Fast or Slow Tikka-Style Pulled Chicken
EASIER
GLUTEN-FREE
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Tikka is a Punjabi specialty: chunks of meat marinated in a spicy mix. This recipe fuses those flavors with American barbecue to create a very aromatic version of the pulled classic. Serve in seeded buns (gluten-free, if that is a concern) with a little pickle relish or even store-bought India relish (less sweet and tangier). Or stuff in pita pockets and top with shredded cucumber, chopped fresh cilantro, Greek yogurt, and minced red onion. Or for a fusion mix-and-match dinner, serve it in corn tortillas with sour cream and pickled jalapeño rings.
One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
One 4½-ounce can chopped mild green chiles
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (gluten-free if that is a concern)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons mild smoked paprika
1 tablespoon red curry powder
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, any globs of fat removed
1. Mix the tomatoes, chiles, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, smoked paprika, red curry powder, and garlic in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker or a 6-quart stovetop or electric pressure cooker.
2. Add the chicken thighs and toss well to coat.
3. To cook the chicken in the slow cooker: Cover and cook on high for 2½ hours or on low for 6 hours, until the meat is beyond fork-tender. Shred the meat with two forks right in the cooker, mixing it with the sauce. Serve warm.
To cook the chicken in the pressure cooker: Lock the lid onto the pot and bring to high pressure. Cook at high pressure for 12 minutes in the stovetop pot (15 psi) or for 18 minutes in the electric pot (9 to 11 psi). Remove the stovetop pot from the heat or turn off the electric pot. Let the pressure come back to normal naturally, 7 to 10 minutes. Unlock the lid and remove it. Shred the chicken with two forks in the cooker. Mix with the sauce and serve warm.
Voilà! There are two ways to heat tortillas. The best way is over an open gas flame, setting them one by one right on the metal grating and turning them with kitchen tongs until very lightly charred just in spots. But it’s laborious. The fast way is in stacks in a microwave. Put no more than five in a stack on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a slightly damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 15-second bursts, or until they are warm but not hot.