Mojo Pulled Chicken for 50
Mojo pulled chicken has tender seasoned chicken with delicious notes of citrus. Cooked simply in slow cookers, this large batch chicken recipe can be easily prepared for 50 people or more. Serve over rice or in tacos topped with crowd favorite toppings.
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Why this recipe works
Making pulled chicken in the slow cooker is literally the easiest way to make chicken in the world, hands down. Add in this perfect Mojo seasoning blend and a couple extra touches, and THIS recipe is perfect for a crowd.
I made this Mojo pulled chicken for 50 people and it was one of the easiest, tastiest main dishes I have ever made. I even cooked it the night before.
So, keep the fixings simple, minimize the chopping effort, and use a couple slow cookers to easily deliver a wonderful tasty main dish to your crowd.
About the ingredients
All of the ingredients are SUPER easy. I got them all at Walmart to keep the cost down, and they are all standard basics. The one exception might be smoked paprika, and if that is not available simply omit it.
How to serve mojo pulled chicken
I made my Mojo pulled chicken for 50 at a church dinner, and there had recently been a taco night. So I needed to not do another taco night. Instead, I served the chicken over RICE, and I feel strongly that was the best choice.
The entire meal was thusly: green chili rice, Mojo pulled chicken, all the toppings, Mexican street corn casserole, salad, and churros for dessert. Serving the chicken over rice was more efficient and the buffet line never backed up. It was also easier for both younger and older people to eat.
Recommended toppings for serving 50 Mojo chicken
In my Mojo pulled chicken buffet, these are the toppings I served. I learned the hard way previously that chopping a ton of taco toppings ends up being a massive time suck in quantity cooking. Don’t get sucked down that rabbit hole. Rule #1 of quantity cooking: Keep It Simple.
These toppings checked all the boxes for the crowd I served. And those with special diets were easily able to avoid things they can’t have.
- 24 oz chunky salsa
- 24 oz Herdez avocado salsa or salsa verde
- 2 lbs shredded cheese, such as Monterey-Jack blend
- 24 oz sour cream
- 32 oz jar of pickled sliced jalapenos
- 12 oz bottle of Cholula hot sauce
- 1 bunch green onion, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
- 1 bunch cilantro, rough chop
What to serve with Mojo chicken
I will blog recipes for the rice and salad in the future, but my menu was as follows:
- Green chili rice
- Mojo pulled chicken
- toppings (see above)
- Mexican Street Corn Casserole
- Mexican green salad
- Churros
FAQs
Yes. Mojo pulled chicken can be made a day in advance. Refrigerate once cooked, then warm back up in slow cookers or (in hotel pan covered with foil) 150 degrees Fahrenheit oven before serving.
Yes. For Mojo pulled pork, follow the recipe as written, but use Boston butt pork roast instead of chicken. If the pork contains a bone, account that in your weight calculation of how many pounds to cook.
Mojo Pulled Chicken for 50
Equipment
- 2 slow cooker see Notes
Ingredients
For the seasoning mix
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 Tbsp cumin
- 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 4 Tbsp paprika
For the chicken
- 16 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 8 limes
- 6 oranges
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
Make the seasoning
- In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the seasoning mix.
Cook the chicken
- Divide the chicken and seasoning mix between two slow cookers (see Notes). Use tongs to toss the chicken in the seasoning to get it well coated.
- Into each slow cooker, juice in 2 oranges and 4 limes.
- Set the slow cooker to cook on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 8 hours. If cooking on high heat, start checking for doneness after 3 hours, then check every 13 minutes.
- The chicken is done when it is fall apart tender. Overcooking can make the meat mushy; hence, the need to start checking when cooking with high heat to prevent that from happening. I do not find that problem to occur with low heat at 8 hours.
- To each crockpot, add the zest of an orange and the zest a lime. Also add the juice of the lime.
Finish the sauce
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a hotel pan. If using disposable aluminum hotel pans, divide between 2 pans (they are flimsy under the weight of the meat).
- Shred the meat. A potato masher works well for this.
- Pour the residual juices from the crock pots into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons cool water. Add to the simmering juices.
- Boil until the sauce thickens to the consistency of a very thin gravy. Pour over all the meat.
- Serve immediately or keep warm until service. To keep warm, cover hotel pan tightly foil and put in a low/150℉ oven.
