Pineapple Chicken Tacos: Healthy & Flavorful

Steam curls up from the valve and your stomach starts talking back. You sense the kitchen filling up with that sweet pineapple smell mixing with spicy jalapeno right away. Its a kinda tease, making you wanna sneak a taste even before you're done cooking.

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Then you spot the float valve dancing up and down as pressure starts to build inside your Instant Pot. Thats when you know things are really cooking. You feel the anticipation, the mess-free magic of hands-free cooking that kinda feels too good to be true.

As minutes pass, you notice the tender pull of those chicken thighs getting silky and soft inside. The flavors soak in real nice while your jalapeno ranch slaw gets ready on the side. Soon youll be filling warm tortillas with this fresh, tangy, and slightly spicy combo thats gonna knock your socks off.

The Truth About Fast Tender Results

• Pressure build in the pot means your chicken cooks way faster than stove or oven.
• Manual High Pressure mode locks in moisture for tender, juicy chicken every time.
• Natural pressure release lets flavors deepen and the meat relax just right.
• Quick release finishes the job without overcooking your juicy chicken too much.
• Shredding inside the pot saves you time and keeps the chicken coated with the sauce.

Your Simple Ingredient Checklist

You gotta round up these fresh goodies to make this Hawaiian chicken pop in your Instant Pot. First off, 1.25 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs for that tender pull everyone loves.

Next grab 2 cups of finely chopped fresh pineapple to bring the sweet tropical vibe. One jalapeno minced usually works, but you can take out the ribs and seeds if you want it milder. Half a red onion, minced thin, and 3 cloves of garlic all minced give real flavor depth.

Spice it up with 1 teaspoon each of chili powder, cumin, and salt, and dont forget 1 tablespoon of sriracha for a little heat. A tablespoon of yellow mustard gives zing to your sauce, and ¼ cup water will help it all mix right in the pot.

For your jalapeno ranch slaw, youll mix ½ cup mayonnaise with ¼ cup each of olive oil and water, plus a tablespoon white vinegar for that tangy punch. Add another jalapeno (again, prep it your heat preference) with 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon dried dill or fresh if you got it, ¼ cup fresh parsley, and ¼ cup fresh chives or onion powder if youre out of fresh stuff.

Dont forget your shredded cabbage for the slaw base, tortillas for tacos, and any extra toppings you love like cilantro or extra salsa.

How It All Comes Together Step by Step

Step one is putting your chicken thighs right into the Instant Pot bowl. Toss in pineapple, minced jalapeno, red onion, and garlic too.

Next add chili powder, cumin, salt, sriracha, and yellow mustard. Give it a good stir to combine everything.

Secure the lid and set that valve to Sealing. You want the pressure build to happen just right.

Cook on Manual High Pressure for 10 minutes. This is where all the tender pull magic happens.

Once times up, let the pot do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes. Then carefully quick release any pressure thats left.

Remove the chicken to a plate and shred it using two forks. Dont forget to return the shredded chicken to the pot and give it a good stir to coat with the pineapple sauce.

While thats happening, prepare your jalapeno ranch slaw. Toss shredded cabbage with your jalapeno ranch dressing and lime juice until nicely coated.

Warm up your tortillas. Assemble each taco with a heaping scoop of Hawaiian chicken and slaw. Garnish with cilantro or jalapeno slices if youre feeling bold. Serve it up immediately dang this is good!

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Easy Tweaks That Make Life Simple

If youre short on time, you can skip the natural pressure release and just quick release after cooking. But be careful not to dump all the pressure too fast or your chicken might get a little dry.

Using rotisserie chicken instead of raw thighs can save even more time. Just toss it in with your pineapple and sauce ingredients, and then warm it all together on saute9 mode.

Frozen chicken thighs work just fine too. Just add about 2-3 minutes extra cook time to your pressure build.

For a shortcut on the slaw, use store-bought ranch dressing instead of making your own jalapeno ranch. Toss in some pre-shredded cabbage and youre halfway done fast.

Your First Taste After the Wait

The moment you bite into the Hawaiian chicken taco you notice that perfect tender pull of juicy thigh meat. Its soaking up that sweet pineapple sauce with a spicy sriracha kick that dances on your tongue.

The jalapeno ranch slaw adds a crisp cool crunch and just enough heat to balance the sweetness. Every bite feels fresh and lively like a quick beach trip for your taste buds.

Warm tortillas wrap around all those flavors snug but soft. You sense the little bursts of garlic and zest from fresh herbs making the whole thing sing.

Its dang satisfying and kinda addictive. Once you get this combo down, youll want to make these tacos again and again for easy weeknight dinners or whenever you need a flavor pick-me-up.

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Smart Storage That Actually Works

If you got leftovers, store your shredded Hawaiian chicken in an airtight container in the fridge. It should keep good for about 3-4 days and still stay juicy.

Slaw is best kept separate from the chicken to avoid sogginess. Keep it in its own container and toss fresh before serving again.

You can freeze the chicken for up to 2 months. Just thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat gently in a skillet or microwave. Tortillas are best fresh, but you can wrap extras in foil and warm them later.

What People Always Ask Me

• Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs? Yeah you can but thighs give you way more juicy tender pull and flavor. Breasts might dry out easier.
• How spicy is this dish? Depends on how much jalapeno you keep in. Removing the ribs and seeds drops the heat a lot. You can always add hot sauce at the table if you want more kick.
• Do I need fresh pineapple or canned? Fresh pineapple works best for that sweet juicy texture, but canned will work in a pinch, just drain it well.
• Can I meal prep these tacos? Absolutely! Store the chicken and slaw separately and assemble tacos fresh when ready to eat.
• Whats the best way to shred chicken cooked in the Instant Pot? Take chicken out, use two forks to pull apart. Its super tender so it kinda falls apart easy.
• Can I make the slaw dressing ahead? Yeah, the jalapeno ranch keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just give it a stir before using.

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Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch Slaw

These Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken Tacos are bursting with sweet pineapple, juicy shredded chicken, and fresh jalapeño ranch slaw for the perfect tropical taco night.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 4 servings

Calories 420 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Instant Pot

Ingredients

  

Main Ingredients

• 1.25 pounds Boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 cups Fresh pineapple finely chopped
• 1 Jalapeño minced, remove ribs/seeds for less heat
• 0.5 Red onion minced thin
• 3 cloves Garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon Chili powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha
• 1 tablespoon Yellow mustard
• 0.25 cup Water

Jalapeño Ranch Slaw

• 0.5 cup Mayonnaise
• 0.25 cup Olive oil
• 0.25 cup Water
• 1 tablespoon White vinegar
• 1 Jalapeño your heat preference
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Dried dill or fresh
• 0.25 cup Fresh parsley
• 0.25 cup Fresh chives or onion powder
• 2 cups Shredded cabbage

Assembly

• 8 Tortillas for serving
• Cilantro for garnish
• Extra salsa optional

Instructions

 

Instructions

• Add chicken thighs, pineapple, minced jalapeño, red onion, and garlic into the Instant Pot.
• Add chili powder, cumin, salt, sriracha, yellow mustard, and water. Stir well to combine.
• Secure the lid. Set valve to Sealing and cook on Manual High Pressure for 10 minutes.
• Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.
• Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Return shredded chicken to pot and stir to coat.
• Prepare jalapeño ranch slaw by combining slaw ingredients and tossing with shredded cabbage.
• Warm tortillas. Assemble tacos with chicken and slaw. Garnish as desired and serve immediately.
• Store leftovers in separate airtight containers. Chicken keeps for 3-4 days in fridge or freeze up to 2 months.

Notes

If you want shortcuts, use store-bought ranch dressing, pre-shredded cabbage, or even rotisserie chicken for a faster meal.