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    Home » Recipes » Easy Meals

    Oven Pulled Chicken the Healthy Way

    February 25, 2018 By Monika Last Updated November 5, 2020 14 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Side view of shredded chicken with coleslaw inside burger bun pierced with bamboos stick, with lime and coleslaw in black dish in background.

    My easy, healthy oven pulled chicken 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 a rich, savoury flavour, perfect in this dish.  

    Pulled chicken in black oval cast iron dish with fork, wraps, guacamole in small dish and green cloth.

    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.

    Why this recipe works

    It's super simple, low in sugar, made using natural ingredients and above all, bursting with flavour! 

    Healthy oven pulled chicken ingredients

    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 legs and only 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil so the fat content is also quite low.

    I decided to add a small amount of miso paste to my pulled chicken marinade for extra savouriness and depth of flavour (although you can't taste the miso itself).  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 nutritious 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.

    Side view of pulled chicken with coleslaw inside burger bun pierced with bamboos stick, with lime and coleslaw in black dish in background.

    Step-by-step recipe instructions

    1.Place the chicken legs with the bay leaves inside your oven dish.

    4 skinless chicken legs with bay leaves in black oval dish.

    2. To make the marinade simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

    Chicken marinade spices with spoon inside yellow bowl.

    3. Stir until smooth.

    Pulled chicken marinade with spoon inside yellow bowl.

    4. Coat the chicken in the marinade evenly all over and leave to marinate for at least an hour (up to overnight).

    Chicken legs coated in marinade inside black oval dish.

    5. Cover loosely with foil and cook slowly in a preheated oven at 170 C/gas mark 3 for 2 hours.

    Cooked chicken legs in marinade inside oval black dish with red-and-white checkered cloth.

    6. 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.  Shred the meat, breaking up the larger pieces and place back into the casserole dish.

    Shredded chicken with knife and fork on top of white plate.

    7.Combine with the juices and enjoy!

    Pulled chicken in black oval cast iron dish with fork, guacamole in small dish, wraps and green cloth.

    Serving suggestions 

    You can enjoy shredded chicken in burritos, burger buns, in lettuce wraps,  with rice, mango avocado salsa, coleslaw, homemade bbq sauce or a dollop of healthy ranch dip.

    This dish tastes delicious served alongside black bean stew and grilled corn salsa.

    Expert tips and FAQs

    • Add more chilli flakes for extra heat if you prefer.
    • Preparation time includes the minimum recommended time (1 hour) needed to marinate the chicken. The chicken can be left in the marinade overnight.
    • The sauce may thicken as it cools so you may want to add a drop of water and give a good stir before serving.
    • Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
    • Freeze for up to 3 months.

    Side view of shredded chicken with coleslaw inside burger bun pierced with bamboos stick, with lime and coleslaw in black dish in background.

    You might also like

    • Moroccan Spiced Crispy Chicken Legs Recipe
    • Yogurt Marinated Spiced Chicken Breast
    • Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs

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

    Keep in touch!

    How has this oven pulled chicken recipe turned out for you? What is your favourite way of serving pulled chicken? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

    Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular recipe updates! Or you could subscribe to this blog and receive all my latest recipes right into your mailbox!

    Top down view of pulled chicken in black oval cast iron dish with fork, wraps, guacamole in small dish and green cloth.

    Oven Pulled Chicken Recipe the Healthy Way

    Healthy oven pulled chicken 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.  
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    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner, Lunch
    Cuisine: American, Low fat
    Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
    Servings: 5 people
    Calories: 351kcal
    Author: Monika Dabrowski

    Ingredients

    • 4 chicken leg quarters skinless
    • 4 tbsp tomato puree
    • 3 garlic cloves crushed
    • 2 tbsp vegetable/olive oil
    • 3 tbsp cider vinegar
    • 2 tbsp honey
    • 1.5 tbsp miso paste
    • 1.5 tsp smoked or sweet paprika
    • 1 tsp each: cumin powder and chilli flakes
    • ⅔ tsp granulated onion a little less than a teaspoon
    • ½ tsp each: ginger and allspice powders
    • ¼ tsp fine sea salt
    • 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 at least 1 hour.
    • Preheat the oven to 325F/ 170 C/ gas mark 3.
    • Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake in the centre of the oven for 2 hours.
    • Remove from the oven, place the chicken pieces on top of 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.

    Notes

    • Add more chilli flakes for an extra bit of heat if you like.
    • Preparation time includes the minimum recommended time (1 hour) needed to marinate the chicken. The chicken can be left in the marinade overnight.
    • The sauce may thicken as it cools so you may want to add a drop of water and give a good stir before serving.
    • Serve with nachos, rice, burger buns, burritos, pita, with coleslaw or a dollop of guacamole.
    • Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
    • Freeze for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 518mg | Potassium: 332mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 451IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 2mg

    *Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

    **A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @Monika8021 or tag #EverydayHealthyRecipes!

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sharlene Constandi

      May 08, 2018 at 9:52 pm

      This is right up my street! Definitely saving this recipe for a rainy day! thanks for sharing : )

      Reply
      • Monika

        May 09, 2018 at 7:49 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    2. Cat

      February 27, 2018 at 3:09 pm

      This is my kind of recipe. It looks so tasty and can be used in so many different recipes. I'm not sure if I've tried miso before so I'll have to give it a go.

      Reply
      • Monika

        February 27, 2018 at 11:08 pm

        Thanks Cat, everybody loves pulled meats right? Miso is definitely worth trying (and not just in this recipe).

        Reply
    3. petra08

      February 26, 2018 at 9:24 pm

      A great way to use miso! I love pulled meat and chicken is always a great option, leaner and healthier too! 🙂

      Reply
      • Monika

        February 27, 2018 at 9:11 am

        Thank you Petra, chicken and turkey are the only meats I eat so I use them a lot.

        Reply
        • petra08

          February 27, 2018 at 3:03 pm

          hi Monika
          They are both so versatile! 🙂

          Reply
          • Monika

            February 27, 2018 at 11:07 pm

            I think so too:)

            Reply
    4. Recipes Made Easy

      February 26, 2018 at 7:33 pm

      Ive printed this ready to try it is just the sort of dish my boys love. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare. See you at yours later this week.

      Reply
      • Monika

        February 27, 2018 at 9:13 am

        Thanks Jacqui! My boys loved this too! I hope your virus is gone and you are well enough to cook:)

        Reply
    5. Karly

      February 25, 2018 at 9:01 pm

      Looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Monika

        February 25, 2018 at 10:44 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    6. Zeba@Food For The Soul

      February 25, 2018 at 4:55 pm

      Monika this looks amazing especially as I am thinking of sunday night dinner 🙂 I have that Miso in the bacl of my fridge 😉 Thanks for the inspiration.

      Reply
      • Monika

        February 25, 2018 at 5:18 pm

        Thank you Zeba, I admit I often forget about my miso too, I might have to make this dish again soon, the kids loved it:)

        Reply

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