Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken with Mango Slaw Lettuce Cups
The slow cooker does 95% of the work here, which means you do 5%, which means this is the dinner you make when you're running on fumes but still want something that feels intentional. Chicken thighs braise in a chipotle-lime sauce until they shred with a fork, and then you pile that smoky, tangy chicken into butter lettuce cups with a bright mango-cabbage slaw that wakes everything up. The contrast between the warm, saucy chicken and the cold, crunchy slaw is what makes this recipe stick. We make it almost every week in the summer.
- PRO
- GF
- DF
- PF
- PREP
Estimated macros per serving
Calories ~390 · Protein ~46g · Carbs ~19g · Fat ~12g
Ingredients
For the pulled chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- juice of 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the mango slaw:
- 1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Pinch of salt
For serving:
- 1–2 heads butter lettuce, leaves separated
Method
- Season the chicken thighs with cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Place them in the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, lime juice, honey, and garlic. Pour the sauce over the chicken, turning the thighs to coat. If your slow cooker tends to run hot or dry, add 2–3 tablespoons of chicken broth or water with the sauce.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours (or high for 2 to 3 hours). The chicken is done when it shreds easily with two forks (internal temperature should read at least 165°F on an instant-read thermometer). It should practically fall apart when you touch it.
- Shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker using two forks. Stir the shredded meat into the braising liquid so it absorbs all that flavor. Taste and add more salt or lime juice if needed.
- While the chicken finishes, make the slaw: Toss the mango, red cabbage, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, olive oil, and salt together in a bowl. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes for the flavors to meld.
- To serve, spoon pulled chicken into butter lettuce cups and top generously with the mango slaw. Eat immediately, preferably standing over the counter because you won't make it to the table.
Variations & Notes
- Vegan Swap: Replace the chicken with 2 (14-ounce) cans of young jackfruit (drained and shredded), or use shredded king oyster mushrooms. Swap the honey for maple syrup. Slow cook for 3 hours on low.
- Extra Hungry: Serve the pulled chicken over rice or roasted sweet potato rounds instead of (or alongside) the lettuce cups. Adam regularly does both.
- Substitutions: Chicken breasts work but dry out more easily: add ¼ cup of chicken broth to the slow cooker if using breasts. Pineapple can sub for mango in the slaw. Napa cabbage can replace red cabbage.
- Storage: Pulled chicken keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. The slaw is best made fresh: it gets soggy after a day. This is an excellent meal prep protein base.