Description
Pulled Chicken in a Dutch Oven is a simple way to meal prep or pull together a main component for dinner in a hurry. The secret to juicy and tender pulled chicken is slowly bringing boneless skinless chicken breasts up to food safe temperature of 165°F by finishing out of the oven for the last 5 to 10 minutes. Then let the breasts rests before pulling with a pair of forks.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 3 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4 medium)
- 3/4 tsp. table salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 3 garlic cloves (peeled or unpeeled)
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and place an oven rack in the bottom third position.
- Pat chicken breasts dry then transfer to a large Dutch oven. Sprinkle both sides with salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Nestle in the onion and garlic and add chicken broth.
- Heat pot over medium until broth comes to a simmer, 2-3 minutes. Cover then immediately transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Flip chicken and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, another 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on the stovetop. Leave covered until the chicken breasts internal temperature reaches 165°F, another 5-10 minutes. Remove breasts to a clean plate or cutting board and rest for 5 minutes. Discard onion and garlic.
- Transfer chicken breasts back to Dutch oven and shred with forks with the grain. Serve immediately or divide into portions (add some of the cooking liquid to keep the chicken moist). Leftovers are good for up to 5 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Boneless and skinless chicken thighs work very well here, too.
- You can double the recipe, though it may take longer to cook in the oven.
- To freeze, transfer portions to a freezer safe zip-top bag, suck out as much air as possible, label then lay on a flat surface in the freezer. Pulled chicken may be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 5 min.
- Cook Time: 25 min.
- Category: Main
- Method: Braising, Poaching, Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American