Recipe: Pulled Chicken with Avocado Salsa - #TipsTuesdays 38

Welcome back to my blog and Tips Tuesdays, where I am continuing sharing some of the staple recipes I use during the week. I try to use recipes that are as healthy as possible. This is pulled chicken, which is a healthier version of pulled pork, but just as tasty.

Pulled Chicken with Avocado Salsa

This can easily be made gluten free, just check the highlighted* ingredients.

Serves 4 - but is very good reheated the next day

Ingredients

• 6-8 skinless chicken thighs (you can use bone in or not as you like)
• 2 tbspn Chipotle Paste (you can use less if you prefer - just go to your own taste)
• 250ml passata
• 75g BBQ sauce* (this is the one you need to check for gluten - some add flour - this recipe can be used if you can't find any,)
• 1 onion (I use red)
• 1 lime
• 1 large avocado
• handful of fresh coriander or 1/2 tsp of dried coriander leaf (optional)

to serve:

• tacos or rice, 
• lime wedges, 
• 1 can of refried beans, 
• lettuce (shredded), 
• soured cream if feeling naughty

Instructions

1. Put the oven on at 180C/160C fan/Gas mark 4 (350F/300F Fan).
2. Take the chicken thighs and rub them with 1 tbspn of the chipotle paste. (Use gloves if you can while doing this because you don't want chilli on your skin. You can also add salt and pepper if you want, but I don't really think it needs it.)
3. Finely chop the onion.
4. Mix the remaining 1 tbspn of chipotle paste with the passata, the BBQ sauce and half the onion, adding about 100ml of water as well. (I tend to do this straight in the casserole dish to save on washing up :))
5. Place the chicken in a roasting tin or casserole dish that will take the chicken pieces quite snugly.
6. Spoon the sauce over the top of the chicken so it is covered.
7. Either cover with foil very tightly or put on the casserole lid and pop into the oven for 1 hr.
8. Increase the oven temp to 200C/180 fan/ Gas Mark 6 (400F/350F fan) and uncover the chicken, baking for another 20 mins.
9. While waiting for the chicken to cook, juice the lime and place in a container with half a teaspoon of salt and the other half of the chopped onion. (I like to use smoked salt because it gives a little more flavour).
10. If serving with rice, remember to put on your rice for the correct cooking time during this period too.
11. Check the chicken to see it is tender and the sauce is not too runny. (If your chicken is done and your sauce is not reducing you can take the chicken out and keep warm, then put the sauce in saucepan and reduce it a bit more. You don't want it too sloshy :))
12. Shred the chicken using 2 forks and remove the bones if using bone in thighs. (I find it easier to do this by taking the chicken out of the sauce and doing it on a flat surface, then adding it back into the sauce).
13. Cut the avocado into small cubes. 
    1. The easiest way to do this is to cut all around the avocado stone along the longest axis, halving the avocado. 
    2. Then twist and the two halves will come away from each other. 
    3. Then take your knife and tap it sharply into the stone and twist again, the stone should come out.
    4. Now cut stripes into the avocado halves, length wise and width wise while still in the skin. 
    5. Then make one cut perpendicular to the others around the inside of where the stone was. 
    6. Now turn it out into the bowl.
14. Add the avocado and coriander (if using) to the onion and lime mixture.
15. Heat the refried bean as instructed on the packet.

To serve either load up tacos with beans, lettuce, pulled chicken and avocado salsa (with soured cream on top if you're feeling decadent) or serve everything on a plate with rice. It is delicious either way. A spritz of lime over the top can make the flavour even fresher if you like that kind of thing.

What is your favourite use of chipotle paste?