Pineapple BBQ Pulled Chicken Tacos - Savory Nothings (2024)

These Pineapple BBQ Pulled Chicken Tacos are a quick and easy summer meal – it’s simple to make with homemade shredded chicken, but it’s especially quick with rotisserie chicken or store-bought shredded chicken.

Easy pulled chicken tacos

• This is a great weeknight dinner you can whip up in just 30 minutes – even quicker if you use pre-shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken!
• The chicken filling can be made up to 3 days ahead, or frozen for up to 3 months. This makes it great for make-ahead meals!
• Serve the chicken with taco shells, pineapple coleslaw and your favorite toppings – everyone can assemble their own dinner at the table.

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

Ingredient notes

• Chicken: I made my chicken by following my easy shredded chicken recipe. Feel free to use your favorite recipe for shredded chicken instead, use pre-shredded chicken or shred a rotisserie chicken.
• BBQ sauce: I used a hickory smoked BBQ sauce. It’s a prominent ingredient in this recipe, so I recommend picking one you like the flavor of.
• Pineapple slaw: I always make my pineapple coleslaw with these tacos, but it’s not mandatory. You can also make a regular coleslaw or simply top your tacos with some undressed slaw mix if you need extra-easy tonight.
• Taco shells: I prefer using soft flour taco shells for this recipe. I also like using the mini-sized (5-6 inches) because the tacos are quite saucy and are easier to eat in small shells.
• More flavor: If you want to add a little extra flavor, feel free to season your filling with some Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and/or honey.

How to make Pineapple BBQ Pulled Chicken Tacos

1. Place the chicken, BBQ sauce and crushed pineapple in a large skillet. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Stir to combine while simmering the filling over medium to medium-high heat. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until juices have thickened and chicken is juicy and flavorful.

3. Serve immediately with taco shells, slaw, lime juice and fresh cilantro.

Recipe tips

• Use the crushed pineapple undrained, you need the liquid to yield juicy, saucy chicken.
• If you prefer a very saucy/juicy taco filling, feel free to add 2-3 tablespoons of pineapple juice to the filling.
• On the other hand, if the sauce around your chicken filling doesn’t thicken enough to your liking (depends a lot on exact BBQ sauce and pineapple used, as well as personal taste), stir a slurry of 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 2 teaspoons pineapple juice into the filling and simmer for one more minute to help thicken the juices.
• My husband likes a kick with his tacos, so he uses sliced Jalapeño to top his serving. You could also add red pepper flakes or crushed chipotle.

Storage tips

The chicken filling can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

You can also freeze the filling. Allow to cool to room temperature, then pack into a freezer bag or container labelled with the name and date and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat in a skillet over medium heat until fully heated. You may need to add a splash of pineapple juice (or water) and BBQ sauce to the skillet to get the right sauce consistency again.

PSIf you try this recipe, please leavea review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along onPinterest,FacebookorInstagram.

Printable recipe

Recipe first published on 05/05/2016. Updated with a much better recipe, new photos and better text on 04/23/2021. The previous recipe used diced chicken, but I’ve since come to appreciate shredded chicken much more and like it a lot better for tacos vs diced.

More taco recipes

More Mexican-inspired chicken recipes