BBQ Pulled Chicken with Slaw and Pickles

Ingredients

• 900 g chicken thigh fillets
• 100 ml chicken stock
• salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 150 ml BBQ sauce
• 200 g white cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 3 tbsp plain yogurt
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 100 ml red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt

Method

1. Combine the sliced red onion, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt in a small jar or non-reactive container. Set aside to lightly pickle while the chicken cooks — it'll turn glossy pink and softly tangy by the time you're ready to serve.
2. Pat the chicken thighs dry with kitchen paper — water means steam, and steam means no browning. Rub them all over with the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, a generous pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Season properly now; you can't fix bland chicken at the end.
3. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-based stainless or cast-iron pan over medium-high until it shimmers. Lay the thighs in in two batches — don't crowd the pan, or they'll release water and stew instead of browning. Sear hard for 4 minutes a side until deeply coloured and the spices smell toasty. The garlic and onion powders should bloom into something fragrant, not acrid — if you smell anything bitter, drop the heat. Lift the first batch out and brown the rest.
4. Return all the chicken to the pan and pour in the chicken stock and half the BBQ sauce, scraping up the sticky brown fond from the base with a wooden spoon — that's where the depth lives. Drop the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20–25 minutes until the chicken is fork-tender and pulls apart with no resistance.
5. While that ticks away, make the slaw. Toss the cabbage and grated carrot with the yoghurt, the apple cider vinegar, Dijon and honey. Season with salt and set aside — the vinegar softens the cabbage and sharpens as it sits, so 10 minutes minimum.
6. Lift the chicken onto a board and shred it roughly with two forks. Return it to the pan with the remaining BBQ sauce and toss over a medium heat for 3 minutes, until the sauce clings and goes glossy and sticky. Taste, season, taste again — the BBQ sauce carries sweetness and salt, but a final pinch ties it together.
7. Pile the pulled chicken onto a board, top with slaw and scatter with pickled red onion. Serve with brioche buns or warm flatbreads alongside.