Crockpot Honey Whiskey & Peach BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Instructions

1. Put 1 quartered yellow onion and 3 whole garlic cloves in the bottom of the slow cooker. Season 4 chicken breasts with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and arrange them over the onion and garlic. In a bowl, combine 1 full 18 oz bottle Stubb's Whiskey & Peach BBQ Sauce, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp dark brown sugar, 1 tsp molasses, 3/4 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Stir until the brown sugar and molasses are incorporated. Pour the mixture over the chicken and turn the breasts once to coat. Do not add water, broth, honey, butter, or vinegar yet.

   

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 5 hours. Begin checking at about 3 hours. The chicken is ready when the thickest part reaches 165°F and pulls apart easily. Take it out when it is done rather than leaving lean chicken breasts in the cooker for several unnecessary hours.

3. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl or cutting board. Shred it with two forks into medium-sized strands. Leave some substantial pieces. It makes a much better sandwich than finely shredded chicken.

   

4. Transfer the cooked onion quarters and garlic cloves to a blender with about 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Blend until smooth. Stir the puree back into all of the remaining cooking liquid. An immersion blender works too.

5. Pour the blended sauce into a saucepan. Bring it to a steady simmer over medium heat and cook uncovered for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring regularly, before adding more sweetener. It should become noticeably thicker and more concentrated but remain loose enough to spoon onto a sandwich. Taste after it has reduced. That is when you can tell how much honey it really needs, because reduction concentrates the Stubb's, brown sugar, and molasses all at once.

   

6. Stir in 1/4 cup additional Stubb's Whiskey & Peach BBQ Sauce and 1 tbsp honey. Simmer for 2 minutes, then taste. If you want more honey-BBQ character, add another 1 tbsp honey, but only after tasting. The default finish is 1/4 cup additional BBQ sauce and 1 to 2 tbsp honey.

7. Turn the heat to low and stir in 1 tbsp butter until melted. Add 2 tsp apple cider vinegar and taste. If the sauce needs more brightness, add more vinegar up to 1 tbsp total. Add the vinegar now, after the sauce has reduced, so you are balancing the finished sweetness.

8. Reserve 2 to 3 tbsp finished sauce for Tangy Bacon BBQ Baked Beans. Leave the rest of the sauce separate from the chicken.

9. Do not toss the shredded chicken with the sauce. Keep the chicken and the finished sauce in separate bowls. People put as much sauce as they want on their own sandwiches.

10. Lightly butter the cut sides of 4 to 6 brioche or potato buns and toast until golden. Optionally spread French onion dip on the toasted buns. Herbie uses Dean's French Onion Dip. Build each sandwich with a toasted bottom bun, shredded chicken, as much finished BBQ sauce as you want, dill pickle slices, cold Orchard Honeycrisp & Granny Smith Coleslaw, and a toasted top bun.