Description
Slow Cooker Shredded Hawaiian Chicken is a flavorful and easy-to-make dish combining tender chicken breasts and thighs with a sweet and tangy pineapple-based sauce. Cooked low and slow for maximum tenderness, this versatile shredded chicken is perfect for lettuce wraps, tacos, salads, or bowls, making it an ideal meal for busy weekdays or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Vegetables
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
- ½ lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ½ small yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Sauce
- 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, slightly drained
- ⅓ cup coconut aminos
- Juice of 1 lime (2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
To Serve (Optional Lettuce Wraps)
- Swiss chard leaves
- Avocado slices
- Shredded carrots
- Shredded purple cabbage
- Green onions
- Sliced almonds
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare ingredients: Place the boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs, diced yellow onion, and minced garlic into the slow cooker.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the slightly drained crushed pineapple, coconut aminos, fresh lime juice, ground ginger, red pepper flakes, fine sea salt, and black pepper. Stir well until the sauce ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
- Cook the chicken: Pour the prepared sauce over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 3 hours until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and place it on a plate or cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Combine and keep warm: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker, stirring it into the cooking juices to soak up all the flavors. Set the slow cooker to the Keep Warm setting until ready to serve.
- Serve: Assemble Swiss chard wraps by filling the leaves with the shredded chicken and optional toppings such as avocado slices, shredded carrots, purple cabbage, green onions, sliced almonds, and fresh cilantro, or serve the chicken as tacos, over a salad, or bowl style with your choice of garnishes.
Notes
- Use either a slow cooker or an Instant Pot to prepare this Hawaiian shredded chicken for a delicious sweet-and-savory flavor.
- This recipe is versatile and can be served as Swiss chard wraps, tacos, burritos, over salads, or bowls.
- Leftovers can be enjoyed hot or cold, making it ideal for meal prepping.
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to control the spice level according to preference.
- Draining the crushed pineapple slightly prevents the dish from becoming too watery but keeps enough juice for flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the shredded chicken
- Calories: 170
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 574 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
