pulled-chicken

Category: Low Calorie Recipes

Remake a street-food favourite, pulled pork, with juicy chicken thighs to cut the calories for a healthy taco filling

8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed and discarded and trimmed of any big bits of fat
2 tbsp chipotle paste
250ml passata
75g barbecue sauce
1 onion, chopped
juice 3 limes, plus extra wedges to serve (optional)
2 x 400g cans black beans, drained and rinsed
215g can refried beans
1 small, ripe avocado, diced
½ small pack coriander, leaves only
3 Little Gem lettuces, shredded
8-12 tacos, or cooked rice, to serve

STEP 1
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Rub the chicken thighs with 1 tbsp of the chipotle paste and some seasoning. Mix the remaining chipotle paste with the passata, barbecue sauce, 100ml water and half the onion. Spoon the sauce into a roasting tin that will fit the chicken snugly in a single layer and add the chicken thighs. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hr, then uncover, increase the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and bake for another 20 mins.
STEP 2
Meanwhile, mix the remaining onion with the lime juice and some salt, and set aside while the chicken cooks. Mix all the beans in a saucepan with 100ml water and heat, ready to serve.
STEP 3
When the chicken is really tender, use two forks to shred the meat into the sauce (discard the bones). Keep covered with the foil while you heat the beans for 5-10 mins until piping hot and not too wet, and warm the tacos following pack instructions. Stir the avocado and coriander leaves into the lime-onion mixture.
STEP 4
Serve the pulled chicken and beans with shredded lettuce and tacos, or rice and lime wedges to squeeze over, if you like. Top with a spoonful of the avocado salsa.