsp warm water, slightly beaten

sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds

Directions:

To start, heat the milk in a small saucepot over medium heat until bubbles appear all around the sides of the pot. Remove quickly and let cool to the temperature of warm bathwater (about 100 degrees F).

In a little bowl, combine the dry active yeast, 2 tbsp warm water and a pinch of sugar. Stir with your finger a couple times and then let sit for about 5 minutes. The yeast should start to bubble a little bit and get creamy/foamy looking.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine the soft butter, slightly cooled milk (test it with your finger first and let it cool a few more minutes if it still feels burning hot), egg, sugar and yeast. Mix on low until combined and butter melts.

Mix together two cups of the flour and the salt, then add that to the wet ingredients. Mix on high until well blended.

Change to a dough hook on your mixer if you have one (this thing always reminds me of Captain Hook…anyone?). With the dough hook on, add the remaining cup of flour and mix on high speed for five minutes. You can add a little bit more flour here if your dough seems especially wet, but remember that this dough is supposed to be sticky!

After five minutes on high, your dough should be sticky, but also smooth and elastic if you stretch it with your fingers. Remove dough from bowl and place in an oiled mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 2 1/2 hours.

After 2 1/2 hours, punch down dough on a floured surface then roll out to 1/2″ thick. Cut circles using a large biscuit cutter or the bottom of a glass. Place circles on a parchment paper or silpat-lined baking sheet. Place another piece of plastic wrap on top and let rise again for 1.5 hours.

Preheat your oven to 375.

Brush the rolls with the egg yolk and warm water mixture then scatter sesame seeds over top. Bake for 20 minutes until deeply golden.

Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it is soooo good!

Enjoy!

~Kloe Sundberg