Tropical Pineapple Chicken (Slow Cooker + IP)

Do you want an easy, 3 ingredient dinner without a ton of work? Make this Tropical Pineapple Chicken in your Crockpot or Instant Pot and serve it over rice, in a sandwich, or on top of a salad! 

This recipe is part of my Dump It 'Til It's Hot series of dump recipes. It's all about making delicious food with minimal prep, no pre-cooking, and the ability to freeze for a good make-ahead meal. And trust me when I say, easy never tasted so good!

This post contains Affiliate Links. Please see the disclaimer here.

Other great shredded chicken recipes include:

• Chicken Taco Meat
• Italian Chicken Stew
• Shredded BBQ Chicken

Tropical Pineapple Chicken

I love a good shredded chicken recipe! There are so many ways to serve it and repurpose it for multiple meals and meal preps. So, I thought it would be fun to mix things up with a tropical chicken recipe.

I love the idea of taking only a couple ingredients, dumping them into a Crockpot or Instant Pot, and letting the machine to the rest. With recipes like these, the chicken ends up fall-apart-tender, and the other ingredients give it a robust flavor that will keep everyone coming back for more!

Tips for making this Pineapple Chicken Recipe

• I like to trim any extra fat from the chicken breasts so that it's all meat and nothing weird or chewy.
• You don't even have to stir the ingredients — this is a true dump-and-go recipe.
• I always taste my food before serving. If you feel it needs salt and pepper, you can totally add it (specific to your taste) but don't feel like you need to!

What cut of chicken is best?

I made this with chicken breasts to keep it on the leaner side, but this would also be delicious with boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 4-6 of them since they're smaller).

How do you serve tropical pineapple chicken?

One thing I love about this crockpot pineapple chicken recipe is that it offers several serving options. It's excellent on its own with your favorite sides.

You can serve it over white or brown rice. Put it in some Hawaiian rolls or the bread of your choice for sandwiches. Or, for a healthier twist, use it as a salad topper.

Where does pineapple chicken come from?

I've heard various mixed opinions in terms of the origin of classic pineapple chicken recipes. Some say they have Asian origins (these variations are typically enjoyed in stir fry form). Others say Hawaii is the place of origin since many people are quick to associate pineapple with Hawaii.

For this particular recipe, I was inspired by my brother-in-law, Les. He is of Puerto Rican background and is an excellent cook. He was the person who introduced me to Sofrito as an ingredient, and the addition of pineapple seemed delicious and lent the "tropical feel."

Can you make pineapple chicken with fresh pineapple?

Yes. I would dice it pretty small (use around 1 cup of diced) and add ¼ cup of water since there won't be juice like you find in the canned pineapple.

Is pineapple chicken sweet?

A little, but the Sofrito adds a nice balance, so it ends up being a little bit sweet and a little bit savory.

Can you freeze pineapple chicken?

Yes! Like most of my dump-and-go recipes, you can place all ingredients into a plastic zipper bag and freeze. Then, thaw before cooking.

You can also freeze this in an airtight container once cooked if you'd rather. Just be sure you don't shred it too finely if doing this.

How long does pineapple chicken last?

3-4 days covered in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

How do you reheat pineapple chicken?

You can reheat this in the microwave in individual servings or in a saute pan over medium heat — be sure to stir it frequently.

What are the ingredients for Tropical Pineapple Chicken?

• Chicken breasts
• Sofrito
• Canned pineapple
• Chopped cilantro (optional — this is a garnish)

How do you make the pineapple sauce?

Once you add the ingredients to the pot and start cooking, it makes the sauce for you! You don't have to do anything extra to make the sauce.

How to make tropical pineapple chicken

1. Place the chicken into the pot
2. Pour the sofrito and the crushed pineapple (with its juices) over the top of the chicken.
3. Cover and cook as per the recipe directions (depending on which machine you're using).
4. Once cooking is done, shred the chicken.
5. Stir the shredded chicken with the sauce to combine.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Tropical Chicken Recipe Upgrades

Although this is designed to be a dump-and-go recipe, here are a few “upgrades” you can make if you have a little extra time on your hands and don’t mind doing a small amount of extra work.

• Chop up fresh cilantro to serve over the top of the finished chicken as a garnish.
• Serve over instant white or brown rice.
• Make a sandwich with your favorite rolls (I like Hawaiian rolls!).
• Make a green salad and serve this chicken over the top.

Make it a meal!

A few great recipes to round out and complete this meal would be:

• Ramen Noodle Coleslaw
• Rainbow Asian Chicken Salad
• Mai Tai Cupcakes

Helpful tools:

1. Slow cooker
2. Instant pot
3. Gallon freezer zipper bags
4. Slow cooker liners

Now that you know how to make this Tropical Pineapple Chicken recipe, be sure to share it and tag @thelifejolie on Instagram and Facebook.  And be sure to pin it to save for later or bookmark it!

Check out other Dump It ‘Til It’s Hot posts:

• Dump recipes main page
• My introduction post
• Best tools for prepping dump recipes
• Tips for making dump dinners

Be sure to subscribe to gain access to all the bonuses and recipe previews!

You can find a full index of my recipes here.

Let’s keep the conversation going- join my Facebook group!