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    Dutch Oven BBQ Pulled Chicken

    July 11, 2023 by Lauren Leave a Comment

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Dutch Oven BBQ Pulled Chicken is a great addition to your weeknight dinner rotation! It’s super easy to make, versatile, and the whole family will love it!

    Photo of pulled chicken in a dutch oven with BBQ sauce.

    Dutch oven BBQ Pulled Chicken is great to make for backyard bbqs, parties, or easy weeknight dinners. 

    Serve it with a vegetable, salad, on sliders, or use it as a taco base.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Process
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Food safety tips
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • FAQs
    • Dutch Oven BBQ Pulled Chicken
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    Ingredients

    Ingredients needed and labeled in order to make dutch oven pulled bbq chicken.
    • Chicken breasts - you can also use chicken thighs or a combination of both, just be sure they’re boneless/skinless. 
    • Olive oil - I almost always use olive oil, but any neutral-tasting cooking oil or butter/ghee will work too.  
    • Spices - paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper
    • Ketchup - this will be the base for your BBQ sauce. 
    • Dark brown sugar - dark brown sugar adds more flavor, however light brown sugar will work just as well.  
    • Apple cider vinegar - for tanginess. You can swap this for white vinegar if that’s what you have on hand.  
    • Coarse dijon mustard -  I used stone ground mustard for this recipe, but feel free to use regular or spicy brown in place of coarse dijon mustard.  
    • Honey - to give it that “honey bbq” flavor.  
    • Worcestershire sauce -  for umami flavor.  If you don’t have it or want to use it then low sodium soy sauce will work.  

    Process

    The process couldn’t be easier, let’s go over the steps: 

    Images of process shots in a collage of dutch oven pulled chicken being assembled.
    1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. 
    2. Trim the chicken breasts.
    3. Mix your seasonings and rub them onto the chicken breasts, pressing them in.  
    4. Drizzle olive oil into the dutch oven and add the seasoned chicken.  
    5. Put the lid on your dutch oven and place them into the oven for 1 hour (or until the internal temp reaches 16
    6. While the chicken cooks, together the ingredients for the bbq sauce: ketchup, dark brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, coarse dijon mustard, honey, and worcestershire sauce.  Set it aside. 
    7. Remove the chicken breasts from the dutch oven and discard any excess liquid.  
    8. Shred the chicken with two forks or use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.  
    9. Return the shredded chicken to the pan, add the BBQ sauce, and return it to the oven (uncovered) for 10 minutes. 
    Dutch oven pulled chicken process shots.
    Photo of shredded chicken in a dutch oven with bbq sauce.

    Substitutions

    • Chicken breasts - you can also use chicken thighs or a combination of both, just be sure they’re boneless/skinless.
    • Olive oil - I almost always use olive oil, but any neutral-tasting cooking oil or butter/ghee will work too.  
    • Spices - you can switch up the spices to fit your flavor preferences, but I suggest you season the chicken well and salt it generously.    
    • Dark brown sugar - again, dark brown sugar adds more flavor and it’s preferable for making homemade bbq sauce, however light brown sugar will work just as well.  
    • Apple cider vinegar - for tanginess. You can swap this for white vinegar, or white wine vinegar.  
    • Coarse dijon mustard -  any dijon mustard will work, also a premade “honey mustard” will work as well.  
    • Worcestershire sauce -  if you don’t have worcestershire, swap it with coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce. 
    Close up photo of pulled chicken on a slider.

    Variations

    • Spicy BBQ Pulled chicken: Follow the recipe as it is and add ¼ cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce to the bbq sauce mixture.  
    • Sweet and Smoky BBQ Pulled chicken: Follow the recipe as it is but swap the paprika for smoked paprika.  
    • Hawaiian BBQ Chicken: Follow the recipe and add ¼ cup of crushed pineapple to the BBQ sauce mixture.  
    • Bourbon BBQ Chicken: Follow the recipe as it is and add ¼ cup of bourbon to the BBQ sauce mixture.  

    Food safety tips

    Chicken breasts and thighs should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees fahrenheit.  

    When using a stand mixer to shred the chicken, it’ll likely be hot and you’ll want to be very careful.  If your stand mixer’s bowl doesn’t have a guard (and even if it does) you might want to drape a towel over the top and hold onto the top while it’s shredding so that a hot piece of runaway chicken doesn’t fly up and hit you in the face. 

    Close up shot of pulled chicken on a slider.

    Equipment

    If you don’t have a good dutch oven I recommend getting this Staub Braiser or this Staub Dutch Oven. 

    They’re so versatile and of such great quality that you’ll have them for years to come and use them often.  

    Storage

    Storing leftover pulled chicken is easy, and it'll last for 3-4 days in the fridge if you store it correctly.  

    First, allow the pulled chicken to cool down to room temperature.

    Second, divide the pulled chicken into smaller portions based on your needs.  This makes it easier to reheat when you need it. 

    Third, Place the chicken into an airtight container(s) and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.  

    Finally, label your container and store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days (or in the freezer for up to 3 months). 

    FAQs

    Is dutch oven bbq chicken healthy?

    While BBQ sauce is pretty much always loaded with sugar, chicken is a great source of protein.  Overall, it's not the healthiest thing ever, and if you're sensitive to sugar, perhaps try it without the BBQ sauce for a healthy choice.

    Is bbq pulled chicken gluten-free?

    Whether BBQ pulled chicken is GF (gluten-free) or not depends on the ingredients.  Typically worcestershire sauce isn’t gluten free, you can easily swap it for coconut aminos to make it GF.  

    Alternatively, you can purchase a store bought, gluten free BBQ sauce and use it instead of making your own BBQ sauce. 

    Does bbq pulled chicken freeze well?

    Yes, BBQ pulled chicken can be frozen and it freezes well! When stored tightly wrapped and in an airtight container it can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

    When you’re ready to use it, simply thaw it in the fridge overnight and then reheat it. 

    Dutch Oven BBQ Pulled Chicken

    Dutch Oven BBQ Pulled Chicken is a quick, easy, and versatile weeknight dinner.  It’s great on tacos, sliders, or alongside rice!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
    Course Dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 637 kcal

    Equipment

    • Dutch oven with a lid (or braiser with a lid)

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 chicken breasts trimmed
    • 3 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 tsp chili powder
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • ½ tsp paprika
    • ½ tsp pepper
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 cup ketchup
    • ¾ cup dark brown sugar
    • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
    • 2 tbsp coarse dijon mustard
    • 2 tbsp honey
    • 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
    • Trim the chicken breasts.
    • Mix your spices and rub them onto the chicken breasts, pressing them in on both sides.
    • Drizzle olive oil into the Dutch oven and add the seasoned chicken.
    • Put the lid on your dutch oven and place them into the oven for 1 hour.
    • While the chicken cooks, together the ingredients for the bbq sauce: ketchup, dark brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, coarse dijon mustard, honey, and worcestershire sauce. Set it aside.
    • Remove the chicken breasts from the dutch oven and discard any excess liquid.
    • Shred the chicken with two forks or use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
    • Return the shredded chicken to the pan, add the BBQ sauce, and return it to the oven (uncovered) for 10 minutes.

    Notes

    Storage Tips: Storing leftover pulled chicken is easy, and it'll last for 3-4 days in the fridge if you store it correctly: 
    First, allow the pulled chicken to cool down to room temperature.
    Second, divide the pulled chicken into smaller portions based on your needs.  This makes it easier to reheat when you need it. 
    Third, Place the chicken into an airtight container(s) and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.  
    Finally, label your container and store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days (or in the freezer for up to 3 months).

    Nutrition

    Calories: 637kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 1330mg | Potassium: 742mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 626IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    About Lauren

    Lauren is the freelance writer, photographer, and recipe developer behind Shutter + Mint. Thanks for stopping by!

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    Hi, I'm Lauren! Shutter + Mint is a food blog I created to help you create easy, practical recipes at home. Thanks for stopping by!

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