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I think we all deserve a Caribbean vacation right about now, and these Jerk Chicken Tacos with Pineapple are here to help us escape to the tropics!

Jerk chicken tacos on a plate

I’m longing for warm sands and island eats.

Since jumping on the next plane south isn’t in the realm of immediate possibility, I’m satiating my taste for the tropics with today’s Caribbean-inspired recipe for jerk chicken tacos.

“Jerk” cooking refers to a style of cooking in which the meat (usually chicken) is rubbed in a spice mixture, then slow-cooked over a wood and charcoal fire or grill. It’s popular throughout the Caribbean.

Jerk chicken is spicy, sweet, aromatic, and super juicy. It keeps you coming back for more.

Shredded chicken and pineapple in a bowl

Both the spices and the cooking style are what makes jerk chicken jerk.

The spices in Jamaican jerk seasoning are all spice, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, chile, and more. In traditional recipes, the spices are usually toasted whole, then ground.

Because we need a beach escape—and dinner—ASAP, I’ve taken the essential flavors of jerk chicken and and adapted them to create an accessible, slow cooker jerk chicken recipe that’s perfect for weeknight dinner.

5 Star Review

“Just tried this, and I am not often moved to leave comments for recipes, but it is REALLY good! Very interesting combination of flavors.”

— Yum —

How to Make Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken Tacos

To make the crockpot jerk chicken recipe, I simply placed chicken thighs in my slower cooker, gave them a massage with the spice mix, then scattered the other ingredients over the top.  

No pre-cooking of any ingredient is required—the slow cooker does all the work.

This chicken boasts the bold, vacation-worthy flavors you’ve been craving!

What is Jerk Sauce Made of?

Traditionally, jerk sauce is made of ingredients like allspice berries, thyme, Scotch bonnet peppers, green onions, and fresh ginger.

As with this Jamaican Curry Chicken recipe, I swapped out the whole spices for ground and traded the Scotch bonnet peppers for jalapeños, which are a bit milder and easier to find, too.


The Ingredients

  • Chicken Thighs. I picked juicy chicken thighs over breasts, as they have more inherent flavor and can withstand hours in the slow cooker without becoming dry. Plus, chicken thighs are packed with protein and vitamins.
  • Spices. Thyme, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and ginger star. The contrast of warming spices with the savoriness of the thyme, the heat of the peppers, and the sweetness of the pineapple is straight-up addictive.
  • Jalapeños. Gives the chicken heat without making it overly spicy.
  • Pineapple Chunks. The canned pineapple chunks are this cook’s exercise of her kitchen liberty. Pineapple isn’t traditional to jerk chicken, but I love the way its sweet flavor contrasts with the warm spices, as well as its tropical flair. Plus, the pineapple juice doubles as a cooking liquid for the chicken.
  • White Vinegar. Adds acidity and helps tenderize the chicken during cooking.
  • Tortillas. We love piling our jerk chicken into scrumptious corn tortillas.
  • Toppings. To create a variation on jerk chicken tacos with slaw, I added a bit of red cabbage on top of our tacos. I also topped them with lime juice and non-traditional but unquestionably scrumptious feta cheese.

The Directions

Spices in a bowl
  1. Stir the jerk spices together in a bowl.
Sauce in a bowl
  1. Add the olive oil, mixing to form a paste.
Jerk chicken in a slow cooker for tacos
  1. Lay the chicken thighs in a slow cooker, coating them with the paste. Add the white parts of the green onions.
Pineapple being added to a slow cooker
  1. Add the pineapple and vinegar.
Ingredients in a slow cooker
  1. Add the jalapeños and garlic. Cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours.
Shredded chicken in a bowl
  1. Shred the chicken. Remove the pineapple with a slotted spoon.
Sauce in a pot
  1. Thicken the cooking liquid on the stove.
Shredded chicken and pineapple in a pan
  1. Stir in the chicken and pineapple. DIG IN!

Storage Tips

  • To Store. Refrigerate leftover jerk chicken filling in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
  • To Reheat. Rewarm chicken in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
  • To Freeze. Freeze jerk chicken in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
A plate of jerk chicken tacos with lime

Leftover Ideas

Leftover jerk chicken is delicious served over beans and rice. Take a note from this Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas recipe and add the shredded jerk chicken to an enchilada. Or keep things fresh with new and exciting topping ideas. (Jerk chicken tacos with mango salsa or jerk chicken tacos with pineapple salsa would be scrumptious!)

What to Serve with Jerk Chicken Tacos

Here are some delicious ideas for jerk chicken tacos sides:

Three jerk chicken tacos on a plate

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

In addition to being a perfect escape for dinner tonight, this jerk chicken filling is ultra freezer friendly.

Future you thanks you for making a big batch, then stowing it away for a kitchen vacation to come!

Jerk Chicken Tacos

4.75 from 8 votes
An easy, delicious recipe for shredded slow cooker pulled jerk chicken, made with easy-to-find ingredients! Serve as tacos or over rice.

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 hours
Total: 5 hours 20 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 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 boneless, skinless chicken thighs trimmed of excess fat
  • 4 green onions chopped, white and green parts separated
  • 6 cloves chopped garlic
  • 2 jalapeño peppers with seeds, diced
  • 20 ounces pineapple chunks unsweetened, in their juices
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • corn tortillas
  • red cabbage Shredded
  • crumbled feta cheese
  • lime wedges

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the rub: In a small bowl, stir together the thyme, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, black pepper, and salt.
  • Drizzle the olive oil over the top, then mix to form a paste.
  • Place the chicken thighs in a 6-quart slow cooker. Rub the spice paste over the top of each. Sprinkle in the white parts of the green onions (reserve the green tops for serving).
  • Pour the diced pineapple in its juice evenly over the top, then the white vinegar.
  • Add the garlic and jalapeños. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
  • Remove the cooked chicken to a plate and shred.
  • Remove the pineapple chunks with a slotted spoon and set aside. Transfer the remaining cooking liquid to a wide saucepan and heat over medium high, stirring often, until thickened and reduced by half, 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the shredded chicken and reserved pineapple, coating with the reduced glaze. Serve the filling as tacos, topped with reserved green onion tops, red cabbage, feta, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 8)Calories: 292kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 34gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 162mgPotassium: 560mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 190IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 2mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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28 Comments

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  1. YUM! We just got a few inches of snow overnight (nothing to complain about compared to some parts of the country, but still), and I’m craving something warm and delicious. This looks awesome!

  2. Break out the slow cooker because I am drooling over this jerk chicken! And what stunning contrast with the cabbage, lime, and corn tortillas. Om nom nom nom

  3. I’m always looking for easy slow-cooker chicken recipes like this for a weeknight dinner. The fact that this one brings me to the land of the tropics is just a bonus. I’m all for the feta cheese too! :)

  4. We woke up to several inches of snow this morning but I really can’t complain much. I have friends in northern NY who keep getting hit with several feet of snow. I love getting snowed in though. It’s a great excuse to pull out the slow cooker for delicious recipes such as this. It sounds amazing!

  5. Ughhhh I’m drying for a warm beach and to point my face towards the sun. I’m currently freezing my tush off, barely able to even type on my keyboard since my fingers are moving slower and slower with each minute that passes. Spring could not get here fast enough. 

    I love that this is made in the slow-cooker, an appliance I need to utilize more often. And of course it looks delicious and sounds like the perfect peek into a warmer climate. 

  6. I need a vacation as well. Or 9894327489734 pineapple tacos, for that matter. Gosh, these look super delish!

  7. I told Elliott this morning that I’m going to pretend I’m in a warm, sunny, palm tree-laden place this week and make tropical foods and put umbrellas in my drink — so this is perfect timing! I am drooling over all of those spices.

  8. Glad the bikini is optional, because I’m going to eat like a million of these and have a taco-belly! :-)

  9. Dang… screen licking good. Everyone in my office leaned in for a squiz. We all want tacos for dinner now. Thanks Erin. :)

  10. Oh I need to get myself a slow cooker!!
    I’ve been craving tacos, and everywhere I look I see them. It’s definitely I sign to eat tacos.

    {Teffy’s Perks – The Secretly Healthy Blog} X

  11. while its not as nearly cold compared to rest of the country, i am sooo ready for the Spring! 

  12. These tacos would be amazing and mouthwatering any time of year in any climate, but *especially* in the dead of winter. I’m pretty sure these tacos will help fend off the seasonal affective disorder I’m on the verge of experiencing :)

  13. Erin, I need to be transported to the Caribbean!! I’m making these tacos! It’s too cold here! (and dude, these look fabulous!) 

  14. The chicken practically shredded itself because it was so tender! This was the first time I have cooked with jalapeño peppers, and it will not be my last. Thank you for the smart combination of spices and sweet pineapple. Fabulous flavor. 5 stars

    1. Amy, I’m so excited to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! It’s one of my recent favorites too. Thanks so much for letting me know. I truly appreciate it!

  15. Just tried this, and am not often moved to leave comments for recipes, but it is REALLY good!  Very interesting combination of flavors.  It would probably be good over rice, too.  I did not use the feta, and used skinless bone-in thighs.5 stars

    1. I am so excited to hear how much you enjoyed this recipe! I bet it was great with the rice too. Thank you so much for taking time to leave this wonderful review!

  16. These were delicious but I wouldn’t exactly call them jerk chicken (not spicy at all) we added sriracha for some spice. Very easy recipe, lovely presentation, and good flavors overall!4 stars

    1. Hi Kelly! I’m sorry this didn’t turn out as expected expected! You can definitely add as much spice as you’d like! Thank you for your review!

  17. Delicious! All I did different – because I wanted it saucier to eat over rice – left juices in crock pot – made a mixture of 3 T cornstarch & 3 T water – poured into crockpot to thicken , then added shredded chicken. DELICIOUS!5 stars

  18. The jerk spice combination is highly addictive. I made these (delicious) and then made the spice mix in bulk and now my boyfriend uses it in his eggs every morning. We cannot get enough.5 stars