Black Pepper and Molasses Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

I usually don’t get to cook much when my husband works late because my little guy isn’t so patient in the kitchen. But tonight I bribed him with a cup of water and some goldfish crackers and cooked as fast as possible! Hands on time for this recipe is minimal making it a great meal for busy people.

I took about a pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs and cut them into small chunks. I’m not even sure that was necessary but I suppose there was more surface area showing to get the flavor infused. I put the chicken chunks into a medium saucepan along with mustard, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, cumin, chili powder, freshly ground black pepper, ground ginger, and molasses. I brought it to a boil then covered the pot and reduced the meat to medium-low and let it simmer for 23 minutes. I stirred it only twice.

Then I just shredded the chicken with a fork. I served it on slider rolls with a pickle chip. I honestly wasn’t sure how it would taste since I didn’t find the combination of ingredients too appealing while I was tossing them in the pot, but it was really yummy! The pickle chip added a nice crunch and tang.

 

Since my son was enjoying his goldfish, I threw together an easy side too, oven baked sweet potato “fries.” No real recipe for this. I heated the oven to 450F, peeled some sweet potatoes and cut them into fries. I tossed them in a little olive oil then seasoned them. I should probably call them ‘spice rack’ fries because every time I make them they’re a little different depending on my mood and what seems interesting in my spice cabinet. This time I had one dish with sesame seasoning and garlic, one with Montreal steak seasoning, and one with some cinnamon and granulated honey for my son. Anyway, I bake them until they’re crispy, the time varies depending on the thickness of the fries but I would allow at least 30-40 minutes.

This meal was kid friendly (as my son would attest to if he could attest) and a nice healthy fast food substitute.

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Black Pepper and Molasses Pulled Chicken Sandwiches (adapted from Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2010)

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 2 inch chunks
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon mustard (I used Dijon)
1 tablespoon molasses
Apple cider vinegar
Cumin
Chili powder
Ground black pepper
Ground ginger
Rolls and pickle chips for serving

The Recipe
1. Add all of the ingredients from chicken to pepper to a medium saucepan and stir to combine.
2. Bring to a boil then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 23 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Shred chicken with a fork.
4. Serve atop a toasted bun with a pickle chip.