Instant Pot Hula Chicken Sandwiches

Who all ended up with an Instant Pot from Amazon Prime Day?  I had been debating get one forever, but the hype of Amazon Prime Day forced me to finally take the plunge.  This is the first recipe I made with it and it was delicious.  But it certainly took a lot of studying to figure out how to change a regular crockpot recipe to one that works in the Instant Pot.  I may have had some operator error with the steam valve, but once I got everything figured out, it was a snap.  I wasn't expected the force of the quick pressure release at the end...that is going to take some getting used to for sure.

Instant Pot Hula Chicken Sandwiches

½ cup water
½ cup crushed pineapple and juice
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons Sriracha
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 sandwich rolls
4 slices of Provolone cheese

In a two cup measure, whisk together the water, pineapple, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha, vinegar, ginger and garlic. Add the chicken breasts to the Instant Pot and pour the pineapple mixture over the chicken. Close up the pot and set to Poultry for 15 minutes. After it is done cooking, release the vent and shred the chicken. Serve on sandwich rolls and top with a slice of cheese.

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Hula Chicken Sandwiches

By far my favorite use for the crockpot is to make shredded meat. It is so easy to throw everything in the crockpot in the morning and come home to perfectly tender meat by day's end.  These Hula Chicken Sandwiches were a great spin on my usual Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches.  I served them on my most favorite brioche buns along side sweet potato waffle fries, which are the only sweet potato fry that Miss F will touch.  It's nearly the same with regular fries, she doesn't love them, but she will inhale waffle fries.  This recipe was inspired by Betty Crocker.

Hula Chicken Sandwiches

½ cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1 cup crushed or diced pineapple, drained, juice reserved
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 sandwich rolls
4 slices of Provolone cheese

In a two cup measure, whisk together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger and Sriracha. Pour the mixture into a crockpot and add the pineapple. Place the chicken breasts on top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove the chicken and shred, return to the crockpot and increase the heat to high. Cook, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is thickened; if the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pineapple juice. Toast the split sandwich rolls under the broiler for 1 minute. Serve the shredded chicken on the toasted bun topped with a slice of cheese.

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Mama Ninfa's Fajitas

We now go to El Tiempo to get Mama Ninfa's fajitas, but when I first moved to Houston, Ninfas was my go to restaurant for TexMex fajitas.   Miss F prefers cheese enchiladas to fajitas, but she will tolerate them as long as she loads up beans in her tortilla as well.  The citrus really adds great flavor to the meat and the marinade couldn't be any easier.  I made these on my grill pan indoors, which was quite smoky fun, but they would be fantastic grilled outdoors.  Thanks to Culinary Houston for the recipe.

Mama Ninfa’s Original Fajtas

½ orange, zested
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
1 dried chiles de arbol crushed
1 skirt steak, no more than ¾ inch thick.

12 warm flour tortillas
Condiments such as Pico de Gallo, Cilantro, Sour Cream, Guacamole, etc.

Combine the orange and lemon zest, lemon juice, water, pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic, pepper and chiles in a large baking dish. Use a sharp knife to remove any membrane from the meat and place it in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes per side. Cut crosswise into 1” strips and serve warm on tortillas with any desired condiments.

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Sweet Sriracha Glazed Pork Skewers

As soon as I saw this glaze on Pink Parsley, I knew I wanted to try it. I adapted it to include other veggies on the skewers for a more complete meal.  This glaze is amazing.  I am going to try it on chicken next.  Miss F had a grand time threading the skewers.  She made pork and bell peppers ones for herself and made skewers without tomatoes for C.  Feel free to make these on the grill, they would be equally fabulous on the barbecue.  Miss F had such a great time making the skewers, she made us fruit skewers for dessert that evening.  It's more fun to eat from a stick!

Sweet Sriracha Glazed Pork Skewers

1 pound boneless thick cut pork chops, cut into 1” cubes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Sriracha
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small can pineapple chunks
1 cup grape tomatoes

Toss the pork and salt together in a bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Whisk together the brown sugar, Sriracha and cornstarch in a small bowl. Soak wooden skewers in water and spray a broiler pan with cooking spray. Preheat the broiler to high. Thread the pork, bell pepper, pineapple chunks and tomatoes onto the skewers and place them on the prepared pan. Brush the skewers with half of the glaze. Broil the skewers for 4 to 5 minutes, flip the skewers and brush with the remaining glaze. Broil for 4 to 5 minutes more. Serve.

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Pineapple Beef Fajitas

I love fajitas of any sort. I had a few small cans of pineapple to get through after using them as cupcake stand bases, so I scoured one of my most favorite blogs, Confections of a Foodie Bride, for a pineapple recipe. And I found quite the winner. Miss F ate four fajitas, so I would definitely call it a success. I added bell pepper because I love having grilled pepper in my fajitas, plus we just topped ours with just cheese and guacamole, I might have had a revolt if I had tried to serve them with yogurt. I also learned a new trick for my cast iron grill pan, you can clean it with white vinegar. Brush it on, let it sit for a couple minutes, then wipe it down. It was fantastic!

Pineapple Beef Fajitas

For the marinade:
1 small can pineapple rings in juice
Juice of ½ lime
Generous pinch of red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon salt

1 pound flank or skirt steak
1 bell pepper, sliced
8 tortillas, warmed
guacamole
sour cream

Whisk together the pineapple juice, lime juice, red pepper flakes, garlic, olive oil, Worcestershire, and salt. Place the steak and bell pepper in a large zipper bag, pour the marinade over top and add two pineapple rings, reserve the remaining ring for serving. Seal the bag and let marinate for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature. Heat the grill or grill pan to high. Remove the steak from the marinade and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove from the grill, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. While the meat is resting, grill the bell pepper slices until tender. Serve on tortillas topped with guacamole and sour cream.

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Pork, Pineapple and Peppers

This recipe is an adaptation of a dish my old roommate used to make. It is a comforting dish for me, I have been eating it for nearly 15 years, man am I old!  I changed up the original recipe from chicken to pork, because I had thick cut pork chops that needed to be used, but boneless skinless chicken breasts work great as well.  I had several cans of pineapple on hand from the cupcake towers for Miss F's birthday party, so this was a great way to use one of those up.  Miss F refused to eat the pineapple, the kid can eat her weight in Dole Whip, but if you get the fruit in front of her, she flat out refuses.  Drink pineapple juice?  Sure.  Try the fruit?  No way.  Silly girl.

Pork, Pineapple and Peppers

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped into bite size pieces
1 pound pork loin, cut into bite size pieces
1 bell pepper (any color), chopped into bite size pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks in juice
1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons corn starch
3 tablespoons water
2 cups cooked brown rice

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pork, bell pepper, garlic and ginger and saute until the pork is cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, Worcestershire, pineapple, tomatoes and chicken broth. In a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch and water, whisk the slurry into the pan and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes more. Serve over brown rice.

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Spicy Pineapple Chicken Drumsticks

This has been on my Pinterest to make for quite awhile. I knew it would be an easy meal to prepare in Aspen and I was pretty sure it would be a hit. I was super correct. Miss F said it was better than "boat chicken." For the record, "boat chicken" is fried chicken that we pick up on the way to our boat, usually from KFC. Miss F can eat lots of boat chicken. Even though both she and C were sick the night I made this, they both cleared their plates. With Miss F eating only the beans inside her green beans, such a weirdo. I had initially planned to make baked creamed corn with bell peppers as a side, but the corn cobs were too big and beautiful not to be eaten on there own.  Colorado corn just may rival Maryland corn in sweetness.

Spicy Pineapple Chicken Drumsticks
adapted from Juanita's Cocina

8 chicken drumsticks
¼ cup flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cup pineapple juice
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Sriracha

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9×13 baking pan with foil.

Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken drumsticks in the flour mixture and set them in the baking pan. Bake the chicken drumsticks for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

While the chicken drumsticks are baking, whisk together the pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and Sriracha in a small saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and allow the sauce to simmer and thicken while the chicken is baking.

After the chicken has baked for 20 minutes, pour the sauce over the chicken. Toss the drumsticks in the sauce to coat.. Bake the chicken for 20 to 30 minutes more, until cooked through, flipping the chicken once more halfway through. Serve.

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Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sandwiches

These were loosely inspired by enjoying Spicy Pineapple Chicken so much while we were in Aspen that I wanted to use more pineapple this summer and once I got home, I knew I wanted to use my crockpot while we enjoyed our day on the boat all day. We had a great time on the boat, we even saw some dolphins, and when we returned home, the pork was ready and the house smelled amazing. I just warmed some sweet potato fries in the oven and dinner was served. Miss F gobbled up the pork, no bread needed for her.  One day I will try my hand at making my own Kings' Hawaiian Rolls, but for an easy summer meal, store bought works just fine.  And the bonus is that Miss F and I have leftover pork to have once C returns to Aspen for the work week.

Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1 pork shoulder
1 can crushed pineapple in juice (8 ounces)
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup water
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons mustard
2 teaspoons Sriracha
½ onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed

Add the pork shoulder to the crockpot. Whisk together the pineapple, ketchup, water, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, soy sauce, mustard and Sriracha in a 4 cup measure. Add the onions and garlic to the crockpot, pour the sauce overtop. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Shred pork 30 minutes before serving. Return shredded pork and sauce to crock pot and reduce heat to warm. Serve on Kings Hawaiian rolls.

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Spicy Pineapple Chicken

Over ten years ago my roommate made me Chicken, Pineapple and Peppers. Still to this day it's one of my favorite easy weeknight recipes. When I saw Spicy Pineapple Chicken on Elly Says Opa, I knew I would enjoy it.  I did make some adjustments to accommodate my Aspen pantry supplies, I am going to try it with Sambal Oelek at home next time I make it.  This was equally a hit as my old standby.  Miss F even cleared her plate, though she no longer likes pineapple like she used to.  It is strange how her tastes have changed.

Spicy Pineapple Chicken

For the sauce:
1 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon cornstarch

For the chicken and vegetables:
¼ cup cornstarch
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ medium onion, diced
½ red bell pepper, sliced
½ green bell pepper, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chopped pineapple

In a small bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, Sriracha, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, water and cornstarch and set aside.

Toss the chicken in the cornstarch until well coated. Add the oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken for two minutes, add the onion and bell pepper, sauté for two minutes more. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce, allow to come to a boil and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring in the pineapple during the last minute. Serve over rice.

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Tropical Pork Pineapple Kebabs

When I saw this recipe pop up in the last Secret Recipe Club reveal on I Am a Honey Bee, I knew I had to try it.  It is very similar to my favorite kebab recipe, but I loved the addition of chili garlic sauce.  Next time I make these, I am going to increase it to one tablespoon, I love the heat.  I made things easier on myself by using canned pineapple, but I imagine it would be amazing with fresh pineapple chunks.  C was a fan, except for the mushrooms, which I was happy to eat off his plate.  Miss F only ate the pork and bell pepper.  I am still puzzled by her pineapple aversion.

Tropical Pork Pineapple Kebabs

¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 gloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon of brown sugar

1 pound of pork tenderloin, cut into 1″ cubes
1 20 ounce can pineapple chunks
1 red pepper, cut into 1” squares
1 zucchini, sliced into ½” thick pieces
½ pound whole white button mushrooms

Soak 10 wooden skewers for at least an hour before using them or use metal skewers.

Combine the soy sauce, juice, vinegar, garlic, chili garlic sauce and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Reserve two tablespoons of the marinade. Add the pork to the bag and marinate for 1 hour or more. Thread the pork, pineapple, red pepper, zucchini and mushrooms onto the skewers.

Grill the kebabs over medium-high heat. Using a basting brush, brush the kebabs with the reserved marinade each time you turn the kebabs grilling each side. Cook the kebabs until done with an internal temperature of the pork is 145 degrees. Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

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Recipe Swap: Thai Pineapple Rice

The theme of this week's recipe swap was fruit. I submitted a sweet recipe, strawberry cream cheese muffins. In return, I got the host of the swap, A Taste of Home Cooking's savory recipe for Thai Pineapple Rice. Miss F was SO excited to buy a whole pineapple at the store.  The original recipe called for canned pineapple, but I decided to switch it up and use fresh pineapple in the dish and to serve it.  Miss F snacked on fresh pineapple while I prepared the rice.  The rice was savory and sweet.  In the future I will pair it with soy lime pork tenderloin, chicken kebabs, crockpot Hawaiian chicken, and pork chops with peppers.  It is a versatile side dish and my family really enjoyed it.

Thai Pineapple Rice

1 pineapple
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, red or white, cut into large dice
1/2 jalapeno pepper, or 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups basmati rice, cooked according to package directions
Soy sauce to taste

Slice the pineapple in half length wise.  Scoop out one half with a melon baller until you have created a bowl.  Chop the other half of the pineapple into bite sized chunks.  Heat a the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and the jalapeno; cook until softened. Add the cooked rice and pineapple and stir to heat through. Add a few splashes of soy sauce to taste.  Serve the rice in the hollowed out pineapple bowl.

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Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken

There is just something about pineapple rings that is nostalgic. I picture them laying on top of cottage cheese that is set on a lettuce leaf, with a maraschino cherry in the center of course. No matter how you 'slice' it, they look dated (or nostalgic if you are trying to be nice.) Nonetheless, pineapple slices work perfectly in this recipe. I adpated the recipe from Stephanie Cooks, adding soy sauce to make it more savory than sweet. This is an easy meal, just steam some broccoli on the side and you are set for dinner.  Add a maraschino cherry to the center of each pineapple ring and you are dining in the 1970s.

Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple slices, juice reserved
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice from one lemon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Place chicken in slow cooker sprayed with non-stick spray. Place pineapple slices over chicken. In a small bowl, combine pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, ginger and cornstarch and stir until combined. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or high for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Serve over rice.

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Chicken, Pineapple and Peppers

My old roommate and friend, Lori first made this recipe and I have been making it ever since. It is a really quick and easy meal to throw together, the longest component is cooking the brown rice, but you can always use white rice if you are short on time. Miss F adored the pineapple!

Chicken, Pineapple and Peppers
printable recipe

1 onion, chopped into bite size pieces
1 lb chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1 bell pepper (any color), chopped into bite size pieces
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp ginger, minced
1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 can pineapples (in juice, not syrup)
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can fat free chicken broth
2 tbsp corn starch/ 3 tbsp water

brown rice

Sauté onion, chicken, bell pepper, garlic and ginger in EVOO over med-high heat until chicken is cooked through. Add soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, pineapples, tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch slurry and bring back up to a boil, the sauce will thicken up. Serve over brown rice.

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Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches

This have been a go to meal since I was a kid. I love pineapples on the grill, the heat brings out such a nice flavor. If you like some additional heat, add a pinch of crushed red pepper to the marinade. They are perfect on a hot summer night and since all we have is hot summer nights here in Texas...








Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches

1 large boneless skinless breast of chicken
1 small can pineapple rings (4 rings)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 hamburger buns or kaiser rolls
2 slices provolone cheese

Pound out the chicken breast and slice into two pieces. Combine the juice from the pineapple can, soy sauce, brown sugar and mustard. Marinate the chicken 4 hours or overnight in the the juice mixture. Prepare your grill. Grill the chicken for 15 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Add the cheese with 3 minutes left. While the chicken is grilling, add the pineapple rings halfway through, turning once. Serve on the buns with two pineapple rings each.

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