Don't let the simplicity of this dish fool you. It packs a lot of flavor from inexpensive items from your grocery store. You don't need to buy a bunch of expensive spices or ingredients for this meal so I like to have the items on hand for emergency meals. I like coming home from a busy day at work and having the dinner pretty much done by my crock-pot. You can serve it over a bed of rice with vegetables or my favorite is to serve it on buns (gluten free at my house!) along with a side of raw veggies and Maui Onion flavored potato chips. Simple yet delicious. You can easily double the recipe for a large crowd or freeze any leftovers for quick lunches or dinners down the road. I also really like it on my gluten free pizza for a Hawaiian style.
Hawaiian Shredded Chicken Recipe:
- 1 (12 oz.) bottle of Heinz chili sauce
- 1 (20 oz.) can of crushed pineapple with juice
- 2.5-3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken pieces (or substitute pork)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (you can add a little more if you like it sweeter or a little less if you like it more tangy)
For the crock-pot, turn on low temperature (6-10 hr cooking time). Mine has an automatic shut off then will just keep it warm and it doesn't get too hot so I don't have to worry about not having enough liquids and it drying or burning the meat. If you aren't sure then I wouldn't leave it unattended. Place the chicken on the bottom of the crock-pot then pour the chili sauce, crushed pineapple with juice, and brown sugar on top of the chicken or pork. Walk away and let the crock-pot work the magic! After about 8-10 hours (mine cooks at a really low temperature and doesn't burn the meat), I remove the chicken (or pork) and give it a light cut with a knife so it shreds. I like my sauce on the thicker side so I remove most of the juice/sauce that is left in the crock-pot and put it on the stove top along with 2-3 tbs. of corn starch or tapioca starch and cook until it thickens a little bit. I pour the slightly thickened sauce over top of the chicken and stir. I let it sit in the crock-pot at least 10 minutes to soak up the sauce. (You can just put your crock-pot on warm and keep it that way until everyone is done eating).
If you don't have a crock-pot, this can be done in the oven on a low temperature (about 275 degrees) and a casserole dish covered with foil or oven safe lid. Cook about 3-4 hours. I still remove the chicken and give it a coarse chop with a knife to get it to start shredding and I still cook the sauce on the stove top. I have a friend that does not and hers is still delicious but just a little more sloppy.
If you don't have time for cooking the chicken....you can take the cheater way out for dinner. Don't worry....we won't tell anyone! ;) Shred a rotisserie chicken. Mix the chili sauce, crushed pineapple and the brown sugar along with 2-3 tablespoons of corn starch or tapioca starch in a sauce pan on the stove top until slightly thickened. Pour over chicken and let it soak well for about 10-15 minutes before serving.
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| Dumped it all in the crock-pot and ready to cook |
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| Removed chicken and gave it a coarse chop with my knife |
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| I like to thicken my sauce slightly with a little corn starch |
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| Ready to serve up on sandwiches, gluten free tortillas or rice. It even tastes great on pizza! |
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| Ready to eat |
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| Yummy! Tangy with a little sweet. Makes me feel like vacation! |
I hope you enjoy this super easy recipe that gets you dinner to table quickly and on budget! I recently took this to a pot-luck and it was the first meat dish gone. I think everyone enjoyed the different flavor rather than the traditional sloppy joes, BBQ beef or shredded chicken dishes. This is a nice change and doesn't require a lot of time or expense. Great for any casual dinner.
Enjoy!
Tanja
Gluten Free Casually
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