Slow-cooker pulled chicken in lettuce wraps

A barbecue-style pulled chicken, built entirely without tomato, still carries the tang and sweetness people love. A nomato base gives you that flavor without the nightshade, and a crisp romaine leaf stands in for the bun. It is a big-batch, set-and-forget recipe, mostly the slow cooker doing the work over an afternoon, the kind of cooking that feeds you for days from a single effort.

The food is doing honest work for you. Chicken is a source of lean protein and B12, a vitamin involved in energy and nerve health, and the slow braise makes the meat tender and easy to digest. Pile on the slaw and avocado and you add fiber that feeds a healthier gut community, along with the steady fats of the avocado.

Source the chicken from a bird raised well, and let the gratitude be real. You are using the whole of a good ingredient and turning it into a meal that feeds a crowd. Look at the plate before you eat: the green of the lettuce, the slaw, the avocado. Make it beautiful, and eat slowly in a settled body.

Ingredients

Braise:

• 3 lb chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp nomato sauce (carrot-beet, nightshade-free)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (omitted for AIP - seed-spice)

For serving:

• 24 romaine leaves
• 12 cups coleslaw (egg-free dressing)
• 6 small avocados

Method

Add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker with the honey, chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, nomato sauce, garlic, ginger, and sea salt. Cook on low for about 6 hours, until the chicken pulls apart easily.

Shred the chicken with two forks and stir it back through the cooking liquid so it soaks up the sauce.

To serve, pile the pulled chicken into romaine leaves, top with coleslaw and sliced avocado, and spoon a little of the cooking liquid over as a dressing.

Instant Pot variation

This braise gives you both Instant Pot paths. For the same hands-off result, use the slow-cook setting on low and cook the chicken about 6 hours until it shreds. To do it faster, add everything to the pot, lock the lid, and cook on high pressure for about 12 to 15 minutes with a natural release, then check that the breasts shred easily and add a few minutes if needed. You can saute the garlic and ginger right in the pot first for a deeper flavor. The high-pressure time is a sensible starting range and not yet kitchen-tested for this braise.

*Adapted from a-clean-plate*