This is a really versatile dish. It can be used as a taco filling, served on a salad or simply shredded and served with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable like I did. It also makes a killer barbecue sandwich if you have any leftovers. The general idea of the recipe came from the dozens of Café Rio pork recipes that are floating around online. It is one of my favorite ways to cook a Boston Butt and I had a feeling that it would translate well to chicken. The spicy in this recipe is spicy as in flavorful not as in hot. Another thing- if it is too sweet for you let it mellow in the fridge overnight. It’s normally less sweet the next day or two than that first night.
Sweet and Spicy Chicken
A flavorful chicken that is great on its own or as a base for many dishes that use shredded chicken.
Prep time: 15 minutes plus marinating
Cook time: 5 to 8 hours
Total time: 5 hours, 15 minutes to 8 hours, 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds chicken- bone-in and boneless work
- 12 ounces cola
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 10 ounce can enchilada sauce
- 1/4 to 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
- To taste salt
- To taste black pepper
Cooking Directions
Pour the cola over the chicken breasts in a ziptop bag or a glass or plastic bowl with lid. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Pour the chicken and cola in a 2-4 quart slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 or until chicken shreds. If you’re using boneless chicken it won’t take quite as long to cook.
Carefully drain the cola off the chicken. Shred the chicken and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 2 hours longer. Serve as desired.
Shared at Delicious Dishes and Tasty Tuesday and Gooseberry Patch
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Micha
Sounds yummy!
This was a definite A+ in my house!!
I put in 4 chicken breasts, not wanting to risk dryness, but it definitely could have taken 5 or even possibly 6 (and made more leftovers, which were extra delicious the next day). I froze the leftover sauce to use in a soup some other time… double win. Only thing was it wasn’t spicy enough for us, so I added a sprinkling of red pepper flakes… that was great, but it’s totally subjective depending on whether you want double-spicy (as in also hot) chicken.
I did the potato thing originally, and then we used some leftovers in paninis, which was also good.
Footnote: Three days afterwards, I heard, “Hey we should make some more of that Dr. Pepper chicken for dinner.”