These Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Tacos with Avocado Pineapple Salsa are sweet and spicy and perfect for busy nights! This simple recipe is family-friendly.
There's no meal that's more on repeat in my house than tacos. We have tacos essentially every week. There are so many ways to switch it up with tacos, it's hard to get sick of them.
If you love BBQ chicken, you will love these shredded BBQ chicken tacos. They are made in a slow cooker and are topped with a simple pineapple salsa for a super easy but tasty meal! You will keep coming back to this meal.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's super simple. This recipe requires minimal work and prep! Just throw everything in a slow cooker and forget about it until it's time for dinner.
- Family-friendly. These tacos are great for the entire family and can easily be customized to everyone's liking.
- Great for leftovers. The chicken can be used in so many creative ways as leftovers.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken breasts- you can also use chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Sugar- you can use brown sugar or coconut sugar or omit it all together if your barbecue sauce is already very sweet.
- Barbecue sauce- any brand of BBQ sauce will work, use your favorite!
- Pineapple- I used frozen pineapple chunks for this recipe. I defrosted them by placing a strainer over a bowl, to catch the liquid, on the counter for a few hours. You can use freshly diced pineapple, however, I find frozen pineapple to be easier because it cuts down on the prep time.
- Jalapeño pepper- adds the perfect amount of spice to compliment the sweetness of the barbecue sauce.
Full ingredient list and quantities are in the recipe card below.
Equipment Needed
Grab what you need for this recipe:
- Slow cooker
- Mixing spoons
- Forks or handheld mixer for shredding the chicken
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Small bowl
- Measuring spoons needed: ½ teaspoon, 1 teaspoon 1 tablespoon, ¼ cup, ½ cup and 1 cup.
Instructions
Begin by adding the chicken breasts, spices and barbecue sauce to the pot, then cook for 4-6 hours. When chicken is done, shred with two forks or a handheld mixer. Stir in additional barbecue sauce if needed.
Make the avocado pineapple salsa. Add the pineapple to a bowl along with a seeded and chopped jalapeño (devein the jalapeño for less spice), peeled and diced avocado, the juice from ½ of a lime and chopped cilantro. I then mixed the salsa together using a spoon. Super simple!
Assemble the tacos by placing the chicken on a tortilla, top with the salsa and extra barbecue sauce.
Storage and Reheating
Leftover chicken can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It can also be stored in the freezer for about 1 month, if in a freezer-safe container. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Pineapple salsa will last for up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
FAQs
Aside from making more tacos, here are a few fun ideas!
Barbecue chicken sandwiches- top your favorite bread or roll with leftover chicken, more bbq sauce and your favorite coleslaw.
Quesadillas- make bbq chicken quesadillas with flour tortillas, bbq sauce, leftover chicken and some mozzarella cheese.
Best ways to use the leftover salsa:
Snack- snack on the leftover salsa as is or scoop up with your favorite tortilla chips.
Salad- use as a topping on your favorite salad.
Seafood- pineapple salsa goes great with fish and other seafood. Use it to top another taco recipe or as a side dish with your favorite fish.
Yes! If you are using an Instant Pot, you will add chicken breasts, spices and barbecue sauce to the pot, then cover it, seal the vent and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes or low pressure for 45 minutes-1 hour. When done, release the pressure and shred the chicken with two forks or a handheld mixer. Stir in additional barbecue sauce if needed.
Top Tips
I love heating corn and flour tortillas over an open flame (medium heat) for about 15 seconds per side until slightly charred.
Additional ways to heat tortillas:
- Place tortillas in a lightly oiled skillet and heat for 30 seconds-1 minute per side.
- Wrap tortillas in foil and heat them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes.
- Place tortillas on a plate, top them with a damp paper towel then cook in the microwave for 30 seconds-1 minute.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. Serve these BBQ chicken tacos with my Spicy Watermelon Margaritas and enjoy the perfect taco night!
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Recipe
BBQ Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
Pineapple Salsa
- 2 cups fresh or frozen pineapple defrosted and cut into cubes
- 1 jalapeño pepper deseeded and diced
- 2 avocados diced
- ½ lime juiced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
Tacos
- Corn tortillas
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Chicken
- Add the chicken breasts to a slow cooker with the spices and barbecue sauce. Give everything a quick stir.
- Slow cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours.
- Remove the lid and use two forks or a handheld mixer to shred the chicken.
Pineapple Salsa
- In a small bowl, add all of the salsa ingredients and mix with a spoon until combined.
Tacos
- Heat the tortillas if desired.
- Assemble the tacos by placing the chicken on tortilla, top with salsa and extra barbecue sauce.
- Serve with lime wedges and enjoy!
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and a comment. I love to know what you are making and ratings help me to create more delicious recipes for you!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Alyssa says
This looks delicious!! Definitely saving this recipe for later!
Sarah says
Thanks so much Alyssa!