How To Barbecue (Chicken) For Toddlers
A tangy, toddler friendly barbecue classic that's great on sandwiches and for the whole family.
Real talk, because it does say "barbecue chicken for toddlers" in the title: this is not the real thing as far as BBQ goes—no smoke, no" low and slow"—but it’s more than enough for a fun weeknight dinner, if not for helping your child come to love poultry. And the effort required here is basically negative: a few hours in the oven, a few flicks of the wrist to shred the chicken--you're done. Great on/as sandwiches, you can also serve it on its own (or on top of a cracker) to infants 10 months or older or those early into the toddler months/years; try it in tacos, too!
- 2 Chicken Thighs (skinless and boneless preferred)
- BBQ sauce of your preference*
- Bun, tortillas, crackers, or whatever your child prefers to eat food on or in
Heat your oven to 300. If using bone-in and/or skin-on chicken pieces, remove as much skin and bone as you can from the poultry.
Place chicken pieces in a small and deep cooking vessel—try to choose something that can just barely fit the number of pieces you are cooking. Cut small slits in each chicken piece.
Pour your barbecue sauce all over the chicken, enough so that the pieces are saturated and the bottom of your cookware is covered with sauce; if necessary, use your hands to ensure sauce gets into the cuts you put in the chicken.
Tightly wrap two layers of aluminum foil—yes, double-wrap it—over your cooking dish and check to make sure it’s closed on all sides.
- Place foil-wrapped dish in your oven and cook for at least two hours if using 1-2 thighs; cook for three hours if doing three or more thighs.
- When ready to serve, remove from heat and very slowly, very carefully, remove foil so steam can escape. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- When the chicken is ready to handle, use a fork or rubber spatula and pull chicken apart, such that strings or soft clumps of the meat form. (Feel free to use your hands here to rip it apart yourself!)
If your kiddo is lacking enough teeth and/or aren’t quite ready for a sandwich or taco, we had great results serving this on a cracker when my son was 16-18 months; by around 20 months, a toasted bun, smashed down and cut into small pieces, worked; and by around 26 months or so a flour tortilla—particularly one with a cheese skirt—was a hit, too. Pro tip: If there is any sauce/liquid left in your baking dish, I highly recommend tossing it over whatever beans you have on hand—pinto, black, etc.—and serving as a side to the sandwich.
We’ll be posting a birria (beef) version soon! For tofu, the process is a bit more deconstructed. Set your oven to 350; Use a peeler or cheese grater to shred a half a block of extra firm tofu, disposing of any excess liquid. Coat or spray the tofu shreds in a light amount of oil and scatter over a baking pan covered with parchment paper. Bake for thirty minutes, then remove from the oven. Place cooked tofu in a pot or pan and cover with barbecue sauce, then heat until warm.
You can make your own barbecue sauce simply and quickly by mixing equal parts tomato sauce or tomato paste with vinegar—apple cider or balsamic work best—with a small pour of honey or maple syrup, and then a teaspoon each of garlic powder and paprika; hit with a few small shakes of salt and pepper each and mix until blended.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
