Chipotle-Peach BBQ Pulled Chicken

One of the hallmarks of cooking barbecue is “low and slow.” Since traditional barbecue uses tougher cuts of meat — think brisket, pork butt/shoulder, ribs — cooking it for long periods of time at a low heat is the best route to rich, tender meat.

But sometimes, ya just want BBQ for dinner on a Monday night (or am I the only one who has these problems?) After discovering how easy it was to make my own barbecue sauce a few weeks ago, thoughts of a chipotle-peach version had burrowed into my brain and taken root, alongside a nagging desire to buy an ice cream maker and the lyrics to this song.

Originally, I wanted to make this recipe from GOOP. But, though it comes from the cleanse queen Gwyneth Paltrow herself, the sauce relies on ketchup as its base. (Actually kinda surprised that Gwyneth eats ketchup like the rest of us plebs. Guess the stars really are just like us.)

During my detox, I had to stay away from bottled sauces and in an effort to kind of keep going with it, I decided to veer away from GOOP’s recipe and create something myself. My peaches were a touch unripe so I had to add some honey (a detox no-no) to sweeten the sauce up, but so worth it: the sauce is smoky and tangy and spicy and sweet and impossibly flavorful for something that only uses 4 ingredients.

I’m sure the sauce would be great on pretty much anything, but it’s fantastic with this BBQ pulled chicken. Poaching the chicken breasts in the BBQ sauce, per Rachael Ray’s technique, yields juicy, flavorful chicken that requires minimal cooking time.

You could use the chicken to make amazing sandwiches, nachos, pizza, tacos, salads, etc. etc. Or you could do what I did and eat it straight out of the saucepan with a fork, satisfied knowing that there’s enough time after dinner to watch another episode of your new favorite show.

Chipotle-Peach BBQ Pulled Chicken
Adapted heavily from Rachael Ray

For the chipotle-peach BBQ sauce:

– 2 large ripe yellow peaches, pitted and quartered

– 2-3 chipotles in adobo, sliced + 1 tablespoon adobo sauce

– 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

– 1 tablespoon honey (optional — if your peaches are super sweet, you may not need the honey)

– salt and pepper, to taste

1) Using a brush or a paper towel, lightly oil the bottom of a medium skillet. Heat on medium-high heat, then add the peaches. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes, then flip and cook, covered, for an additional 2-4 minutes, until the peaches are soft. (My peaches were very underripe, so I cooked them for a few minutes longer on each side.) Let the peaches cool slightly.

2) Once the peaches have cooled, transfer to a blender or food processor. Add the chipotles and adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar and honey (if using), then puree until the sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste, then refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

For the BBQ pulled chicken:

– 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry

– salt and pepper, to taste

– 2 cloves garlic, minced

– 1/2 red onion, diced

– 1-1/2 cups chipotle-peach BBQ sauce

1) Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on each side, then place them in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the minced garlic, diced onion and enough water to just cover the chicken. Stir in the BBQ sauce, then bring to a boil.

2) Once the sauce is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred with two forks.

3) Meanwhile, increase the heat on the sauce. Add the remaining chipotle-peach BBQ sauce to the pot, then boil the mixture for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by half. Add the chicken back into the sauce, tossing to coat evenly.