Growing up, one of my very favorite dishes was Hawaiian Chicken. I remembered the sauce on the chicken to be sort of a sweet-and-sour type sauce… a sauce that I could happily eat by the bowlful. It goes to show you how much attention I paid while Mom was cooking because when I tried to run through the dish for my mental shopping list, the description came out something like this:
My mom would take a jar of something, some pineapple rings, and some other stuff; mix that up and pour over a cut up chicken and bake it.
That makes for a sucky shopping list. Luckily, Mom is only 30 miles and a phone call away so she was able to quickly fill in the holes around the pineapple:
The original measurements for that recipe are long since gone but armed with more information than “jar of something,” I was eager to hang up the phone and start cooking because an updated version of my favorite dish from 20 years ago would be on the table in less than an hour!
I’m almost never so content with a meal that I can’t think of at least one tweak and this time was no different. Next time, I’ll increase the amount of sauce because this wasn’t nearly as drippy and messy as it should have been 🙂
Pulled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches
Juicy grilled chicken tossed with sweet & tangy Hawaiian-style sauce.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Heinz 57 Sauce
- Fresh pineapple, cored and sliced into 7 1/4"-1/2" inch rings
- 2 Tbsp agave nectar or honey, plus more (if desired)
- Tobasco sauce
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 6 buns or sandwich rolls
Instructions
- Heat grill to medium heat.
- Place one 1/2" ring of pineapple into a food processor or blender and process. Puree. Or obliterate. You're looking for a sauce-like end-product.
- Pour the processed pineapple into a medium bowl and stir in the steak sauce, honey, and a couple of dashes of Tobasco. Taste and add honey if additional sweetness is desired. Remove 1/4 cup of sauce to use for basting and reserve the rest for serving.
- Brush pineapple rings with olive oil and place on the grill. Cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, until the sugars start to caramelize and nice grill marks have developed.
- Pound chicken breasts lightly, just to reach an even thickness. Brush the Hawaiian sauce on one side of the chicken breast and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook until internal temps reach 170 (about 6-8 minutes), turning once halfway through. Before turning the chicken, baste with the remaining Hawaiian sauce.
- Remove chicken and pineapple rings from the grill when done. Let chicken stand for 5-10 minutes before shredding with two forks. Add the chicken to a bowl and toss with the remaining Hawaiian sauce. Divide the pineapple rings and Hawaiian chicken between the 6 buns/sandwich rolls and serve warm.
Notes
Yields: 6 servings
Estimated time: 35 minutes
I will take your jar of something and your something else and make this!
This looks so good! I’m definitely trying this. I love mom recipes!
I love reading about family recipes! Sounds like a great combo of flavors – yum!
Mmm! Love the pineapple, I bet this sandwich was delish!
yum! Nice you have those great memories of your mom’s dishes to remember!
That sandwich looks so tasty! I like using pineapple in savoury things like this.
This looks wonderful and I’m sure that sandwich tastes just as great!
THAT looks yummy! I love little tidbits of childhood coming together like this…
Ooh these look delicious! I want to go look for the Heinz 57 sauce NOW!
Haha I love how you remembered watching your mom make the meal. I often have memories like this because you never pay enough attention when you are kid. These sandwiches looks great and more messy sauce sounds like a great idea:)
mmmm this looks fab!
I know exactly how that is! My mom used to make a Jamaican chicken recipe, and the only thing I remembered from it was that there was ketchup involved, as well as some onions. Luckily, she remembers everything 🙂
I’m excited to try this! I love pineapple with chicken.
Yummm! Anything with fresh pineapple is a winner in my book!
When I was little, I wouldn’t eat any meat unless it was smothered in Heinz 57. I can’t wait to try this.
I made this last night. It was really good! Thanks for sharing!
I don’t know what is more delicious… your photos or your food!
This looks incredible!
That looks yummy! I do love pineapple and chicken
Yummy!
Yummy chicken sandwich! Looks great!
Ohhh man, I would soo eat that. With a side of spam too to keep it really Hawaiian.