Yesterday I shared my favorite BBQ shredded chicken recipe, and today I’m sharing my very favorite thing to make with that BBQ chicken, BBQ chicken sandwiches. These sandwiches are pretty much my ideal sandwich. They’re built on a lightly toasted brioche bun with tender smokey sweet shredded chicken and a tangy crunchy coleslaw that brings everything together. Best of all, these sandwiches are super easy and surprisingly fast to make. No need to break out the BBQ or slow cooker. This BBQ chicken cooks on the stovetop in less than 30 minutes, and most of that cooking time is completely hands-off.
If you’ve made my shredded chicken or stovetop chicken breasts, you’ll recognize the cooking method here. You just lightly brown the chicken breasts and then let them cook in simmering liquid, in this case, a mixture of BBQ sauce, vinegar, and water. Cooking the chicken this way means it will absorb a ton of flavor from the sauce as it cooks AND cooking the chicken breasts in liquid makes it basically impossible to burn them, so they need very little babysitting. So while your chicken cooks on the stove, you’re free to prep the rest of your meal, get a head start on dinner clean-up, or take a little you time.
Ingredient Notes
About 4 small or 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts: This recipe calls for 1½ pounds of chicken. Since chicken breast size varies so wildly, that translates to between 2 and 4 chicken breasts. If using 2 large breasts, you’ll want to cut them down into cutlets before cooking so they cook more quickly in the sauce. I’ve provided instructions for this in the recipe card. Coleslaw: You can shred your own cabbage and carrots if you want (here’s how to shred cabbage if you’ve never done it before), but I typically just buy a bag of pre-chopped coleslaw veggies (they’ll be near the other pre-cut veggies and salad mixes in the produce department, not the deli) because it’s cheap and convenient. Buns: A nice brioche hamburger bun works well here, but in a pinch, you can use whatever bread you have on hand. Even a couple slices of plain white bread will still make a really good chicken sandwich.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
More Sandwich Toppings
Switch up your sandwiches and try adding…
Cheddar cheese A slice of pineapple Bacon Pickles Red onions
Recipe Notes, Tips, & Tricks
The crunchy texture and slightly sweet, bright flavor of the slaw really complements the BBQ chicken, but if you’re not a fan of coleslaw, you can skip it.
Can these sandwiches be made ahead of time?
I don’t recommend assembling the sandwiches ahead of time since the bread will begin to get soggy, but you can make the barbecue chicken and coleslaw up to 48 hours in advance. When you’re ready to serve the sandwiches, simply reheat the chicken and assemble the sandwiches according to the recipe.
What can I do with leftover BBQ shredded chicken?
This recipe makes enough chicken for about 6 sandwiches. If you have leftover chicken and you don’t want to use it in more sandwiches, you can use it to make a salad, a small batch of BBQ chicken nachos, or depending on how much you have left, a BBQ chicken pizza (if you only have a little left, you can still use it to make a smaller naan pizza).
Can I freeze these sandwiches?
Don’t freeze assembled sandwiches but the BBQ chicken and buns can be frozen separately. Transfer the chicken to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Buns can be double wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost the chicken in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Frozen buns can go directly into a 400°F oven. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes until heated through and lightly toasted and then assemble the sandwiches. I do not recommend trying to freeze the coleslaw.
What to serve with chicken sandwiches?
Serve your sandwiches with a side of kettle chips, homemade fries, smashed potatoes, or maybe some macaroni salad (my fave), and a simple veggie like:
Roasted Broccoli Roasted Zucchini Microwave Corn on the Cob Microwave Steamed Green Beans
More Easy Chicken Recipes
Creamy Chicken Pasta Chicken Parm Soup Chicken Francaise Crispy Lemon Chicken Thighs
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