A Wake-Up Call For Your Slow Cooker: Caribbean Inspired Pulled Chicken

When I was pregnant with Little One, a friend told me that we HAD to take a "babymoon."  One last hurrah as a couple, in some relaxing locale, where we could enjoy each other and the peace and quiet before diapers and sleep training and playgrounds took over our lives.

So we booked a cheap package deal to the Caribbean and went, 6 month baby bump and all.

It was a great trip.  It was too cold to really swim very much, but we sipped virgin pina coladas and relaxed on the beach.  We took long walks, ate fresh fish and lots and lots of mango.
Before we hit the hotel, we stopped by the local supermarket and stocked up on snacks for the room... and when I saw that mangoes were only 49 cents each, I went completely crazy and bought a ton.

Now, two years later, I think longingly of that time with Mr. Minimalist, sitting in the hotel room, chowing down on those juicy ripe fruits, not a care in the world.

It was a lot of fun.  I highly recommend it.

The memory of that time has inspired this recipe.  It's a wonderful way to use your slow cooker.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I am in love with my slow cooker.  Still, after a while, the monotony of different variations on a stew gets a little much for me.  This recipe is great since although you're essentially stewing the meat-- in this case, chicken thighs-- you end up putting it on some crusty buns, and eating it as a fun sandwich.  Who wouldn't love that?  Serve with a side of steamed kale dressed in the slow cooker juices, and you've got a perfectly round meal... maybe even in time for the Super Bowl, if you move fast :)

Caribbean Inspired Pulled Chicken: Slow Cooker Recipe

I have made this with fresh fruit and canned, and it's good either way.  If you go the canned route, the dish can be made straight from your pantry-- even the chicken was waiting in the freezer and simply needed defrosting overnight.  Try and get the canned goods that are in either light syrup or the natural juices.  If you have the fresh fruit, even better.  If you are suffering from GERD and find that you are very sensitive to onion and garlic, you can probably omit them, though the dish will be missing some bite.

2 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup of chopped pineapple (or 8 oz can crushed pineapple)
1 cup of chopped mango (or 11 oz can mandarins)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Put the chicken in first, then top with remaining ingredients.  Cook in slow cooker on low setting for 4-5 hours until chicken is cooked through and pulls apart easily.  When the chicken is cooked, pull it apart and stir it with the sauce while in the slow cooker.  Drain the chicken a bit in a strainer so it won't soak your bun.  Serve in a bun with a side of slaw or steamed kale topped with the slow cooker juices.