Pulled Chicken with White BBQ Sauce

Being from Texas, I know barbecue.

I mean, really understand it. I’ve grown up on brisket dinners and pulled pork cookouts. Sweet and spicy thick barbecue sauces are ingrained in my nature. Mesquite smoke-flavored chicken lives on my tastebuds.

I’ve branched outside of good ol’ Texas barbecue many times before. I’ve had Memphis-dry rubbed ribs on Beale Street. Burnt ends in Kansas City. I’ve even tried my hand at North Carolina style pulled pork. Everytime I try some kind of new barbecue, my mind (and heart) always circles back around to Texas barbecue.

There’s nothing quite like the sweet and smokey taste of Texas barbecue. Texans really do do it better. I’ll always have an open mind (and mouth) for any other barbecue, though. I like the vinegary taste of North Carolina, and the sauceless beauty of Memphis. I’ll try anything at least once.

I found a recipe in an old recipe book of mine for something called a white barbecue sauce. Color me intrigued. I knew I had to make it the second I saw it. The main components: mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juic and cayenne. I can work with that.

Since I don’t have a smoker, I went with some liquid smoke in my slow-cooked chicken. It’s not the same as the real thing, but at least it gets the point across. I really wanted a simple chicken so I can truly judge the white barbecue sauce, so I went with a basically-seasoned recipe. This slow-cooker pulled chicken would be great to make in big batches, freeze, and then use in things like enchiladas, chicken salad, or casseroles. Make sure to keep that in mind when you cook this.

So, what was the verdict on the white barbecue sauce? Pretty good! I’m not sure I’d call it a barbecue sauce, though. It was very tangy (which I like) and tasted great with the chicken and some pickles. But barbecue sauce? I still consider that a thick, brown, sweet & spicy sauce. This works in a pinch, though–and probably would taste good with other things like pulled pork or slices of turkey.

Enjoy!

Pulled Chicken with White BBQ Sauce

• Servings: 8-10
• Time: 6 hrs
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Slow cooked chicken with a tangy, vinegar based white barbecue sauce. Serve on buns or lettuce leaves for a sandwich or wrap.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. chicken breast
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. onion powder
• 2 TBS. liquid smoke
• 2 TBS. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• salt & pepper
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• Lettuce leaves or buns, for sandwiches
• Sliced pickles, for serving

Directions

1. Place chicken in a slow cooker. Sprinkle garlic powder, onion powder, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt and pepper over the chicken. Pour in chicken broth. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or until tender and cooked through. Shred with two forks.
2. Make the white barbecue sauce: in a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice and cayenne until smooth. You can either toss all of the chicken in the sauce (like I did) or serve the sauce on the side/on top of the pulled chicken.
3. Make sandwiches or wraps with the chicken and serve with pickles.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Place chicken in a slow cooker. Sprinkle garlic powder, onion powder, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt and pepper over the chicken. Pour in chicken broth. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or until tender and cooked through. Shred with two forks.

Make the white barbecue sauce: in a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice and cayenne until smooth. You can either toss all of the chicken in the sauce (like I did) or serve the sauce on the side/on top of the pulled chicken.

Make sandwiches or wraps with the chicken and serve with pickles.