BBQ Shredded Chicken & Coleslaw Toast
About This BBQ Shredded Chicken & Coleslaw Toast
What It Is: Buttery toasted sourdough topped with sticky BBQ shredded chicken and chilled coleslaw.
Servings: 4
Cooking Method: Skillet-seared chicken finished in BBQ sauce, with butter-toasted sourdough.
Flavour & Texture: Sweet, smoky and savoury BBQ chicken balanced by cool, tangy coleslaw and chewy, lightly crisp sourdough.
What Makes This Version Different: Instead of slow-smoking or braising the chicken, I sear a chicken breast first, shred it and finish it directly in the skillet with BBQ seasoning and homemade BBQ sauce.
Do I Need a Smoker? Nope. Everything is cooked in one skillet.
There really isn't anything complicated about this one. I wanted something messy, sticky and savoury, but with enough acidity and freshness that it wouldn't become too heavy. So I took a chicken breast, gave it a good sear, shredded it and threw it straight back into the same skillet with BBQ spice mix and my homemade BBQ sauce.
A simple coleslaw...
That goes onto buttery toasted sourdough with a cold, tangy coleslaw on top. You get crisp bread, sticky chicken and crunchy cabbage all in the same bite.
BBQ meat and coleslaw have been sitting happily next to each other in American barbecue for a very long time, particularly in sandwiches where the cool, acidic slaw cuts through rich smoked meat and sweet BBQ sauce.
There are countless regional variations, though, and I'm definitely not trying to recreate any particular American barbecue tradition here. I'm not even smoking the chicken. This is simply my skillet version using chicken breast, @VinceHomeMade Dad's BBQ Spice Mix and my homemade BBQ sauce.
The important part for me is the balance: the chicken should be sticky rather than swimming in sauce, while the coleslaw needs enough acidity to cut through everything underneath.
And please don't take the sourdough too far when you're toasting it. I know we're all conditioned to think crispier equals better, but an aggressively toasted slice of sourdough underneath a pile of chicken and coleslaw becomes an absolute workout to eat.
I want the outside lightly crisp with some chew left in the middle. That's also why I serve this open-faced instead of turning it into a giant sandwich. If you've already made a batch of my BBQ sauce, give this a try. It's basically a very good excuse to pile a wet, sticky mess onto buttery toast and call it lunch.
Ingredients:
(Serve 4)
Coleslaw:
Cabbage Shredded, 1/4
Carrot Shredded, 1/2
Sea Salt, Pinch
Black Pepper, Pinch
Rice Vinegar / Fresh Lemon Juice, 1 TBSP
Dijon Mustard, 1 TBSP
Kewpie Mayo, 2 TBSP
Toast:
Rapeseed / Sunflower / Canola / Peanut Oil, 2 TBSP
Chicken Breast, 1
Sea Salt, Pinch
White Pepper, Pinch
@VinceHomeMade Dad's BBQ Spice Mix, 2 TBSP Or Your Favorite BBQ Rub
BBQ Sauce Homemade, 1/4 Cup + More
Sourdough Bread, 8 Slices
Unsalted Butter, For Toasting
Equipment:
Cast Iron Skillet / Pan
Directions:
Please visit my "Homemade BBQ Sauce" for the recipe.
Add the shredded cabbage and carrot to a mixing bowl. Season lightly with salt and black pepper, then add the rice vinegar or fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Kewpie mayo.
Toss everything thoroughly until the vegetables are evenly coated. Taste and adjust the seasoning or acidity if necessary. The coleslaw should be creamy but still have enough tang to cut through the sweet BBQ chicken.
Cover and chill the coleslaw in the refrigerator while you prepare everything else.
Keeping it cold also gives you a nice contrast against the hot chicken and toast.
Heat the cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the chicken breast and season lightly with salt.
Sear until the underside develops a deep golden-brown crust, then flip and cook the other side until equally golden.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Using two forks, carefully shred it into small pieces. It is okay if the centre isn't completely cooked at this point because the shredded chicken will return to the skillet and continue cooking. **Do not eat or taste the chicken at this stage if it is still undercooked.**
Return the same skillet to medium heat. Add a small splash of water and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon or spatula to loosen all those browned bits left behind from the chicken.
Add the shredded chicken back to the skillet. Season with white pepper and the BBQ spice mix, then toss thoroughly so the seasoning coats the chicken.
Add the homemade BBQ sauce and continue cooking, stirring and tossing occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked and most of the loose liquid has evaporated.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. You're looking for chicken that is moist and sticky rather than completely dry.
Remove the skillet from the heat and toss through a little more BBQ sauce. This final addition keeps the chicken glossy and saucy without having a pool of liquid underneath it.
Transfer the BBQ chicken out of the skillet and set it aside.
Return the same skillet to medium-low heat and add some unsalted butter. As it melts, scrape up any remaining BBQ bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Add the sourdough slices and toast until lightly golden and crisp on one side. Flip and toast the other side.
Don't take the bread too far. You want lightly crisp surfaces while the centre still has some chew; heavily toasted sourdough can become difficult to cut and eat once everything is piled on top.
Transfer the toasted sourdough onto serving plates.
Spoon the warm, sticky BBQ shredded chicken generously over each piece of toast.
Finish with the chilled coleslaw and serve immediately.
Tips
Don't cook the chicken completely dry.
Reduce the BBQ sauce until it clings to the shredded chicken, then add a little fresh sauce after removing the skillet from the heat. You want a sticky mess, not chicken jerky.
Keep the coleslaw cold.
The contrast between hot BBQ chicken and chilled, crunchy coleslaw is part of what makes this work.
Don't over-toast the sourdough.
You're not making crostini. The bread needs enough structure to hold the toppings while remaining easy to slice and chew.
Use the same skillet.
The browned bits left from searing the chicken contain plenty of flavour. Deglazing the pan brings them back into the chicken rather than washing them down the sink.
Use whatever BBQ rub you like.
I'm using @VinceHomeMade Dad's BBQ Spice Mix, but your favourite BBQ rub will work too.
Add the coleslaw last.
Don't put it onto the toast until you're ready to serve or the moisture will eventually soften the bread.
FAQ
What is BBQ Shredded Chicken & Coleslaw Toast?
It is an open-faced toast made with buttery sourdough, skillet-cooked shredded chicken coated in BBQ seasoning and BBQ sauce, and chilled coleslaw. The combination gives you hot, sticky chicken, cold crunchy slaw and lightly crisp bread in every bite.
Can I use store-bought BBQ sauce?
Absolutely. I use my homemade BBQ sauce because that's what I usually have around, but your favourite bottled BBQ sauce will work too.
Why sear the chicken before shredding it?
Searing develops browned flavour on the surface of the chicken and leaves browned bits behind in the skillet. After shredding the chicken, I deglaze the same skillet and finish everything together with the BBQ seasoning and sauce.
Can the chicken still be undercooked when I shred it?
Yes, provided you return it immediately to the skillet and continue cooking it thoroughly. The chicken should reach 74°C / 165°F before serving. Don't taste the chicken mixture while any of it is still undercooked.
Why add more BBQ sauce after cooking?
Cooking the chicken with BBQ sauce concentrates the flavour and creates the sticky texture I want, but reducing it also removes moisture. Tossing in a little fresh BBQ sauce after removing the skillet from the heat brings some moisture and gloss back without making everything watery.
Why serve the coleslaw cold?
Cold coleslaw gives the dish both temperature and texture contrast. Its acidity also helps balance the sweetness and richness of the BBQ chicken and buttered sourdough.
Can I turn this into a sandwich?
Of course. I'm serving it open-faced because I like the ratio of bread to filling, but there's nothing stopping you from putting another slice of sourdough on top. Just don't toast the bread until it becomes so hard that eating the damn thing turns into a jaw workout.
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