Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos & Pineapple Salsa

Sometimes the standout in a meal surprises you. I expected the main topic of this post to be the chicken tacos we made using this recipe from the Flying Pig food truck, but what I want to talk about first is pineapple salsa.

I don’t know if it’s because this Spring has been very un-sunny and I’m jonesin’ for a Hawaiian vacation, but this pineapple salsa really struck a chord. You’d think I never had a fruit salsa before. It was the perfect complement to the tacos.

I wish I could say I’ve discovered the secret to the most delicious salsa ever, but the truth is — there’s no secret ingredient here. The pineapple was pretty ripe and sweet and the jalapenos were extra spicy, and it was just a lovely counterpoint to the saltiness of the soy sauce in the braising liquid for the tacos. Next time, this is going on kalua pork tacos – I like this kalua pork recipe from Kauai Family Restaurant.

Some notes on the tacos:
1. I really only used the braising liquid recipe, so this isn’t an accurate reproduction of Flying Pig’s tacos, which I definitely have to have next time I’m in LA.
2.The chicken goes in the slow cooker with the braising liquid for 4 hours on high, using 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and 1 lb. of breast – satisfies both the white and dark meat eaters in the house.
3. I substituted 2 c. of chicken broth for the vegetable stock since I didn’t have any on-hand.
4. We don’t have a smoker, so I added 1 t. mesquite-flavored liquid smoke.
5. I reduced the sesame oil to 1 T.

Now here’s that salsa.

Print Recipe

Pineapple Salsa

Serves: Serves 3-4 (on tacos)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. fresh, ripe pineapple, diced into 1/4 in. cubes
• 3 T. red onion, diced finely
• 1/2 a jalapeno or serrano chile (seeded & deveined, if you like)
• 2-3 T. cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 1 small lime

Instructions

1

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

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