Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken

Why this Recipe Works

So easy to make: Sooooo easy. Super simple, insanely delicious,110% family-friendly, and allllll the other amazing descriptors you can think of for a tasty, slow cooker meal. Simply whisk together the sauce ingredients, pour over chicken breasts, and turn on the slow cooker. Make the pineapple salsa when you’re good and ready to. No rush. Then? Devour this Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken. 

Out-of-this-world sauce: The bbq sauce is so simple and SO lip-smackin’ good that you’ll want to put it on anythingandeverything. It goes into the slow cooker with the chicken for a grand total of just 5 ingredients. FIVE measly ingredients make this juicy, sweet and sassy Hawaiian bbq chicken stuff?? You betcha. 

Pineapple salsa: If you’re short on time or don’t feel up to making the pineapple salsa, don’t. Seriously, it’s amazing and you will love it but this Hawaiin pulled BBQ chicken is so good and delicious it’s great plain or withs store-bought salsa or any of your favorite toppings. 

So versatile: I’ve eaten this crockpot Hawaiin chicken so many times I’ve lost count. On taquitos, sure, but also in quesadillas, over rice, as a salad topping, all by itself, cold, right out of the fridge…you get the idea.

Ingredients

Large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: I emphasize “large” because you’re going to want as much chicken as possible when you’re ready to eat it. Also, boneless, skinless chicken is the best route to go for easy shredded chicken in the slow cooker. You can also substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. 

Original Flavor BBQ Sauce: Original BBQ sauce is key here because you don’t want a flavored BBQ sauce to overpower the other flavors of the sauce that you’re adding to the slow cooker. 

Pineapple Juice: Even if you don’t make the pineapple salsa, you’re going to want to add the pineapple juice into the slow cooker for its sweet, tart flavor, and also its acidity. Canned or bottled pineapple juice is perfectly fine.  

Liquid Smoke: Used as a flavor enhancer, liquid smoke is made by burning wood chips and capturing the smoke, then making the smoke into an edible liquid that can be added to foods to make them taste and smell as though they’ve been cooked over wood. This ingredient is key, don’t skip it.

Pineapple Salsa: I think this salsa is delicious on this slow cooker chicken, but you can totally skip it or use store-bought if you like. But if you have time and the ingredients, it’s so worth it!

Here’s How You Make It

Whisk together the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the bbq sauce, garlic powder, pineapple juice, and liquid smoke until smooth. 

Pour the sauce on the chicken: Add the chicken to the slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top. 

Cover and cook: Once the ingredients are ready to go, add the lid to the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6. 

Make the pineapple salsa: Combine the pineapple, diced red pepper, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, and garlic powder in a bowl. Cover and put in the fridge till ready to eat. 

Shred the chicken: When  you’re about 30 minutes or so from serving, shred the chicken with two forks in the slow cooker, or shred in a bowl outside the slow cooker and add back in. Stir the shredded chicken back into the sauce.

Prepare to eat: Add to a flour tortilla (see taquito directions, below), over mixed greens, or as a quesadilla — however you’d like to eat this chicken.

Ideas for Serving this Chicken Dish

One of my favorite ways to eat this slow cooker chicken is to make Hawaiian chicken taquitos. After you’ve shredded the chicken as detailed above, you’ll want to:

1. Preheat your oven to broil and grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. 
2. Lay tortillas out on a flat surface, adding first a couple tablespoons of cheese to the middle of each, then add 3-4 tablespoons of shredded chicken on top of the cheese. 
3. Tightly roll up each tortilla and place them, about an inch apart, on the greased cooking tray. 
4. Heavily spray the rolled up taquitos with cooking spray. Add to the oven and cook on high broil for 5-8 minutes, or till the cheese is melty and the tortillas are crisp. If you have a stronger-than-average broiler you might want to do it for less time or turn it down to a low broil for a little longer. 
5. Add the pineapple salsa (or mango, if you prefer) and other toppings (ranch is one of my favs!) and dig in.

Ideas for Slow Cooker Chicken Toppings

The best part of this (and any slow cooker chicken recipe?) the toppings, of course! Here are mine, in no particular order: 

• Pineapple salsa, or any other kind of salsa you like. 
• Ranch dressing 
• Extra bbq sauce (I prefer original, as to not mask the other delicious flavors you’ve already added). 
• Cilantro 
• Pickled jalapenos 
• Queso fresco or monterey jack cheese
• Sliced green onions or diced red onions 
• Pickled red onions 
• Sliced black olives 
• Corn relish