Every slow-cooking repertoire needs a good shredded BBQ chicken recipe—and this is mine. I love the addition of fresh, sweet pineapple and how it mingles perfectly with the tart, smoky Balsamic BBQ Sauce. Making barbecue sauce from scratch is incredibly easy, and a necessity when living a paleo lifestyle, given that almost all commercial BBQ sauces contain refined sugar in some form. I like to make a double batch of sauce and use it in a couple of meals during the month. The sauce keeps for several weeks refrigerated and also freezes well.
Prep time 20 minutes
Serves 8
3 pounds (1.4 kg) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups (495 g) chopped fresh pineapple or unsweetened pineapple tidbits
1 cup (160 g) diced sweet onion
1 large jalapeño, seeded (if desired) and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups (500 g) Balsamic BBQ Sauce
1 Sprinkle the salt over the chicken, then place it in a 4-quart (3.8 liter) slow cooker. Add the pineapple, onion, jalapeño, garlic, and 1 cup (250 g) of the BBQ sauce.
2 Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, until the chicken is tender and pulls apart easily with a fork.
3 Remove the chicken from the slow cooker, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, and return them to the slow cooker. Add another 1/2 cup (125 g) of BBQ sauce to the chicken. Toss, and add more if desired.
4 Serve the chicken with your preferred side dish, such as Southwest Cabbage Slaw, Squash Noodles, Zucchini Flatbread, or “Baked” Sweet Potatoes.
