Go Back
+ servings

Pulled BBQ Chicken Meal Prep

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 5 meals
Author: Bobby Parrish
Print

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 10 chicken thighs bone on & skin on
  • Kosher Salt
  • Freshly cracked pepper

For the beans:

  • 1 cup of dried black eyed peas White or pinto beans also work
  • ½ an onion peeled
  • 1 large carrot cut in 3 large chunks
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper finely diced
  • Olive oil
  • Kosher Salt
  • Freshly cracked pepper

For the BBQ Sauce:

  • 1 cup of ketchup
  • ½ cup of bourbon
  • 4 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 3 tbsp molasses
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 tspn red pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce very finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp ancho chile powder
  • 1 tspn garlic powder
  • 1 tspn onion powder
  • 1 tspn liquid smoke

For the slaw:

  • ½ head red cabbage finely sliced
  • ½ head napa cabbage finely sliced
  • 2-3 carrots peeled and grated
  • ½ bunch green onions finely sliced
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • ¼ cup pepitas toasted if desired
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • Juice of half a lime or lemon
  • 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

  1. Soak the beans in cold water overnight and keep in the fridge. Strain and rinse the beans and put them in a deep pot. Add enough cold water to the pot so it comes about 1 inch above the level of the beans. Add the onion and next 3 ingredients along with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a few cracks of pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 30-40 minutes, or until the beans are tender and creamy. Use a large spoon to remove the onion, carrots, and garlic. Add the soy sauce and next 2 ingredients along with ½ teaspoon of salt, mix well. Give the beans a taste, they will most likely need another pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes more, take off the heat and add the parsley and red peppers, set aside.
  2. While the beans are cooking, make the chicken by pre-heating your oven to 400 degrees F. Allow the chicken thighs to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before cooking, cold chicken will cook unevenly and be tough. Season the chicken with a good pinch of salt and pepper on both sides. Place chicken on a sheet tray skin side up, and bake for 1 hour.
  3. To make the BBQ sauce, add all the ingredients to a heavy bottom pot, bring to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste the sauce after 15 minutes, it may need more spice or sweetness. The sauce will reduce by half after 30 minutes, take off the heat and set aside.
  4. To make the slaw, add the red cabbage and next 5 ingredients to a large bowl, mix well and keep in the fridge until ready to serve. To make the dressing, add the mayo and next 3 ingredients to a bowl along with a small pinch of salt and a couple cracks of pepper. Whisk well, adding 1-2 tablespoons of water to make the dressing pourable. Check for seasoning, you want the flavor to be a little acidic, so you may need more lime/lemon juice. When ready to eat, mix the slaw with just enough dressing to coat everything thoroughly. To prevent the slaw from getting soggy, try to toss it with the dressing right before you eat it.
  5. When the chicken has cooled a little bit, peel off the skin and use a fork to pull and shred the chicken off the bone. Once all the meat is off, use a knife to chop any large pieces. In a large bowl, toss the chicken with enough BBQ sauce to thoroughly coat.
  6. Assemble your meal prep containers with some BBQ pulled chicken, beans, and slaw. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Macros:
464 calories per meal
43 grams of protein per meal
17.3 grams of fat per meal
55.4 grams of carbs per meal
10.2 grams of fiber per meal