Description
Coca-Cola chicken elevates weeknight dinners with its sweet and tangy glaze. Simple ingredients merge effortlessly, creating a crowd-pleasing meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
- 1 (12 fl oz / 355 mL) can coca-cola (not diet)
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Lightly spray slow cooker interior with nonstick coating to prevent adhering and ensure easy cleanup.
- Chicken Placement: Arrange chicken pieces in a single, even layer within the slow cooker, maximizing sauce exposure and potential flavor infusion.
- Sauce Creation: Whisk Coca-Cola, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper together in a mixing bowl until completely integrated and smooth.
- Sauce Application: Pour liquid mixture over chicken, thoroughly coating each piece and allowing excess to pool at the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Cooking Process: Cover and cook on LOW temperature for 6-7 hours or HIGH temperature for 3-4 hours, enabling chicken to become incredibly tender and absorb rich, complex flavor profiles.
- Meat Transformation: Carefully shred chicken using two forks directly within the cooking vessel, breaking down meat into succulent, sauce-saturated strands.
- Final Preparation: Gently mix shredded chicken to ensure uniform sauce distribution, creating a mouthwatering blend perfect for serving over rice, in sandwich buns, or alongside mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Prevent Sauce Burning: Low and slow cooking prevents sauce caramelization and burning, ensuring a rich, smooth flavor without bitter undertones.
- Chicken Selection Matters: Choose boneless, skinless chicken thighs for maximum tenderness and moisture retention, avoiding dry meat during extended cooking periods.
- Sauce Consistency Control: Reserve some sauce before serving to adjust thickness by whisking in a cornstarch slurry if needed, creating a perfectly glossy coating.
- Flavor Enhancement Technique: Allow chicken to rest in the sauce for 10-15 minutes after shredding to maximize flavor absorption and create a more cohesive, delicious dish.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg