Tropical Chicken Tacos

Tropical Chicken Tacos take you right to the tropics, but not in a hurry. The juicy shredded chicken takes a dip in a sweet and spicy sauce to really infuse that beloved jerk flavor. And don’t worry, it’s all done in a slow cooker so you can keep living on island time. It’s packed in a salty (not sandy!) corn tortilla and topped with tasty green onions, crunchy red cabbage, creamy feta cheese, and a squeeze of fresh lime. After just one bite of Tropical Chicken Tacos, you’ll be singing, “Is this love, is this love that I’m feelin’?”

Ingredients

For the tacos:

• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, excess fat trimmed
• 4 green onions, chopped, white and green parts separated
• 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks, unsweetened, drained and juices reserved
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 jalapeño peppers, with seeds, diced

Optional, for serving:

• corn tortillas, to taste
• red cabbage, to taste, shredded
• feta cheese, to taste, crumbled
• lime wedges, to taste

Directions

Step 1 –In a small bowl, stir together the thyme, the nutmeg, the cinnamon, the allspice, the ginger, the black pepper, and the salt.

Step 2 –Drizzle the olive oil into the seasoning mixture and combine until it forms a paste.

Step 3 –Place the chicken thighs into a 6-quart slow cooker.

Step 4 –Rub the spice paste over the top of each of the chicken thighs.

Step 5 –Sprinkle the white parts of the green onions over the chicken thighs.

Step 6 –Pour the pineapple, the pineapple juice, and the white vinegar evenly over the top of the chicken.

Step 7 –Add the garlic and the jalapeño peppers to the chicken mixture.

Step 8 –Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, on low for 4-5 hours.

Step 9 –Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and shred using two forks.

Step 10 –Transfer the pineapple chunks from the chicken mixture with a slotted spoon and set them aside.

Step 11 –In a wide saucepan, pour in the remaining cooking liquid.

Step 12 –Heat the cooking liquid over medium-high heat, stirring often, until it is thickened and reduced by half, about 5-10 minutes.

Step 13 –Stir the shredded chicken and the reserved pineapple chunks into the reduced glaze, stirring thoroughly.

Step 14 –Plate the shredded chicken in the corn tortillas and top with the reserved green onions, the red cabbage, the feta, and a squeeze of the lime wedges.

Step 15 –Serve.