Barbecue Chicken Sandwich with Zesty Coleslaw Recipe

Last Updated on May 14, 2020

When I was growing up I am pretty sure I never once had barbecue. Yes, I know…I was horribly neglected growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut and it isn’t that my dad didn’t grill meat. He could grill stuff up that tasted delicious but there was no actual barbecue sauce involved. When I moved to Texas after college I learned SO much about what real barbecue really is! In Texas, a good BBQ always involves beef. Not pork, chicken or any other type of meat. Only beef. And the sauces are always spicy, not sweet. Here in Georgia it seems like barbecue is always pork and the sauce is a little bit sweeter than I am used to. Of course, it seems like all barbecue involves a grill. So, what happens when you are in a hurry, have NO pork or beef, but are still in the mood for barbecue? You throw chicken breasts in the crockpot with some barbecue sauce, cook it low and slow, pull it apart with a couple of forks and serve it on a bun! No grill required, which is nice when it has been raining for 4 days!

To top off my barbecue chicken sandwich I made a nice raw coleslaw recipe. I don’t really care for coleslaw that has a mayonnaise based sauce but have had a few zesty non mayo based ones that I really enjoyed. I decided to play around with a few ingredients and use this zesty coleslaw recipe as a topping to my slightly non traditional barbecue sandwich. The great thing about this easy coleslaw recipe is the array of bright colors it contains. You can pretty much eat a rainbow with just this simple slaw! It turned out delicious with a nice crunch and plenty of flavor. Put this barbecue chicken recipe and zesty coleslaw on a bun next time you are craving a filling yet healthy meal! If you don’t want to use a prepackaged sauce, check out Confessions of an Overworked Mom’s homemade barbecue sauce recipe.

Barbecue Chicken Sandwich with Zesty Coleslaw Recipe

Yield: 6

Barbecue Chicken Sandwich with Zesty Coleslaw Recipe

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Crunchy and flavorful coleslaw on a bed of tasty barbecue

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 cups barbecue sauce, homemade or from a bottle
• 6 buns
• 1/2 small head of green cabbage
• 1/2 small head of purple cabbage
• 2 large carrots
• 1 apple, cored, cut in chunks, but unpeeled
• 1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup light vinegar (white wine or apple cider vinegar work well)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp honey
• pinch of salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger

Instructions

2. Put 1 1/2 cup barbecue sauce and chicken breasts in a crockpot.
3. Cook on low 6 hours or until tender
4. Remove from crockpot and pull apart with forks
5. Drain liquid from crockpot, reserving for later use.
6. In crockpot, add shredded chicken and remaining 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce. Add enough remaining liquid to reach desired amount of 'sauciness'. Set on warm and make the slaw.
7. Using a food processor, shred the cabbages, carrots, and apple
8. Put in a large bowl.
9. Add in sunflower seeds
10. In a medium sized glass bowl combine vinegar, oil, honey, salt, pepper, garlic and ginger. Whisk to combine.
11. Pour dressing onto shredded slaw and toss to combine
12. To serve, place barbecue chicken on a roll. Top with slaw. Enjoy!
13. Serve additional slaw on the side if desired.

 What is your favorite kind of barbecue?

Diane Hoffmaster

Diane has a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology with a Minor in Health Management and Policy. She spent many years working in cancer research, academics, and biotechnology. Concern over the growing incidence of human disease and the birth of her children led her to begin living a more natural life. She quickly realized that the information she was learning along the way could be beneficial to many others and started blogging as a way to share this knowledge with others. While passionate about health and the environment she can’t quite give up her favorite Cheetos and Diet Coke! Learn more about her HERE.