Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Lighter Caesar Salad

Coach Joe Rodonis is a big fan of BBQ chicken sandwiches and Caesar salads, as they remind him of spending time with his family while growing up. Here, we share healthier, homemade versions of both.

The BBQ chicken gets incredibly tender thanks to the slow cooker. Don’t be turned off by the long cook time—this is a dump, stir, set, and forget recipe. 

We’ve shared a lower-sugar homemade BBQ sauce recipe that will cook with the chicken. This ensures you get a delicious dish without unnecessary additives. Note that the sauce might taste a little “raw” and tinny before you cook it, but that will resolve itself when the sauce cooks with the chicken. If you’d prefer, you’re welcome to use store-bought BBQ sauce, just check the label to ensure you aren’t using a sugar bomb that could throw you off your goals.

The Caesar salad dressing paired with this sandwich uses Greek yogurt as a base, to make it a lighter–yet still delicious–option you can keep going back to.

BBQ Chicken Sandwich with Lighter Caesar Salad

Ingredients

Chicken:

• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 24 ounces)
• 2 cups store-bought BBQ sauce or BBQ sauce recipe below

Low-Sugar BBQ Sauce:

• 1 (6-ounce can) tomato paste
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
• 1 tablespoon honey mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

Sandwich Assembly:

• 4 whole-grain buns
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 tomato, sliced
• Lettuce for topping

Light Caesar Salad:

• 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• ½ cup croutons

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup non-fat greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste if needed

Directions

BBQ Sauce:
Whisk together BBQ sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

Chicken:
Combine paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl, and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle over chicken breasts.

Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker and cover with BBQ sauce.

Cook on low for 6 hours

Remove chicken and shred with a fork.

Assemble sandwich by putting ½ cup chicken on each bun, along with lettuce, onion, and tomato.

Lighter Caesar Salad
As the chicken finishes cooking, make your salad dressing. Place dressing ingredients in a blender or use an immersion blender and slowly drip olive oil in. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble salad and add desired amount of dressing. Serve alongside BBQ chicken sandwiches.