One day last week, I was surprised to get an email from Nick sending me a link to a recipe he saw on Host the Toast’s Blog for Crock Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Slaw.  (Who knew he read recipe blogs?!?)

Anyway – he somehow charmingly hinted that it would make a great dinner sometime.

Well – woohoo!  Looked YUMMY to me, and I am always up for a new recipe.

I was excited that he wanted me to try something new and different.

So last night I made these yummy wraps (our version of the taco) – because – hey – Nick loves any meal that can be wrapped in a flour tortilla and eaten with one hand.

And we both love anything zipped up with spicy Sriracha sauce.  (In this case both the chicken and the slaw!)

For those unfamiliar with Sriracha – a little goes a long way – so BEWARE faint of spicy taste bud fans – and use sparingly if you are a bit wimpy about zippiness.

The chicken is so tender and juicy and spicy and sweet and yummy.

It could be eaten as is or on a bun or even over some steamed rice (I happened to make a yummy pan of Basmati Rice Pilaf as the “side” dish last night).

And the slaw – oh so yummy and bright and fresh – and such a perfect blend of crunchiness and sweet and zippy and tangy.  Placed atop the BBQ chicken on a flour tortilla with a generous sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese – Oh my!

I’m guessing some of the more unusual ingredients from the original recipe  (like coconut milk and rice vinegar) can be omitted or substituted.  (In fact, I did purchase the coconut milk – for the first time – but substituted red wine vinegar for the rice vinegar).

Be creative – don’t worry if you don’t have all the ingredients – mix and match – plug and play – substitute – omit – follow your own taste buds.

So…

Happy to report that Nick LOVED it…

I loved it…

Marty liked it – a lot – (can’t give it a “LOVE” though –  he’s always been a little weird about fruit mixed with savory  – whatever – be boring then)

Here is the recipe for how I made it.

Enjoy!

Chicken:
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1½ cups pineapple juice
½ cup honey BBQ Sauce
1/4 cup honey
⅓ cup soy sauce
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp ginger
2 Tbsp sriracha sauce (this stuff is POTENT – so only use 1 Tbsp if you’re a sissy!)

Flour tortillas
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Pineapple Slaw:
½ small purple cabbage, sliced thin
¼ medium green cabbage, sliced thin
¼ fresh pineapple, cored and diced
½ small red or Vidalia onion, diced
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup coconut milk
1 lime
1 Tbsp sriracha
1 tsp brown sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Whisk together pineapple juice, soy sauce, BBQ sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and sriracha.
Place chicken breasts in crock pot and cover with the sauce mixture.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Combine and toss all of the slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

After the chicken is cooked for 7-8 hours in the crock pot, shred it with a fork and let it absorb the sauce for another 30 minutes or more.

To eat, place a serving of chicken on the flour tortilla, top with pineapple slaw and a generous sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese. Roll it up, and enjoy!

Cheers and Hugs and a zippy Aloha!

Jodi