Prep: 25 min. + brining
Cook: 4 hours
Ingredients
Brine:
- 1-1/2 quarts water
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- halves
- 1/3 cup liquid smoke
- 1-1/2 cups hickory smoke-flavored BBQ sauce
- 16 slider buns or dinner rolls, split and warmed
Directions
In a large bowl, mix brine ingredients, stirring to dissolve brown sugar. Reserve 1 cup brine for cooking chicken; cover and refrigerate. Place chicken in a large resealable bag; add remaining brine. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible; turn to coat chicken. Place in a large bowl; refrigerate 18-24 hours, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from brine and transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker; discard brine in bag. Add reserved 1 cup brine and 1/3 cup liquid smoke to chicken. Cook, covered, on low 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken; cool slightly. Discard cooking juices. Shred chicken with two forks and return to slow cooker. Stir in barbecue sauce; heat through. Serve on buns.
Yield: 8 servings (2 sliders each)