Anthony confirms: this goes on the list of all-time greatest meals. And the funny thing is, I never want barbecue. I mean, I like it, but it’s never anywhere close to my consideration set for “what do I want to eat today.” This weekend, however, was different. I had a very specific desire: a bbq pulled pork sandwich. I wound up swapping the pork for turkey to accommodate this wonderful husband of mine, but it was just as good if not better than I imagined it would be. BBQ turkey sliders for the win!This recipe, which made for the perfect Sunday/game day dinner, brought together so many family memories on one plate. For starters, the barbecue sauce. This recipe goes allllllll the way back to my 4th grade state project. I was so excited to get Kansas (Mama Moore is from Kansas) so I knew exactly who to call when it came time for the “state dinner” part of our project. Each student had to make a signature dish that represented their state and bring it in to share with the class on our project presentation day. The Sunday before our final projects were due, I remember standing outside over a smoking hot charcoal grill slathering the biggest pork ribs with mom’s recipe for the most amazing Kansas City barbecue sauce. The ribs were a success, I got an A on my project and that sauce recipe is still perfection!
The recipe comes from Kansas City’s own Gates BBQ, hands down the BEST barbecue ribs I’ve had in my entire life. The first time I had them was one summer when we drove to Kansas to visit the family for 4th of July and, on our way home, we stopped at Gates. Somehow I fell asleep between Lawrence and Kansas City, but when I woke up, Dad was getting back in the car with 2 HUGE bags full of those styrofoam takeout boxes jam-packed with ribs for now, ribs for later, and ribs for when we got back to Atlanta. The center armrest was piled high with boxes (the top one was the bones box) and we sat in that parking lot for the better part of an hour at least devouring those ribs before hitting the road again. Even my baby brother, who probably wasn’t even 2 yet, was covered in sauce and gnawing on rib bones. Good times. Great family memories!
And the star of the show: this pulled turkey. Made for the perfect opportunity to break out our 3-in-1 slow cooker/pressure cooker/rice cooker that Anthony’s Uncle Ricky and family gave us as a wedding gift. (He’s an amazing chef, btw… we’ll have to get some of his recipes on here soon!) It worked wonderfully!
I marinated the turkey thighs the night before and tossed them in the slow cooker with the barbecue sauce before we headed to church Sunday morning. By the time we got home, heated up the mac and cheese, grilled the buns and baked the corn muffins, they were ready to go!
To accompany this amazing pulled turkey, I obliged the hubby’s craving for some mac and cheese. I whipped up my signature version created especially for him the night before and just stuck it in the oven to reheat while the corn muffins baked.
…Yes, I made corn muffins too! He tried to tell me I was doing the most, especially since this was dinner for just the two of us… But he was quick to recant and thank me when he swiped one fresh out of the oven 😉 . Come on, you know you can’t have barbecue without cornbread! Jalapeño corn muffins in this case. I always use the same base recipe for my corn muffins, and just change the flavorings depending on what we’re in the mood for or what else is on the menu. For these, I ix-nayed the herbs de provence and added in 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder, 1 finely chopped jalapeño pepper and about 1/4 cup of colby jack cheese. That’s it! And in truth, the time (and temp) it takes for these to bake is perfect for reheating the mac and cheese. 2 birds, one… oven. Boom. Pow. Done. Is it dinner time yet? Why, yes. Yes it is.
Here it is guys… The key to your next Sunday feast! Hope you enjoy!
- 2 cups all natural ketchup
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ teaspoon hickory liquid smoke
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup raw cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- 1½ teaspoons celery seed
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon chili powder
- Pinch of nutmeg*
- 4 turkey thighs**
- 1 small red onion
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil
- Make the sauce... In a medium saucepan, whisk together all the ingredients over medium-low heat. Let the sauce simmer for about 10-15 minutes (while you marinate the turkey) to allow all the flavors to meld. Adjust seasonings to taste, and then let the sauce cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container to store in the fridge.
- Season the turkey... In a large bowl, drizzle turkey thighs with a little olive oil and then toss with half the sliced onion and all seasonings. Marinate in the fridge, covered, overnight or at least 1 hour.
- Line the bottom of your slow cooker (one that can hold at least 6 quarts) with the remaining sliced onion and then snuggle in your marinated turkey thighs on top.
- Pour about a cup of your barbecue sauce over top of the turkey so that it's covered. And then, my favorite part... set it and forget it! Clamp on the lid and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours (we went for low and slow).
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and slice your rolls in half. Drizzle the inside with a little olive oil and grill (oil side down) for 5-7 minutes or until warmed through, crispy and golden brown.
- While that's happening, remove turkey thighs from the slow cooker onto a large cutting board. Grab 2 forks and start pulling! Use the forks to remove/discard the skin (unless you like it) and then gently pull the meat off the bone (which should mostly be falling off anyway), shredding it into bite-size pieces. Toss the pulled turkey with a little extra self-made gravy from the pot and/or with some more barbecue sauce and serve hot.
- Warm remaining sauce in the microwave for about 45 seconds or until just warmed. Serve on the side.
**You want bone-in and skin-on turkey thighs!
Sauce recipe makes about 2½ cups. Any leftovers will keep for several weeks in the fridge, if you can hang on to it that long...