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Weeknight style Slow Cooker Braised Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Tacos…with spicy Yum Yum Sauce and crunchy slaw. Because loaded tacos are just better. Shredded chicken in a sweet, spicy, and tangy Hawaiian style Hula sauce stuffed into warmed tortillas to make the best saucy tacos. All made in the slow cooker (along with instant pot and stove-top variations). Serve each taco with a creamy, spicy yum yum sauce, and a crunchy Asian inspired sesame slaw. This perfect weeknight dinner comes together in no time, and is so delicious too! Bonus, this saucy Hawaiian Hula chicken is equally great when eaten leftover with steamed rice the following day.
Switching things up today with your new favorite “fusion” style tacos. These surely are not traditional, and they’re definitely a little on the different side. But these tacos are fun and oh so delicious. The truth is, with all this “pantry cooking” I’ve found myself gravitating towards rice and pasta pretty much every single day. Don’t get me wrong, you know I live for a good pasta dish. And rice is something I’ll never ever tire of, but I needed to change it up.
Sometime last week I just got bored. This happens from time to time when I’m developing recipes. When the boredom hits, I know it’s time to really switch things up and share a recipe that’s a little more outside my current box. Enter these tacos. I’ve had the idea for a Hawaiian…ish style taco for some time now. I just couldn’t put the full recipe together in my head. I knew I wanted a saucy shredded chicken, and I knew I really wanted pineapple involved.
You all know I love a sweet and spicy combo more than anything, so I took my favorite flavors and put them into a Hawaiian inspired chicken taco. Not only are these super easy to make, but they’re delicious, and fun to enjoy any night of the week. Especially if you’re looking for a fun for dinner to distract you from all the craziness going on throughout your day.
This is that “magic” taco. It’s easy. It’s fun. And it’s oh so good.
To make these Hawaiian pineapple chicken tacos…
First, pick your cooking method. I used the slow cooker, but honestly cooking in the instant pot or on the stove are equally easy and delicious. It all comes down to how much time you have, and or what your preferred cooking method is. So take your pick.
Next, simply combine all of the ingredients. Chicken, lots of pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, honey, and then some pineapple chunks too. Toss everything together in the bowl of the slow cooker and cook until the chicken is falling apart. Simple. Simple.
This next step is key. Remove the chicken from the sauce, lightly shred it, then place it under the broiler. Cooking the chicken under the broiler allows the chicken to have a chance to caramelize and even become a bit crispy on the edges. It’s extra delicious with this sweet, spicy, and tangy sauce.
Yes…it’s an extra step, but I do think it’s worth it.
Finish these tacos up.
Just before the tacos are done cooking, mix up a quick “yum yum” sauce and crunchy Asian inspired slaw. For the yum yum sauce, just mix Gochujang sauce (Korean style chili paste) with your choice of yogurt, sour cream, or mayo. Personally, I like to use yogurt, but use what you and your family love most. Either way, this sauce is beyond good and slightly addicting. It’s my recommendation to double it.
For the slaw, I kept it very, very simple. Shredded cabbage, additional pineapple, and jalapeños. Then toss everything together with a couple of spoonfuls of the spicy, creamy “yum yum” sauce. And that’s it. It looks like a lot…and it kind of is…but it all ends up coming together effortlessly.
So, to assemble?
Just stuff the shredded saucy chicken inside warmed tortillas. Top with slaw, sauce, and then add one extra special ingredient, crunchy Asian chow mein noodles. Yes, crunchy noodles on your tacos. I told you these were different, but in the best way. You must trust me here and give this a try. The noodles add a nice crunch with every bite. We’re just layering on that texture and flavor here.
And a few notes…
Again, this is a very different taco, but trust me, these tacos are going to become part of your monthly line up. Or at least that’s my hope.
The chicken can slow cook all day, then everyone can build their own tacos for dinner. Easy, fun, and all-around good. Excited to have these tacos in my rotation.
Also, a meal prep tip for you all. You can easily make a big batch of this chicken on a Sunday or Monday night. Then just serve it up throughout the week. You can use the chicken in tacos, incorporate into salads for lunch, or my personal favorite…serve the shredded chicken over steamed rice. Can’t go wrong either way.
And finally, you can easily swap the chicken for a pork shoulder or butt, that would be delicious too.
Looking for other weeknight tacos? Try these:
Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch
Instant Pot Korean Bulgogi BBQ Tacos
Instant Pot BBQ Beer Pulled Chicken Tacos with Ranch Corn Slaw.
If you make these slow cooker braised Hawaiian pineapple chicken Tacos, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Slow Cooker Braised Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Tacos
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 466 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, thighs, or a pork shoulder/butt
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons organic ketchup
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1-2 tablespoons sambal oelek
- 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks (or 1 can pineapple chunks)
- 3-4 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, or olive oil mayo
- juice from 1 lime
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- warmed tortillas, crunchy Asian noodles and toasted sesame seeds, for serving
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- 1. In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine the chicken, pineapple juice, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, ketchup, garlic, ginger, sambal oelek, and 1 cup pineapple chunks. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Once done cooking, switch the slow cooker to high. Cook, uncovered for 30 minutes, to thicken the sauce slightly. 2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the chicken from the sauce to a baking sheet. Lightly shred, then transfer to the broiler. Broil for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken caramelizes. Watch closely!3. Stir the caramelized meat back into the sauce. 4. Meanwhile, make the yum yum sauce. Combine the Gochujang sauce with the yogurt and lime juice. Season with salt. This is the "yum yum" sauce. 5. To make the slaw, add the cabbage, remaining 1 cup pineapple chunks, cilantro, and jalapeño to a bowl with a few spoonfuls of the yum yum sauce and toss to combine. Season with salt.6. Stuff the chicken into the warmed tortillas. Top with slaw, additional sauce, then add the crunchy noodles and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy!Â
Instant Pot
- 1. In the bowl of your instant pot, combine the chicken, pineapple juice, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, ketchup, garlic, ginger, sambal oelek, and 1 cup pineapple chunks. Cover and cook on high pressure/manual for 8 minutes. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function and release the steam.2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the chicken from the sauce to a baking sheet. Lightly shred, then transfer to the broiler. Broil for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken caramelizes. Watch closely! 3. Switch the instant pot to sauté and cook 8-10 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Stir the caramelized meat into the sauce. 4. Follow the directions as directed above for steps 4-6.
Stove Top
- 1. In a large pot set over medium-high heat, combine the chicken, pineapple juice, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, ketchup, garlic, ginger, sambal oelek, and 1 cup pineapple chunks. Cover and simmer the chicken for 30-45 minutes. If the sauce gets too thick, add water to thin the sauce out. 2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the chicken from the sauce to a baking sheet. Lightly shred, then transfer to the broiler. Broil for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken caramelizes. Watch closely! 3. Stir the caramelized meat back into the sauce. 4. Follow the directions as directed above for steps 4-6.
Made this for dinner with a pork roast. It was beyond amazing!! I do have a question, do you have a brand of tortillas you love? Also, how do you warm your tortillas? Thanks!
Hey Kellie,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe! I love using Whole Foods 365 brand tortillas and I heat them directly over the stove top. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Looks amazing!! Would the chicken freeze well do you think? Trying to make things ahead of time for a family get together. Thank you!!
Hey Lauren,
Yes that would be totally fine to do:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’d love to try this dish but I’m having trouble finding sambal oelek – can you give me a substitution?
Hey Anneliese,
You can use sriracha. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These were a total HIT! My husband almost fell off his chair when he tasted them, declaring these to be the ‘best thing I have ever made”. Adding to monthly/weekly line up for sure! Thanks T, my family loves me a little more lately because of your recipes …
Wow that is so amazing!! I am so happy these tacos turned out so well for the both of you! xTieghan
Hi! Would I be messing up the recipe if I left out the broil step? Thank you!
Hey Lauren,
No you could skip that. Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love the recipe. Thank you! xTieghan
Is there a brand of crunch noodles you use?
Hey there,
I like the La Choy brand. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Made this tonight. It was so delicious. Switched around a couple ingredients as I didn’t have everything but it was great.
Thank you so much Kathy!! xTieghan
Made these today and used pork. The meat was fabulous. But the heat of the sauce was too much for me and it came out really oily so I didn’t put the meat back in after broiling. I must have done something wrong. Will try again. Do you use a mild go chu jang sauce? Thanks in advance!
Hey Britt,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! I am so sorry the heat was too much for you, next time I would reduce your gochujang. Unfortunately pork is definitely fattier than chicken so this is where the oil came from. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This recipe has been on regular repeat in my house since March. SO GOOD! And so versatile.
That is really great to hear! Thank you so much Tei! xTieghan
Hi Tiegan! Could I make the chicken, and then freeze it? I am going camping and we don’t have electric outlets, just an oven, so I was wondering if I could bring this already made, minus the toppings and sauce? Thanks!
Hey Sarah,
That sounds like a great idea, you could also just do this recipe fully in the oven. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So. Good. Really easy and really flavorful. Nice to have just something totally different!!
Thank you so much Mallory!! I am really glad these tacos turned out so well for you! xTieghan
So good!!! We made this using pork shoulder and it turned out perfectly. This was the exact change of pace we needed from our typical taco night. I’m excited to try it with chicken next time!
Thank you Casey! xTieghan
We love this recipe! We’ve made it with both pork and chicken and it was equally delicious! Such an easy meal and an easy way to feed a crowd without a lot of effort! Thank you Tieghan!
Thank you Mallory!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
The sauce wasn’t cooking down enough in the slow cooker, so reduced it down on the stove with a splash of dark rum and blended up the cooked pineapple with more rum and added that back in as an additional thickener.
Thank you so much Ann! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This chicken is sooo flavorful!! I will definitely be making it again. One of my chicken breasts was very large so it was not done cooking after the allotted time in the Instant Pot so I did have to put it in for some more time. I wonder how this would be with chicken thighs. Maybe even juicier!
Thank you Alicia!! xTieghan
These turned out so delicious! Instead of the slaw I made a pineapple salsa using canned pineapple tidbits, onion, cilantro, and lime. Loved it 🙂
Thank you so much Gaby! xTieghan