After whipping up another killer pulled pork & sauce recipe this week, I decided to give pulled chicken with a sauce a try. This is the result. This is a flexible dish because the garlic chicken can be used in other applications (salads, wraps) without the sauce, in addition to smothering it with the awesome red pepper sauce. For the roasted red peppers, you can either roast your own under the broiler (like I did) or simply use a jar or two of Italian roasted red peppers. I hear from lots of people that say they miss their sauces once moving over to paleo, so this one is for you.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, add your red bell pepper halves and garlic cloves, drizzle with olive oil, and place under your broiler until slightly charred.

If you don’t want to roast your own peppers, use 1 to 2 jars of a product like this. It will work just fine.

Remember to add your peppers to your slow cooker last, on top of the chicken and  liquid.

What you need:

• 2.5 to 3 pounds of boneless & skinless chicken breasts. 
• 2 pounds of red bell peppers, seeded and roasted in olive oil (or 1 to 2 jars).
• 12 whole cloves of garlic.
• 1 cup of tomato sauce.
• 1/2 tsp oregano.
• 1/2 tsp basil.
• 1/2 tsp thyme.
• 1 cup of water.
• 1 medium white onion, grated/chopped/sliced very fine.

How you make it:

1. Add your onion, tomato sauce, and water to your slow cooker. Stir well. 
2. Add your oregano, basil, and thyme to your mixture, stir well again.
3. Puncture your chicken breasts with the tip of a knife, and stuff inside half of your garlic cloves (roast the other half with the peppers).
4. Add your chicken breasts, make sure they are coated and at least halfway submerged into your base liquid.
5. Cover your chicken breasts with your roasted red peppers and garlic that you roasted.
6. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours tops.
7. Remove your chicken breasts from your slow cooker, transfer them to a large bowl and shred them with 2 forks.
8. Using a slotted spoon, remove your roasted red peppers and add them to a saucepan or blender.
9. Take 1 cup of the liquid left in your slow cooker and add it to the peppers.
10. If using a blender, pulse into an even yet slightly chunky consistency is obtained. If you have an immersion blender, simply do the same in your saucepan.
11. Add as much or as little sauce to your pulled chicken as you like. You can either use it as a topping, or fully mix it into the chicken to coat it. Both ways are great.
12. Enjoy!