Tender shredded chicken meets a sweet, fruity and bright barbecue sauce made from Bing cherries, bourbon and spices. My Cherry Bourbon Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches are full of flavor and so delicious that you’ll wish it were cherry season all year round. Not only does this dinner celebrate the taste of summer, but the ease of it too. This recipe uses the crockpot to do all the work. No need to turn on the hot oven here. Instead, sit back, relax and let the slow cooker do all the work. Cheers to the good life!
In a food processor or high-powered blender, add ½ sweet onion that has been roughly chopped, 2 cloves of peeled garlic, 1½ cups of fresh washed and pitted sweet cherries, one tablespoon of Dijon mustard, one tablespoon of soy sauce, one cup of ketchup, 2 tablespoons of bourbon, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika and ½ tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Process the ingredients until smooth. Reserve one cup of barbecue sauce and set aside.
Add the rest of the barbecue sauce to a large crockpot along with 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Turn the chicken in the barbecue sauce until well coated. Cook on low for about 6 hours or until the chicken is fork tender.
While the chicken cooks, heat the reserved cup of barbecue sauce in a small pot over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, remove and allow to cool. Store the sauce in the refrigerator until the chicken is ready.
When the chicken is tender, use two forks to shred the chicken. Spoon the shredded chicken over toasted brioche buns, top with the reserved barbecue sauce and The Best Coleslaw Ever, if desired. Enjoy. This recipe easily serves 8.
Cherry Bourbon Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 8 brioche hamburger buns
Cherry Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
- ½ sweet onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1½ cups sweet cherries (such as Bings), washed and pitted
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp bourbon
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Add the barbecue sauce ingredients to a food processor or high-powdered blender and blend until smooth.
- Reserve one cup of sauce and set aside. Pour the remaining barbecue sauce into a large crockpot. Add the chicken to the crockpot and turn with tongs to coat the chicken completely.
- Cook the chicken on LOW for about 6 hours or until tender.
- While the chicken cooks, heat the reserved barbecue sauce in a small pot over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, allow to cool and store in the refrigerator until the chicken is ready.
- When the chicken is tender, shred it with two forks. Spoon the chicken over toasted brioche buns, top with some of the reserved barbecue sauce and a few scoops of the The Best Coleslaw Ever, if desired.
- This recipe will easily feed 8.
