Easy Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken Tacos
I recently discovered the culinary adventure that is Easy Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken Tacos. Picture this: tropical flavors crashing together with the delightful chaos of tacos—like a luau exploded in your kitchen. No more need to dream of sandy beaches and fruity cocktails. Instead, you can spear the task with your trusty Instant Pot and embrace your inner chef without making a mess that requires a month’s worth of therapy. Seriously, you’ll want to try this because it’s simple, delicious, and only slightly labor-intensive… just like my attempts at adulting!
So, funny story: My husband decided that he wanted to “help” in the kitchen while I was making this recipe. His version of help was to stand there with a spatula and make “Hawaiian” jokes (which I’ll spare you). Mid-recipe, he casually walked away to “check the mail,” leaving me to figure out how to correctly peel a pineapple without losing fingers. Spoiler: I did not lose any fingers, but I did lose my sanity when I realized I was stuck in a fruit war with my cutting board. It took longer than expected, and let me tell you, laughs were had—mostly at my expense.
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken Tacos
You’ll love this recipe because it’s the perfect mix of sweet, savory, and lazy. Who doesn’t want a beach party without the sunburn? Plus, it comes together faster than my kids can demolish a bag of chips. You can even “pretend” you’re healthy by adding veggies—just make sure to label that closely or risk them gathering dust in the fridge. And if you’re not a fan of dishes (because let’s face it, who actually enjoys washing up?) this one-pot wonder is your new best friend. Who knew that pinning the kids down would be easier than cleaning up after them?
Time-Saving Hacks
– Grab pre-diced pineapple on your next grocery run and say goodbye to your knife skills. They’re overrated, right?
– Use the same bowl for everything, because that mysterious “five second rule” totally justifies it.
– When in doubt, microwave your tortillas. Not as fancy as a grill but **definitely** faster.
– Dump all the ingredients in the Instant Pot without reading the instructions? Bold move, but you might just get lucky!
Serving Ideas
Serve these tacos with a side of nachos topped with whatever cheese fiasco is at the back of your fridge. And don’t forget a cold one—because if parenting has taught me anything, it’s that wine pairs well with chaos. Honestly, if your kids turned the house into a disaster zone while you cooked, any drink is suitable. We’re talking life hacks, people.
What to Serve It With
Tips & Mistakes
If you accidentally set the Instant Pot on “carnitas” when you clearly just wanted chicken tacos, just go with it. Life’s too short, and “carnitas-style” sounds fancy. Your family won’t know the difference!
Storage Tips
Store it in the fridge… if there’s any left. Cold midnight leftovers? Sometimes better than fresh! You’ve just gotta get past that whole “this is dangerously close to being a ‘snack’ at 3 AM” phase.
Variations and Substitutions
Feel free to swap whatever you want—sugar ↔ honey, soy sauce ↔ tamari, or skip steps and call it “deconstructed.” Who’s gonna stop you? It still counts as dinner, right?
Frequently Asked Questions
Remember it later
Planning to try this recipe soon? Pin it for a quick find later!
Easy Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 cups pineapple chunks with juice include the juice
- 0.25 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste optional for richer sauce
- 0.5 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 0.25 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional for heat
- 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water for slurry
- 12 tortillas small flour or corn tortillas, warmed
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage or coleslaw mix
- 0.25 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- In a bowl, whisk soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
- Add diced onion and bell pepper to the Instant Pot. Pour in pineapple chunks with their juice. Place chicken thighs on top and pour the sauce over everything. Stir to coat.
- Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook on High for 10 minutes.
- Allow a 5-minute natural release, then quick release any remaining pressure. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks.
- Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté. In a small cup, stir cornstarch and water to make a slurry, then whisk it into the sauce. Simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Return shredded chicken to the pot and toss to coat in the Hawaiian sauce. Turn off Sauté.
- Warm tortillas in a dry skillet or the microwave until pliable.
- Assemble tacos: fill tortillas with saucy chicken, then top with cabbage, red onion, and cilantro. Finish with a squeeze of lime and serve.