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Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Sandwich easily serve a crowd and come together with little work. It’s the perfect recipe for summer BBQ’s, quick meals after ball games or really any time of the year.

Shredded Hawaiian Chicken on qcCiabatta Bun topped with coleslaw with pineapple chunks
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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

Ingredients - Chicken Breasts, pineapple chunks in juice, coleslaw, ciabatta buns and BBQ Sauce
  • 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.
BBQ Sauce, pineapple chunks and chicken in the instant pot
  • 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.
Shredded Chicken in the instant pot topped with chopped green onions and pineapple chunk.
  • 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.
Shredded Chicken in BBQ Sauce with pineapple chunks and topped with chopped green onions

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make in the Slow Cooker?

Yes, the chicken and the other ingredients cooks easily in the slow cooker. See Crock Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken for all the details.

How to Store Leftovers

Store the leftovers separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The leftovers will last about 4-5 days.

Can I Freeze the Hawaiian BBQ Chicken?

Yes, we like to double the recipe and freeze the leftovers in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to reheat.

How to Reheat

Reheat the leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop in a saucepan until reheated through.

Instant Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken sandwiches easily serve a crowd and come together with little work. It's the perfect recipe for busy nights.

More Easy Instant Pot Sandwiches

We love to hear from you. If you make Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Sandwich Recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review.

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Sandwich

4.94 from 16 votes
Take a look at these quick and easy Instant Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Sandwiches. So yummy and takes very little time to put together.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Cuisine American
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Calories 524

Ingredients

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Instructions

  • Place the chicken breasts, barbecue sauce and pineapple chunks in the instant pot.
  • Place lid on top and set the valve on the lid to the sealing position.
  • Click your manual button and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.
  • After the cooking time, then do a quick release by moving the valve on the lid to the venting position to release all the pressure from the instant pot.
  • Shred the chicken the instant pot into large pieces and stir the chicken back into the mixture.
  • Serve the chicken on the bun topped with the coleslaw mix and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

We love serving these buns but this chicken is great over rice as well.  

Nutrition Facts

Calories 524kcal, Carbohydrates 80g, Protein 38g, Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 1g, Cholesterol 97mg, Sodium 1432mg, Potassium 917mg, Fiber 3g, Sugar 46g, Vitamin A 318IU, Vitamin C 16mg, Calcium 59mg, Iron 1mg

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Eating on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. Together we are going to cook real food… for real families!

4.94 from 16 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Roger says:

    5 stars
    So easy in the instant pot

  2. Garrett says:

    5 stars
    So good and yummy!

  3. Elizabeth says:

    5 stars
    This is one of my favorite bbq chicken recipe

  4. Lucy says:

    5 stars
    Great recipe!

  5. Karina says:

    5 stars
    My kids love sandwiches, especially my eldest. When I served them this, they asked me why I never made it before. ? It was easy to make, budget-friendly, and a great recipe for summer.

  6. Haylee says:

    5 stars
    Such an easy recipe! Love this!

  7. Lizzy says:

    5 stars
    This was so easy to make and perfect for big groups!

  8. Christina says:

    Delicious and so easy to make – Thank you so much for the easy recipe!

  9. DJ Duncan says:

    I don’t have an instant pot now because ours got broken when we moved & haven’t replaced it yet. How long would this need to be cooked in the crockpot starting with the chicken still frozen?

    1. Carrie says:

      DJ – I would cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours in the crockpot for frozen chicken. Thank you!

  10. Dana says:

    I tried it and my instant pot said burn after 5 min. I don’t want to thin the sauce too much but are other people experiencing this?

    1. Carrie says:

      We didn’t get that error when making this recipe. Make sure that the ingredients are stirred together thoroughly so nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.

  11. Rhonda says:

    Can you cook it in a crockpot? What would you have to change in the directions?

  12. Jackie says:

    What size can of pineapples and what size bottle of BBq sauce. Can I use frozen chicken? if so how long do I cook it for?

  13. Brian says:

    What size bottle of bbq sauce?

  14. Anddrea says:

    How long do you cook the chicken for if not frozen?
    Thanks

    1. Carrie says:

      If it’s not frozen, I would change the cook time to 20 minutes.

  15. Kristy says:

    What size can of pineapple?

    1. Carrie says:

      I used the 20 oz can, But you could probably get by with the smaller can as well.