Slow cooker pulled chicken tacos
This slow cooker pulled chicken recipe is perfect piled into tacos and wraps, or used as a filling for jacket potatoes. It uses affordable, easy-to-find ingredients the whole family will love. If you like a little more heat, add ½-1tsp dried chilli flakes or chilli powder to the pot.
Ingredients
- 100g/3½oz tomato ketchup
- 4 tbsp runny honey
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 75ml/2½fl oz orange juice (see tip)
- 1 tsp hot smoked paprika
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, or 1 tsp garlic granules
- 6–8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- mini flour tortillas, warmed
- soured cream
- fresh coriander, chopped
- limes, cut into wedges
Method
Put the ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, orange juice, paprika and garlic in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
Add the chicken thighs and turn to coat in the sauce. Move the thighs away from the sides of the pot so they don’t stick when the sauce reduces as it simmers.
Cover and cook on low for 5–7 hours, or until the chicken is very tender.
Remove the lid and use two forks to break up and shred the chicken while mixing with the sweet, smoked sauce. The sauce will thicken the longer the chicken is cooked, so ladle a little out before shredding the chicken if cooking for the shorter time.
To serve, spoon the chicken into warmed mini tortillas along with soured cream and fresh coriander. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.
Recipe Tips
If you are short on time, switch your slow cooker to high and the chicken will be ready in about 3 hours. The sauce will still be fairly liquid at this point, but you can transfer to a saucepan and simmer on the hob for a 4–5 minutes until reduced, before pouring back over the chicken.
Use orange juice from a carton or the freshly squeezed juice of 1 orange should give around 75ml/2½fl oz.