Sweet potato and Sriracha. Two of my favorite ingredients. My eyes are immediately drawn to them when they appear on menus. I could eat sweet potato fries dipped in Srirachannaise all day. Yes, that’s a thing. I had it on a burger just last night at Republica in Berkley. It was as great as it sounds, but most of the time, I try to get my Sriracha fix through more wholesome means. This week in our household, I’ve used the unbeatable sweet and spicy flavor combination to make this easy, healthy and most importantly, tasty dinner.
I have kept it simple here, but these would be amazing sprinkled with goats cheese for a slightly fancier meal. I am serving them with a side of green beans in garlic and olive oil, topped with some fresh salsa.
This ‘pulled’ chicken is delicious and tender, but if you don’t have a slow cooker, slice the chicken into small strips and cook in a frypan. Make sure you chop the garlic and add it to the pan first, then add the chicken and spices.
My sweet potatoes, looking kind of ugly before baking.
Sriracha Pulled Chicken and Sweet Potato Boats
This recipe makes 8 serves.
Ingredients
4 large sweet potatoes
3lb chicken breast or thighs (boneless)
1 tbsp coconut oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped in half
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2-4 tbsp Sriracha
Olive oil, to drizzle
Method
1. Roughly chop chicken into large chunks. Place chicken, coconut oil, garlic, thyme, cumin and red pepper flakes in a slow cooker. Season with sea salt. Cook on high for approximately 4 hours, or until chicken shreds with a fork.
2. While chicken is cooking, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes, place on a baking tray and use a sharp knife to punch 3-4 holes in each potato.
3. Bake potatoes for approximately 1 hour, or until soft. They should collapse slightly to touch. Allow to cool.
4. Mix the Sriracha into the chicken, making sure you taste for heat! Add more or less, to your liking, and adjust seasoning if necessary.
5. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise to form ‘boats’. Use a fork to gently flatten the potato, creating a slight indent in the middle and ridges along the sides. Sprinkle with salt.
6. Carefully scoop 1/8 of the chicken into each potato. Drizzle with olive oil.
7. Return to the oven to heat through, until slightly crisp. Serve immediately.
Time saver tip: Complete up to step 4, then store the sweet potatoes and chicken in separate Tupperware. Each night, assemble your boats and just heat for a quick meal.
