Badgers Home Opener
There are few things more fun that partaking in adult beverages and munching on some crazy good food, all while waiting to head in to the game to watch the Badgers kick some ass! This weekend was no different! The Bloody Mary’s were flowing, the Craft Beer was sud-sing, and Smoked Pulled Chicken Sandwiches were going to down one after the other. (Read about the Camp Randall experience, here! <—CLICK ON THE RED!) But let’s get to the how to make the food!
Smoked Pulled Chicken
The All-American BBQ Sauce
TTGF BBQ Rub
TTGF Alabama White Sauce
TTGF Espresso Rub
Let’s get real for a second, I absolutely LOVE pretzel buns. The texture, the flavor, and honestly, the look of them. However, I do think they can be a little overplayed. The insides of the sandwich has to be able to match the flavor strength of the bun. If you put something light in flavor inside, it will just get lost even if tastes good. This particular sandwich is perfect for the pretzel bun!
Want some more Chicken Recipes? Click the link above!
The Stack
Pretzel Bun (Bottom): Rich and dense. (There’s a joke in there somewhere…) Always warm the bun up!
Sharp Cheddar: The sharpness helps this sandwich be more well rounded. When you warm the bun up, top the cheese on it and get it melty!
Smoked Pulled Chicken: ALWAYS USE CHICKEN THIGHS! Not only does it smoke better, but the flavor is superior.
The All-American BBQ Sauce: Once again, I’m not going to give out my recipe. But if you’re going to go all out on these sandwiches, show everyone your sauce game! ***This sandwich needs a more vinegar based sauce***
Caramelized Onions: Adds a buttery, sweetness that is slightly unexpected…and delicious!
Pretzel Bun (Top): See Pretzel Bun (Bottom).
A Better Break Down (For Some Of The Parts)
Caramelized Onions
These are hands down, without a doubt the best Caramelized Onions I’ve ever made…and it is because I messed up! Previously, I would use one tablespoon of butter (unsalted) per Red Onion. I wanted to caramelize two onions this go around annnnd threw in a entire stick for some reason. These were truly perfect. PLUS, I saved the excess butter for frying eggs later!
Smoked Pulled Chicken
You will want to season the chicken liberally and baste liberally. Because of the smoking process and length, the rub and sauce change flavors pretty extensively while cooking. A big reason why my pulled chicken is soooo flavorful is because I re-season (with the rub) after I shred it! THAT IS KEY!
**BEER PAIRING**
Close Enough To Perfect
Working Draft Beer Company
Click picture for Full Review!
Smoked Pulled Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
For Chicken:
- 4 lbs. Chicken Thighs (skinless/boneless)
- 5 tbsp. TTGF BBQ Rub
For Caramelized Onions:
- 3 Red Onions (julienned)
- 8 tbsp. Butter (unsalted)
Rest:
- 8 Pretzel Buns
- 8 Extra Sharp Cheddar
- 1 TTGF The All-American BBQ Sauce
Instructions
For Chicken:
- Liberally season Chicken with rub. Rest for approx. an hour. Set smoker to 300F.
- Place Chicken onto smoker. Smoke for 30 hour, flip, and smoke for 15 minutes.
- After initial baste, flip and baste every 15 minutes 3 times. (45 minutes total)
- Pull and Shred. Re-season with 1 tbsp. Rub.
For Caramelized Onions:
- In large pan turned to low/medium, place stick of Butter.
- While Butter is melting and browning, julien Red Onions.
- Once julienned, place all Onions into pan. Stir occasionally until Onions are brown and slightly mushy.
- Drain onions and set aside. (SAVE THE BUTTER!)
For The Stack:
- Place slice of Cheddar on lower Pretzel bun. Warm Bun.
- Place Chicken on Cheese. Top Chicken with BBQ Sauce.
- Spread Caramelized Onions onto top Bun.
- MUNCH!
Notes
If you don’t have a smoker, THAT’S OKAY! You can totally still make this delicious sandwich.
Bake the Chicken Thighs at 350F until internal temperature of 165F. Season, shred, etc. like explained earlier.
Change cheeses up! Use some Pepperjack to add some spice.
