I am beginning to think that Jeanie is right. I am the Queen of chicken. Sorry but its another chicken recipe today, but really you should be thanking me because these are fabulously delicious! Not only that, but they are also quick and easy to make. Perfectly sized for two, but easily adaptable for more.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are browned lightly and then poached in a BBQ sauce mixture that you create . . . once the chicken is cooked through and tender, you shred the chicken and cook it for a bit longer in the sauce. This really helps to get the BBQ flavor in there. Its a simple sauce using your favorite ready prep BBQ sauce and a few other bits.
On top of that is a simple coleslaw. You can use coleslaw shredded vegetable mix from the shops, which would make it even quicker to make, but I like to shred my own. I use a really sharp knife and just cut it into thin slivers. There is something very cathartic about standing there, hand shredding the cabbage and carrots. I go off into my own little world. I find it quite stress relieving. Not that I have a lot in my world to be stressed about, but still . . . I do enjoy hand shredding it all.
The dressing is a simple one, made with mayonnaise, buttermilk, cider vinegar, a pinch of sugar, some seasoning and a bit of celery seed. You can add more vegetables if you like, grated broccoli stems, spring onions, etc. Just use the basic dressing and add what you like. I tend to make it before I start the chicken so that the flavours have time to meld. Some vegetables/cabbage can be a bit more watery than others, so if you find that your coleslaw is a bit watery, just drain it a bit before using it, so you don't end up with soggy buns.
It goes perfectly with the flavours of the BBQ chicken filling . . . very nice. We really love this combination.
I like to use a Brioche bun. You can toast or not as you like. I prefer to toast them on the cut sides under the grill, just until golden brown. That way the buns don't absorbe the BBQ sauce or the coleslaw dressing and get soggy. Toasting is the way to go in my books!
This is the kind of food I really love in the summer months . . . no nonsense kind of food. NO fuss. NO bother, easy to eat and easy to clean up after. If you have leftover chicken from a roast chicken or a rotisserie chicken, you could use that instead. Just sayin'
I have also used Turkey tenderloins and done this. They work beautiully. On the side you could serve potato salad, or potato chips, a macaroni salad, pickles. Whatever you fancy.
Whatever you choose to have on the side, this is sure to be a meal that will have you smacking your lips and licking your fingers. Its hot diggity doggone good!
*BBQ Chicken Sandwiches for Two*Serves 2Printable Recipe
These are very easy to make are fabulously rich and delicious. You can double all of the ingredients to feed more if you wish.
2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts (3/4 pound)salt and black pepper to taste1 1/2 TBS butter125g BBQ sauce (1/2 cup) (use your favourite)60ml cider vinegar1/2 TBS hot sauce
For the slaw:8 ounces shredded cabbage1 small carrot shredded55g mayonnaise (1/4 cup)60ml buttermilk (1/4 cup)1/2 TBS cider vinegar1 tsp sugarsalt and black pepper1/4 tsp celery seed
You will also need 2 burger buns
Season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Melt the butter over moderate heat in a skillet. Add the chicken and brown it lightly on both sides. Whisk together the BBQ sauce, vinegar and hot sauce. Pour over the chicken. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer, and cook, covered for about 10 minutes until cooked through, turning the chicken over halfway through the cook time. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Shred with two forks, then return to the sauce in the pan and keep warm.
Whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar and sugar for the slaw. Whisk in salt and black pepper to taste, along with the celery seed. Stir in the shredded cabbage and carrot. Toss to coat.
Toast your buns or not as desired.
To serve spoon 1/2 of the chicken onto the bottom half of the toasted buns. Top with a portion of the coleslaw and the top bun. Serve immediately.
These were really, really, REALLY good. The pictures are making me hungry for them all over again!
