Description
This Brown Sugar Pulled Chicken recipe offers a sweet and savory twist on classic pulled chicken, featuring tender chicken thighs cooked with brown sugar, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and a blend of seasonings. Perfect for sandwiches or served alongside coleslaw, this recipe can be made quickly in an Instant Pot or slow-cooked for deeper flavor.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For Chicken:
- 2 pounds chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)
- 1 cup water (divided)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Mix chicken with all the ingredients: Place the chicken thighs into the Instant Pot or slow cooker. In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, cornstarch, oregano, salt, pepper, and water (divided based on method). Pour the mixture over the chicken and toss to coat evenly.
- Instant Pot cooking: Close the Instant Pot lid securely. Select the Manual or Pressure Cook function on high pressure, and set the timer for 8 minutes. Once cooking completes, perform a quick/manual release of the pressure as per manufacturer instructions.
- Shred chicken (Instant Pot): Transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl and shred it using two forks. Pour some of the leftover sauce from the Instant Pot over the shredded chicken, toss to combine, and let it rest for a few minutes to absorb the sauce.
- Slow cooker cooking: Add the chicken with half of the water, oregano, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 ½ hours.
- Prepare glaze: In a small saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients—brown sugar, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, cornstarch—and ½ cup water. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to thicken after boiling.
- Add glaze and finish cooking: Pour the thickened glaze over the slow-cooked chicken in the slow cooker and toss to coat thoroughly. Continue cooking on low for an additional hour.
- Shred chicken (slow cooker): Remove the chicken from the slow cooker into a large bowl and shred it carefully using two forks.
- Serve: Serve the pulled chicken warm, on buns topped with coleslaw or with extra glaze on the side if desired.
Notes
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for maximum tenderness and flavor.
- Balsamic vinegar enhances the sweetness of the brown sugar with a slight tang.
- The Instant Pot method is perfect for a quick meal, while the slow cooker version develops richer flavors over time.
- Serve on hamburger buns with coleslaw for classic pulled chicken sandwiches.
- Leftover pulled chicken can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe (about 5 ounces)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 460mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
