Slow-Cooker Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced small
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup hot-pepper sauce, such as Frank's
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
• 8 hamburger buns

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add chicken thighs, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring once, until meat is golden brown, 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a slow cooker, leaving as much oil behind as possible. Repeat with chicken breasts.
2. To skillet, add onion, garlic, and bell pepper and cook over medium, stirring constantly, until onion is translucent, 6 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to slow cooker.
3. To slow cooker, add crushed tomatoes, hot-pepper sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, and molasses; stir to combine. Cover and cook on high until chicken is very tender, 4 hours. Shred chicken and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on buns.

Note

Use a potato masher to shred the cooked chicken in the slow cooker. Or, transfer chicken to a large plate, pull apart with 2 forks, then return to sauce.