Easy pulled chicken cooked in a slow cooker, paired with a crisp, flavorful Asian-style slaw, and served on sliders. These Chinese BBQ Pulled Chicken Sliders with Red Cabbage Slaw are low-stress, full of flavor, and perfect for a casual meal or party.
Slow-cooker meals are a lifesaver: they fill the house with inviting aromas and require minimal hands-on time. Chicken thighs are especially well suited to slow cooking — they stay moist and shred beautifully for pulled chicken. Pulled chicken is a leaner alternative to pork or beef but still delivers satisfying, savory flavor when combined with a bold sauce and a bright slaw.
This Chinese-style barbecue version uses a simple marinade adapted from a classic Chinese BBQ recipe and finishes in the crock-pot until the chicken is tender enough to shred. The sauce is subtly sweet, savory, and aromatic, while the red cabbage slaw adds texture, acidity, and a touch of heat. Together they make a tasty slider that disappears fast.
Chinese BBQ Pulled Chicken Sliders with Red Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
- ¼ c sherry
- ¼ c reduced sodium soy sauce
- ¼ c hoisin sauce
- 1 T brown sugar
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 t Sriracha (or other chili sauce)
- ½ t Chinese 5-spice
- ½ t onion powder
- ¼ t ground ginger
- 3 T honey
- 1 T sesame oil
- 6 large skinless chicken thighs
- 12 slider rolls
- Red Cabbage Slaw see below
Red Cabbage Slaw
- 2 T peanut butter
- 1 T Chinese spicy mustard
- 1 T toasted sesame oil
- 1 T reduced sodium soy sauce
- ¼ t ground ginger
- 2 t honey
- juice of 1 lime
- ½ medium head red cabbage thinly sliced
- ¼ c chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 scallions green and white parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 3 T roasted peanuts chopped
Instructions
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In a crock-pot, whisk together the sherry, soy sauce, hoisin, brown sugar, minced garlic, Sriracha, Chinese 5-spice, onion powder, ground ginger, honey, and sesame oil until smooth. Add the chicken thighs, cover, and cook on low for 6–8 hours, until very tender.
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For the red cabbage slaw: In a bowl, whisk the peanut butter, Chinese spicy mustard, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, ground ginger, honey, and lime juice until blended. Add the thinly sliced red cabbage, chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, and chopped roasted peanuts. Toss thoroughly—tongs work well—to coat everything with the dressing. Adjust seasoning to taste.
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When the chicken is done, transfer the pieces to a plate or cutting board and shred with two forks, discarding any bones. Return the shredded chicken to a bowl and stir in some of the cooking sauce to keep it moist. Pile the pulled chicken onto slider rolls and top with a generous portion of red cabbage slaw. Yield: about 6 servings (12 sliders).