Easy Pulled Chicken Recipe the Healthy Way

My easy pulled chicken recipe the healthy way is a quick, gluten free, lower sugar version of this popular dish.  It contains a handful of spices and a little miso paste, which not only adds goodness but also rich, savoury flavour, perfect in this dish.  

You will love this easy pulled chicken recipe! It’s super simple, low in sugar, made using natural ingredients and above all, bursting with flavour!

Pulled meats have gained in popularity in recent years and there is a perfectly good reason for that.  They are simply delicious!  Slow cooked meat is tender and succulent and the rich sauce it is marinated and cooked in makes this already delicious meat even more delicious.  It is probably one of the tastiest ways of serving meat.

Easy pulled chicken recipe with miso

I decided to add a small amount of miso paste to my pulled chicken marinade for extra savouriness and depth of flavour.  Miso has a very intense, salty, super savoury flavour, which was ideal to combine with tangy tomato paste, sweet honey and sharp vinegar I used in this recipe.

Miso paste is a super healthy ingredient which has many uses far beyond the Japanese cuisine.  It is a natural product high in protein and fibre, low in sugar, vegan and gluten free. (Though not always so check the label carefully).  In short, most qualities that readymade barbecue sauces which we tend to add to pulled meats are lacking.

If you’ve never bought miso paste before and are worried you’ll use it once, stick in the fridge and end up forgetting about it I assure you that won’t happen.

Miso is super versatile and you can add it to sauces, soups (not just miso soup!), gravies as well as these easy honey roasted carrots for extra savouriness.  Just experiment with it a little, try adding a small amount to your dish and taste it to see how you like it.

How to make healthy easy pulled chicken

This recipe contains only 2 tablespoons of honey so it’s a lot lower in sugar than pulled chicken recipes which call for bbq sauce or ketchup.  And most of them do.  I used skinless chicken and only 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil so the fat content is also quite low.

To make the marinade simply combine all the ingredients and stir until smooth.  Then pour the mixture over the chicken, coating evenly all over and leave to marinate for about an hour if possible.  Then cook slowly in a preheated oven for 2 hours.

Remove from the oven and separate the meat form the bone.  This will be very easy to do as the meat will be super tender.  Place the meat back into the casserole dish, combine with the juice and enjoy!

Serving suggestions

You can enjoy this Easy Pulled Chicken Recipe the Healthy Way in burritos, burger buns, in lettuce boats,  with rice, coleslaw or a dollop of guacamole.  If the sauce gets too thick (it may do so as the meat cools) just add a bit of water.

More easy chicken recipes

If like me you are a fan of delicious chicken dishes that require very little effort then you might like this Crispy Chicken with Moroccan Spices.  Just coat the chicken in the spice mixture and bake!  How easy is that.

Also check out this Low Carb Creamy Garlic Chicken Skillet with Spinach.  It comes together in only 15 minutes!  Or how about this Cauliflower Crusted Chicken?  It only takes 10 minutes to prepare.  Quick and easy mid-week chicken dinners don’t get easier than that!

You may also like this collection of 13 healthy easy one pot chicken recipes.

Print Recipe

Easy Pulled Chicken Recipe the Healthy Way

My Easy Pulled Chicken Recipe the Healthy Way is a quick, gluten free, lower sugar version of this popular dish - it is made using a handful of spices and a little miso paste, which not only adds goodness but also rich, savoury flavour, perfect in this dish.   So there is no need to use readymade barbecue sauce or ketchup (both usually high in sugar and low in nutrients).

Prep Time1 hr 10 mins

Cook Time2 hrs

Total Time3 hrs 10 mins

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken

Servings: 4 people

Author: Everyday Healthy Recipes

Ingredients

• 4 chicken legs skinless
• 4 tbsp tomato puree
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable/olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1.5 tablespoons miso paste check the label to ensure it's gluten free
• 1 teaspoon each cumin powder chilli flakes and paprika/smoked paprika
• 2/3 teaspoon granulated onion a little less than a teaspoon
• ½ teaspoon each sea salt ginger and allspice powders
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

• Place the bay leaves and the chicken in a large casserole dish.
• Combine the rest of the ingredients and stir until smooth. Pour the mixture over the chicken, stir to ensure even distribution and leave to marinate for 1 hour, if possible.
• Preheat the oven to 325F/ 170 C/ gas mark 3.
• Cover the dish loosely with tin foil and bake in the middle of the oven for 2 hours.
• Remove from the oven, place the chicken pieces on a large plate/cutting board and separate the meat from the bone. Shred the meat, put back into the dish, stir to combine with the sauce and serve.
• Serve with nachos, rice, burger buns, burritos, pita, with coleslaw or a dollop of guacamole.

Notes

Preparation time includes the time needed to marinate the chicken.

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Recipe Link Parties

I am sharing this easy pulled chicken recipe with #CookBlogShare, hosted this week by Recipes Made Easy.  It’s my turn to host next week so bring your recipes, old or new, to share with a wider audience:) Also sharing with Recipe of the Week.