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Indoor Barbecue
Recipe
1 hr 15 min

Indoor Pulled Chicken with Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce

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184 Comments
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Indoor Pulled Chicken with Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce
Author: Andrew Janjigian

Recipe By Andrew Janjigian

Published on August 27, 2026

Our stovetop method yields pulled chicken so good—and so quick—that you'll think twice about making the outdoor kind.

Time

1 hr 15 min

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Why This Recipe Works

Our Indoor Pulled Chicken mimics the texture and flavor of outdoor slow-smoked pulled chicken in just a fraction of the time. We started by braising boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a mixture of chicken broth, salt, sugar, molasses, gelatin, and liquid smoke, which simulated the flavor of traditional smoked chicken. The gelatin and broth helped mimic the unctuous texture and intense chicken flavor of whole chicken parts. To mimic the richness of skin-on chicken, we skipped trimming the fat from the thighs and added the rendered fat back to the finished pulled chicken. Finally, we mixed the shredded meat with some of the barbecue sauce and cooked it briefly to drive off excess moisture.

Ingredients

Sauce

1 ½ cups ketchup
¼ cup molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Chicken

1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
Salt and pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved crosswise
Hot sauce

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image
  1. FOR THE SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl. Set aside.
  2. FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring broth, molasses, sugar, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke, gelatin, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add chicken and return to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is easily shredded with fork, about 25 minutes.
  3. Transfer chicken to medium bowl and set aside. Strain cooking liquid through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl (do not wash pot). Let liquid settle for 5 minutes; skim fat from surface. Set aside fat and defatted liquid.
  4. Using tongs, squeeze chicken until shredded into bite-size pieces. Transfer chicken, 1 cup sauce, ½ cup reserved defatted liquid, 3 tablespoons reserved fat, and remaining 1 teaspoon liquid smoke to now-empty pot. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until liquid has been absorbed and exterior of meat appears dry, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

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New Ways to Shred Meat
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New Ways to Shred Meat

Indoor Pulled Chicken with Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce

Recipe By Andrew Janjigian

Published on August 27, 2026

Time

1 hr 15 min

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Indoor Pulled Chicken with Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

Sauce

1 ½ cups ketchup¼ cup molasses2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce1 tablespoon hot sauce½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon pepper

Chicken

1 cup chicken broth2 tablespoons molasses1 tablespoon sugar1 tablespoon liquid smoke1 teaspoon unflavored gelatinSalt and pepper2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved crosswiseHot sauce

Instructions

  1. FOR THE SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl. Set aside.
  2. FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring broth, molasses, sugar, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke, gelatin, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add chicken and return to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is easily shredded with fork, about 25 minutes.
  3. Transfer chicken to medium bowl and set aside. Strain cooking liquid through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl (do not wash pot). Let liquid settle for 5 minutes; skim fat from surface. Set aside fat and defatted liquid.
  4. Using tongs, squeeze chicken until shredded into bite-size pieces. Transfer chicken, 1 cup sauce, ½ cup reserved defatted liquid, 3 tablespoons reserved fat, and remaining 1 teaspoon liquid smoke to now-empty pot. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until liquid has been absorbed and exterior of meat appears dry, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
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