Description
This Slow Cooker Shredded Hawaiian Chicken features tender chicken breasts and thighs slow-cooked with a sweet and savory pineapple-based sauce, enhanced with coconut aminos, lime, and warming spices. Served as lettuce wraps, tacos, salads, or bowls, it offers versatile, flavorful meals perfect for easy weeknight dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Sauce
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
- ½ lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ½ small yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, slightly drained
- ⅓ cup coconut aminos
- Juice of 1 lime (2 to 2 ½ tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
To Serve
- Swiss chard leaves
- Avocado slices
- Shredded carrots
- Shredded purple cabbage
- Green onions
- Sliced almonds
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Place the chicken breasts, chicken thighs, diced yellow onion, and minced garlic into the slow cooker.
- Mix Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the mostly drained crushed pineapple, coconut aminos, lime juice, ground ginger, red pepper flakes, fine sea salt, and black pepper. Stir well until fully mixed.
- Combine and Cook: Pour the pineapple sauce over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours for the most tender result or on high for 3 hours until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker onto a plate or cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Mingle Flavors: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker juices. Stir to combine and set the slow cooker to the Keep Warm setting until ready to serve.
- Serve: Assemble the shredded chicken in Swiss chard leaves for wraps, or serve as tacos, over salads, or in bowls with desired garnishes such as avocado slices, shredded carrots, purple cabbage, green onions, sliced almonds, and fresh cilantro.
Notes
- Use a slow cooker or an Instant Pot on slow cook mode for the best flavor and texture.
- The shredded chicken can be served hot or cold, making it a great option for meal prep and leftovers.
- If you prefer, substitute chicken thighs for all of the chicken for a richer flavor.
- Feel free to adjust spice level by adding more or less red pepper flakes according to taste.
- For a gluten-free version, verify your coconut aminos brand contains no gluten additives.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the shredded chicken
- Calories: 170 kcal
- 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
