Description
Delightful slow cooker tropical pulled chicken brings island flavors straight to dinner tables with minimal effort. Succulent shredded chicken infused with pineapple and exotic spices promises a quick, effortless meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (907 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 (20 oz / 567 g) can pineapple chunks in juice (not syrup), undrained
- ½ cup (120 ml) orange juice
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or coconut aminos for gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
- Fresh cilantro and lime wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Preparation: Nestle chicken into the slow cooker’s ceramic base, ensuring an even layer.
- Flavor Infusion: Pour pineapple chunks with juice, orange juice, lime juice, then scatter red pepper, red onion, and minced garlic across the chicken surface.
- Seasoning Blend: Sprinkle soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, chili powder, paprika, salt, and optional red pepper flakes evenly over the mixture, creating a vibrant tropical marinade.
- Slow Cooking: Secure the lid and set the slow cooker to low temperature for 5-6 hours or high for 2.5-3.5 hours, allowing the chicken to absorb the tangy and sweet flavors while becoming fork-tender.
- Finishing Touch: Carefully shred the chicken using two forks, then gently fold the shredded meat back into the aromatic cooking liquid to ensure maximum flavor distribution.
- Serving Suggestions: Plate the tropical pulled chicken over fluffy rice, stuff into warm tortillas for tacos, or pile onto soft sandwich buns, garnishing with fresh cilantro and a zesty lime wedge for an extra burst of brightness.
Notes
- Trim excess fat from chicken breasts before cooking to prevent greasy sauce and ensure lean, tender pulled meat.
- Adjust juice quantities if sauce seems too thin; pineapple and orange juices naturally release liquid during slow cooking.
- Customize heat level by reducing or increasing red pepper flakes and chili powder according to personal spice tolerance.
- Swap chicken for jackfruit to create a vegetarian version, or use low-sodium soy sauce for reduced salt content and replace brown sugar with coconut sugar for a cleaner ingredient profile.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Caribbean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg