These pineapple adobo chicken tacos are a fast, easy way to change up taco night without making dinner complicated. The sauce blends together in minutes using pantry staples, the chicken cooks quickly in the air fryer, and the flavor hits that sweet-spicy balance that makes tacos feel fun again.
I tested this recipe a few times to get the balance right. Straight chipotle was always too spicy, so pineapple mellows the heat and makes the sauce work for the whole family. This is the version I make at home, and it’s become a go-to when I want something different but still easy.
Even though there are a few ingredients, this is a Cooking Burnout Club staple. Most of the work happens in the blender, the slaw is quick, and you can keep it even simpler with a store-bought dressing if you want. It’s an easy way out of a taco slump without adding more effort to your night.
If quick, low effort taco dinners are your thing, you might also like my air fryer chicken tacos, chipotle salmon tacos, or buffalo chicken tacos. They’re all fast, flavor forward, and built for nights when cooking needs to be easy but still feel worth it.
Ingredient spotlight
- Chipotle Pepper in Adobo – For this recipe, I use the pepper itself, not the extra sauce in the can. One chipotle adds smoky heat without overwhelming the tacos. If you want your tacos to be spicier, add another chipotle pepper.Â
- Canned Pineapple – Canned pineapple is perfect here. It’s already cut, easy to measure, and blends smoothly into the sauce. You can use pineapple chunks or tidbits. Fresh pineapple works too, but canned keeps this recipe fast and low effort.
- Chicken Tenders – I usually use chicken tenders because they cook very quickly in the air fryer. If you prefer, boneless, skinless chicken thighs also work well and stay extra juicy, but they’ll need a few more minutes to cook.
Step by step instructions
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In a blender combine pineapple chunks, a chipotle pepper, coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar, honey, avocado oil, ginger and salt. Blend until smooth. -
Add chicken and half the chipotle sauce to a bowl. Stir well to coat the chicken. -
Add chicken tenders to the air fryer. Cook at 400F for 8-10 minutes. Start checking at 8 minutes, it dries out quickly. -
When the chicken is done cooking, allow it to rest 2-3 minutes. Optional: chop the chicken into pieces. -
In a large bowl, add rice wine vinegar, avocado oil, salt, garlic powder, ginger and cilantro to a bowl. Stir well. -
Add pineapple chunks and coleslaw mix. Toss with tongs. -
Assemble the tacos: add pineapple slaw, chicken, chipotle pineapple sauce and chopped cilantro.
Tips for success
- The slaw gets wetter as it sits – If tacos will be sitting for any length of time, add the chicken first and the slaw on top, or wait to assemble until just before eating.
- Shortcut option for the chicken sauce – If you don’t want to make the pineapple chipotle sauce, you can use a teriyaki sauce as the base. Blend it with a chipotle pepper and some pineapple to get a similar sweet-smoky flavor for the chicken.
- Don’t want to make the dressing for the slaw? A sesame ginger dressing would work well here!
- Chicken thighs work too – Boneless, skinless thighs stay juicy but will need a few extra minutes in the air fryer compared to tenders.
- Store leftover chipotle peppers – Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for several weeks, or freeze individual peppers in an ice cube tray so you can use one at a time.
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To a blender or food process add pineapple cubes, chipotle pepper, honey, coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar, avocado oil, ginger, and salt. Blend until smooth.
½ cup pineapple cubes, 1 large chipotle in adobo, 1.5 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons coconut aminos, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon avocado oil, ½ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
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Optional: Take a minute to remove the chicken tendon from the tender. Add the chicken to a bowl. Pour half of the sauce over the chicken. Add a pinch of salt as well. Stir well to coat the chicken well.
1 pound chicken tenders
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Cook 400F for 10 minutes air fryer.
For the slaw
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Combine the rice wine vinegar, avocado oil, salt, garlic powder, ginger and chopped cilantro in the bottom of a large bowl. Stir well to combine.
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1.5 tablespoons avocado oil, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ginger, 1 cup pineapple chunks, 3 tablespoons cilantro, 9 ounce bagged coleslaw mix
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Add pineapple and slaw and toss with tongs until well combined.
To assemble the tacos
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Serve tacos by adding some pineapple slaw, chicken, pineapple chipotle sauce and additional chopped cilantro (optional).
8 tortillas
- Use one 20-ounce can of pineapple – It’s the perfect amount for both the sauce and the slaw.
- Only use half the sauce on the chicken – Since the chicken isn’t simmering, coat it with about half before cooking. The rest gets spooned over at the end.
- Watch the chicken closely – Chicken tenders cook very quickly and can dry out fast. Start checking around 8 minutes and remove any pieces that finish early.
- Remove the tendon from chicken tenders – Taking a minute to do this helps the chicken cook more evenly and improves texture.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
