Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

on Jan 15, 2023, Updated Feb 01, 2024

5 from 4 votes

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Pulled Chicken Sandwiches are a regular meal at my house. They’re delicious, full of protein, and SO quick and easy to make!

Pulled chicken sandwiches stacked on each other with text on the photo that reads "Super easy - made with rotisserie chicken!"

Pulled Chicken Recipe for Sandwiches

One of the best parts of this recipe is that it’s made with a rotisserie chicken. By using pre-cooked chicken it’s literally so quick to whip this recipe up after a long day of school, work, sports, and other activities. Plus, my kids love these little sandwiches so that’s definitely a win in my book!

Add sides like some fresh fruit, pasta or Avocado Salad and you’ve got yourself a complete meal!

Ingredients on the counter in small dishes including hawaiian rolls, rotisserie chicken, brown sugar, bbq sauce, white vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, and chicken stock.

Ingredients for BBQ Pulled Chicken

Rotisserie Chicken Breast – I love using rotisserie chicken because it’s already cooked so it makes this recipe super quick and simple. Plus, it’s so affordable when it comes to pre-cooked chicken. If you’d rather cook your own chicken, use your favorite method. If you want to use raw chicken in the crock pot and need a few tips, see the FAQs towards the bottom of this recipe.
BBQ Sauce – You can use any kind here. My favorite is Sweet Baby Ray’s.
Chicken Broth – This is the help thin out the bbq sauce a bit so it isn’t too sticky. However, most of the chicken broth will simmer out while heating the chicken.
White Vinegar – The vinegar adds a perfect tangy kick to the final sauce.
Garlic Powder – I always have garlic powder on hand so this is what I use, but if you have fresh garlic you can substitute 2 minced garlic cloves.
Salt
Pepper
Brown Sugar – The brown sugar adds a subtle sweetness to the sauce and keeps it nice and smooth, without being too sticky.
Hawaiian Rolls – My kids love Hawaiian Rolls, so this is usually what I use for my family. We use the small size because I have young kids, but feel free to use larger rolls or a different brand if you prefer. If using larger rolls, this recipe will make about 4 large sandwiches, so be sure to double the recipe if needed.
Butter – We’ll put butter on the rolls before broiling them because who doesn’t love butter?!
Cheddar Cheese – This is optional, but I love to add sliced cheese on the sandwiches. Feel free to use your favorite kind!

How to Make Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Take your rotisserie chicken and break it into a few smaller portions – this will make it easier and faster to heat up.
In a large pan on the stove, add the bbq sauce, chicken broth, white vinegar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and whisk to combine the ingredients.
Add the pre-cooked chicken to the large pan with sauce.
Heat the chicken and sauce in the pan over medium-low heat for about 5-10 minutes, or until the chicken is heated all the way through.
Next, remove the chicken from the pan and shred (or pull) the chicken apart with two forks.
While the chicken is removed from the pan, add the brown sugar to the sauce and stir until the sugar has melted and the sauce is no longer gritty.
Once you’ve finished shredding the chicken, add it back into the pan and toss to coat all the shredded chicken in the finished bbq sauce.
Turn off the heat and place a lid on the pan to keep the chicken warm while preparing the rolls.
Cut the Hawaiian rolls in half and butter the insides of the rolls. This will help them to broil quickly.
Place the buttered, open face rolls in the oven to broil until just golden brown.
After the rolls have broiled, evenly distribute the barbecue shredded chicken onto the bottom half of the Hawaiian rolls.
Place slices of cheddar cheese on top of the warm chicken, then add the top half of the roll to complete the sandwich.
Serve warm & enjoy!

A small white bowl of pulled chicken on the counter with open face rolls, topped with cheese, in the background.

What goes with Pulled Chicken Sandwiches?

A few popular sides to pair with Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches are coleslaw, potato salad, french fries, and baked beans. I also often pair this meal with a green salad, roasted vegetables, corn-on-the-cob, or potato chips.

Is pulled chicken the same as shredded chicken?

Yes, pulled chicken and shredded chicken are basically the same thing. People sometimes use “pulled” to refer to pulling the chicken apart with two forks or “shredded” to refer to shredding the chicken with a knife, food processor, fork, or electric mixer.

How do I make pulled chicken in the crockpot?

If you’d like to cook your own raw chicken in the crockpot for this recipe, follow the steps below:

Place all of the ingredients for the sauce, minus the brown sugar, in your crockpot first.
Add chicken breasts to the crockpot and cook on low for about 6 hours or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F and shreds easily with a fork.
Remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred.
Transfer the liquid from the crockpot to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Add the brown sugar to the sauce and continue to stir over a simmer until the sugar dissolves.
Add the shredded chicken to the pan and coat in the sauce.
Now continue with the recipe above, beginning at step 8.

Hawaiian rolls cut in half and open on the counter with pulled chicken on one side of the rolls and cheese on the other side of the rolls.

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1 Comment

Sarah says:

September 13, 2023 at 3:22 pm

Have made these multiple times because they are so delicious and easy!! The ingredients are things I keep on hand except the Hawaiian rolls but those are easy to pick up from the store!