Pulled Chicken Sandwich with Crunchy Slaw
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This pulled chicken sandwich recipe is made by simmering chicken breasts in a simple sauce with BBQ flavors until the chicken is fall-apart tender. The sauce is then thickened and poured over the pulled chicken, and the dish is served on soft, toasted buns with crunchy slaw. It’s delicious!
Sink your teeth into a warm, soft brioche bun piled high with tender pulled chicken, all smothered in a sweet and tangy, BBQ-style sauce and finished with just the right amount of crunchy coleslaw. It’s messy in the best way and completely irresistible.
I love making pulled chicken sandwiches for easy dinners and make-ahead lunches. They pack up beautifully, too — I keep the chicken in one container and the coleslaw in another, then bring everything along to the park, the beach, or a friend’s backyard. It’s one of those recipes that always feels like a good idea.
For a different twist, try my BBQ pulled pork sandwich.
A few serving ideas
Here are some of my favorite things to serve with pulled chicken sandwiches:
- Potato salad: Creamy, tangy, and perfect alongside that sweet and saucy chicken.
- Corn on the cob: Especially good in the summer, brushed with butter and a little salt.
- Baked beans: Warm, cozy, and a natural match for anything BBQ-inspired.
- Crispy potatoes or fries: Whether they’re oven-baked or air-fried, they’re always a hit.
- Simple green salad: Something fresh and crunchy to balance out the richness of the sandwich.
If I’m serving these for a crowd, I’ll often set everything out buffet-style and let everyone build their own plate. It keeps things relaxed and makes the whole meal feel extra fun.
Pulled Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
The Pulled Chicken
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2-6 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (finely minced – see notes)
- 2 cups orange juice
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Optional: 2 tablespoons brown or coconut sugar (see notes)
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
The Coleslaw
- 2 cups finely shredded cabbage (we like a mix of purple and green cabbage)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 medium carrot (grated)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Pinch salt and pepper
The Buns
- 4 brioche buns (preferably toasted with a little butter)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chipotle peppers and cook for 1 more minute.1 teaspoon cooking oil, 6 cloves garlic, 2-6 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- Add the orange juice, Worchestershire sauce, dijon mustard, and if using, the sugar to the pot and stir – see notes. Put the chicken breasts into the pot and turn the heat to high. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for 1 hour, or until the chicken is very tender.2 cups orange juice, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, Optional: 2 tablespoons brown or coconut sugar, 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Remove the chicken from the pot (save the liquid in the pot!) and shred it using 2 forks. Return the pot to high heat and boil, uncovered, until the liquid is as thick as BBQ sauce – it will thicken when it cools.
- Pour half of the sauce over the chicken and gently mix. If you'd like it saucier, add a little more sauce.
- Mix the coleslaw ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.2 cups finely shredded cabbage, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, 1 medium carrot, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons honey, Pinch salt and pepper
- Top the buns with the pulled chicken and coleslaw and eat right away!4 brioche buns
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Kristen, thank you for the delicious dish! First and foremost, this is the finest shredded chicken I’ve ever made. Second, I must admit that I was drawn to the recipe as it is a chicken breast recipe with no sugar. Finally, I paired it with a street corn pasta salad. Thank you for sharing.
You had me at crunchy slaw! I love sandwiches that have coleslaw on top, and it’s an easy way to add more veggies to the meal. If I wanted to make the BBQ sauce separate and pour over canned chicken, would you recommend changing any of the quantities or cook times? Thanks!
If you’re using canned chicken, you won’t need to cook it. I’ve never used canned chicken before so I’m not familiar with what it’s like – I’m assuming like canned tuna. If it is, you could simply warm it and pour the bbq sauce over the top. 🙂
I live in the UK – struggling to find chipotle in adobo sauce – could you recommend an alternative?
It’s a unique flavor that is not easily replicated. Your best bet is probably to buy them on Amazon. You can see them here.
I hadn’t thought of pulled CHICKEN sandwiches before. I may be biased though because my favorite sandwich is pulled pork, but I’ll need to try this!
The pulled pork sandwich has always been my favorite, but I´ll need to try this one!
We made this for a lunch with some friends and it’s was a hit!! I love that it was “lighter” than the typical pulled pork and not only because of the chicken. Loved the no sugar and tangy BBQ sauce. Also the no mayo coleslaw (I did put mayo on the bun though 😬). Very easy to make, the part that took the most time was the squeezing oranges to make the orange juice
Loved it! Great kick and a nice alternative when you are tired of basic chicken breast recipes.
Do you think I could make the chicken with those ingredients in the instant pot?
Yes I think that would work well!
This looks delish – although 6 chipotles in adobo for 2 breasts seems like a lot. What was the spiciness level on this? I don’t mind heat, but would like to know if making this for others. Also, could this be done in a crock pot?? Thanks – I look forward to trying it out!
Hi Sam,
It does sound like a lot but 6 is how many chipotle peppers I use. There is a decent bite to it so if you are concerned just cut down the amount you use ?
Although I’ve never tried making this in a crock pot my guess is that it would work.
Hope you one this recipe as much as I do!
Thank you so much!!!!!
I’m going to make this, this weekend.
Are the chipotles dried, in adobo sauce, or neither?
Thank you for any reply.
Hey Christopher,
I used chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 🙂
This was one of the BEST recipes I’ve made! My husband said he would be happy to eat it for every meal for the rest of his life! I made it in my dutch oven on the stove top as well. I had to use canned chipotles in adobo sauce because I couldn’t find fresh or dried in our commissary on our military base in Germany, so I reduced the number of peppers and it turned out amazing! Thanks so much for our new favorite meal.
That’s such great news! It is also one of my fav’s 🙂
I just made this last night. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. It was some of the best shredded chicken I have ever had! I tripled the recipe and cooked it in my big dutch oven on the stove – definitely happy that we have a lot left over!
I’m so happy to hear that it turned out. I just love this recipe too!
Thank you for this recipe! It was AMAZING! We served them as tostadas with avocado with shredded lettuce. YUM!
Hey Samantha,
That makes me so happy to hear you enjoyed it! I love your idea about serving it as tostadas. I will be trying that next time for sure!!
Thanks, Danguole! It’s hard to stay vegetarian forever. I was for a really long time, but eventually I just couldn’t resist anymore. I’m learning to love chicken now too!
As always Kristen, looks amazing! Will definitely be trying this one soon!
Thanks, Drew! I’d love to hear what you thought of it after you make it. I predict you are going to love it 🙂