Can we just establish that my idea of a good dinner is one that starts with INSTANT POT and ends with juicy pineapple and spiced chicken crisped under the broiler, tucked into tortillas, and rolled up with creamy jalapeño ranch slaw?
These tacos are springy, delicious, and just plain happy. Er, maybe it’s me that’s happy? And probably because throwing some pantry ingredients together, pressing start on the Instant Pot, taking my crew for a walk, and coming home to dinner almost done is almost the same as winning a million dollars. Almost.
Instant Pot lovers, where you at?
Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?
Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken! Let’s Do This.
Okay, here’s everything nice and pretty in the IP.
And here’s the less-pretty situation after cooking.
And here’s the pretty-again end result after popping the whole thing under the broiler for a bit (borrowing that one from these crockpot carnitas).
Don’t Forget About The Sauce!
Jalapeño Ranch? Won’t take you two seconds.
Everything goes in the food processor or blender till it’s smooth.
Toss that creamy goodness with cabbage, stuff it all into tortillas (these are La Tortilla Factory corn and flour blend tortillas – my not authentic but totally delicious favorites), drizzle with a little more sauce because SAUCE, and live your best spring life.
Juicy, sweet, and just a little bit spicy… that would be a yes, yes, and yes.
These Hawaiian chicken tacos would go great with some pitcher-style margaritas, plus a lil bowl of this 2 minute avocado dip (like guac but not guac) as an appetizer while you wait for those tacos to finish.
Chips and dip, drinks, and super fresh springy tacos… my favorite signs of warmer days ahead. 😍
Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken Tacos: FAQs
Absolutely!
Sure! The cook time should be the same.
Full fat Greek yogurt works well!
Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch Slaw
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
These Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken Tacos are out of this WORLD. Juicy pineapple and spiced chicken crisped under the broiler, tucked into tortillas, and rolled up with creamy jalapeño ranch slaw.
Ingredients
Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken
- 1.25 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 cups fresh pineapple, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, minced (remove ribs and seeds for less heat)
- half of a red onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup water
Jalapeño Ranch
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 jalapeno (remove ribs and seeds for less heat)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried dill (or about 1/4 cup fresh)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh chives (or sub 1/2 teaspoon onion powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
Extras:
- Cabbage for the slaw
- Tortillas
- Any extra toppings you like
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees (broil setting).
- Instant Pot: Place all chicken ingredients in the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes (20 if frozen). Release the pressure and shred chicken directly in pot.
- Broil: Transfer shredded chicken to a baking sheet lined with foil. Broil for 10-15 minutes until browned.
- Sauce: Pulse jalapeño ranch ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Toss some of the dressing with finely shredded cabbage to make a slaw.
- Done: Serve chicken in warm tortillas with slaw and an extra drizzle of jalapeño ranch, slices of avocado, extra pineapple, cilantro, red onion, etc.
Equipment
Notes
Making this in the slow cooker: Since chicken cooks quickly, set this to high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours. Then shred and brown.
Making this on a stovetop: Sauté the vegetables and spices, add the chicken, add a little more liquid (maybe 1/2 cup to 1 cup), and let it simmer down. Then shred and brown.
Freezer Meal Version
- Freeze Together:
1.25 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 cups fresh pineapple, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, minced (remove ribs/seeds for less heat)
half of a red onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon yellow mustard - Instant Pot Instructions: Add 1/4 cup of water before cooking. High pressure 20 mins + quick release.
- Slow Cooker Instructions: Add 1/4 cup of water before cooking. High setting 4 hours (thaw first).
- Final Step: Shred chicken and serve with slaw tossed with jalapeño ranch in tortillas.
- Check out our full freezer meal posts with all recipes and instructions here!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Hawaiian-Inspired
Keywords: instant pot tacos, hawaiian chicken tacos, jalapeno ranch
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One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of best healthy gluten-free recipes. Check it out!