Chef notes
Rotisserie chicken gets saucy and scrumptious in this time-saving recipe that gets its inspiration from sloppy Joes. While typical sloppy Joe recipes are comprised of ground beef, tomato sauce or ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and brown sugar, I take things in a healthier direction by using shredded rotisserie chicken and skipping the added sugar. I describe the flavor as a blend of sweet, savory, saucy and tangy. You can use your favorite type of mustard; I opt for yellow mustard to stay true to the signature recipe, but certainly Dijon, ground or spicy brown would all be great, too. And if you'd like it a bit sweeter, feel free to add a dash of maple syrup or even a squirt of ketchup. In my house, these are known as sloppy Joys!
Technique tip: Remove skin and shred chicken breasts into small pieces using your fingers. You'll get about 3 cups from a standard rotisserie chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1½ cups)
- 1 (16-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard (or other preferred mustard)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or a generous squirt of ketchup (optional)
- whole-grain slider buns
Preparation
Liberally coat a large skillet with nonstick oil spray and warm over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, paprika, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower heat and mix in the shredded chicken. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until everything is piping hot and the sauce has thickened a bit. If you'd like it sweeter, you can add maple syrup or ketchup.
To assemble sliders, add 1/4 cup scoops on small-sized buns (or heaping 1/2 cup scoops for larger hamburger buns) and dig in!
