Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Sandwich

Whenever I have a busy week ahead, I always put this delicious recipe on the menu plan. The instant pot makes it so quick and easy while the flavor can’t be beat.

I have never met a crowd that didn’t love these tangy sandwiches. The meat is really tender and you will think it was slow cooked all day. Serve it for family dinner, parties and more and be prepared for everyone to want the recipe.

If we are going to be gone all day, I make our Grilled Hawaiian BBQ Chicken or even our Hawaiian Pork Chops Recipe. With such yummy options, dinner is a breeze. Whether you use the slow cooker or pressure cooker, you will love this recipe.

Why We Love This Recipe

• They are fast to make and feed a crowd. The entire family will love them.
• This recipe is budget friendly. You won’t ruin your grocery budget with these sandwiches.
• The Hawaiian sandwiches have just a hint of sweetness from the pineapple. Combine that with the tang from the BBQ sauce and you have an amazing meal.
• It’s versatile and easy to also serve on sliders for parties or kids. Sliders are always fun and tasty.
• Chicken breasts are delicious but you can easily substitute chicken thighs too. Use what you have! We are fans of seeing what is in the freezer first or on sale at the grocery store.

Ingredients

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – You can also use boneless chicken thighs
• Barbecue Sauce – You can use any brand you prefer but we love to make this easy homemade barbecue sauce.
• Pineapple Chunks – Feel free to use slices pineapple rings
• Buns – hamburger buns, ciabatta buns, sliders, rolls and more make great options.
• Coleslaw (for Topping) – We love this homemade slaw recipe. Made with fresh cabbage.

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.

Variations Ideas

• Chicken – We made this sandwich by cooking chicken in the instant pot. But you can also make it with grilled chicken or any type of leftover chicken.
• Toppings – Feel free to serve this sandwich with your favorite toppings. Add a slice of cheese or shredded cheddar cheese, grill pineapple, lettuce, mayonnaise and slice onions.
• Spices – You can even add in seasonings to what you prefer. Add in ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ginger, brown sugar for a hint of sweetness, or red pepper flakes for a kick of spice.
• Sauce Additions – For even more flavor, combine the BBQ Sauce with about ½ tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, soy sauce and diced jalapeno in a large bowl.

How to Make Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Sandwich

• Step 1 – Add the chicken and onions in the pressure cooker.  Place the pineapple with juice on top of the chicken and pour the BBQ sauce over everything.

• Step 2 – Put the lid on and make sure it is set to sealing. Use the manual button and set the pressure time for 25 minutes. Once finished cooking, manually remove the pressure.

• Step 3 – Shred the cooked chicken and season with salt and pepper. The meat should be tender so this will be easy. These are the best Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches.

Expert Tips

• Shredding Chicken – You can easily shred the chicken with two forks, but we like to use these chicken shredding tips to easily shred the chicken.
• Cooking Time – Your cooking time will vary depending on how much chicken that you cook. You may need to adjust your cooking time.
• Canned Pineapple Juice – For even more flavor, we pour the pineapple chunks with the juice into the chicken mixture.

What to Serve with Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Sandwiches?

• On Rolls – The shredded chicken is awesome on buns such as ciabatta, rolls, hamburger buns or anything you have. We have also served them on Homemade Kings Hawaiian Rolls recipe.
• Sliders – Make sliders if you want smaller portions. This is a great idea when we serve these for parties.
• Coleslaw – We serve with coleslaw on top but this is optional if you have kiddos that don’t care for this. Make sure to try the best coleslaw recipe.
• Serving Leftovers – The Leftovers are great on baked potatoes or sweet potatoes. We often serve this the following day and it’s always a hit. It makes a great lunch too.