Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken the hero in this recipe is packed with fresh flavor, balancing sweet pineapple and savory soy sauce with brown sugar to create a tropical glaze for tender chunks of chicken inside your slow cooker. Serve over rice for a satisfying, easy dinner for the entire family! (Optional bell pepper and onion add a lovely veggie component, while a finish of green onions or sesame seeds makes it even better for the eyes and the mouth.) Great for weeknights when you don’t have time to cook or for a casual gathering.

Why You’ll Love This Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken:

Tropical Flavor with Minimal Effort: The slow cooker does the work of blending the sweetness of pineapple with the savory depth of soy sauce; the result is flavor that packs a punch.

Can be Enjoyed on Any Occasion: Family dinners, meal prep, potluck addition.

Balanced Sweet and Savory: The brown sugar and pineapple juice create a gentle sweetness while the soy sauce and bell pepper share a savory balance.

Kid-Friendly and Crowd-Pleasing: This dish is mildly flavored, tasty yet a hit for both kids and adults.

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Key Ingredients:

Chicken: Use white or dark meat, whichever you prefer. Chicken thighs have more fat and will stay juicier, giving more flavor, whereas chicken breast is leaner, but also tender when cooked in sauce.

Pineapple Juice: Pure pineapple juice works best. If you are using canned pineapple chunks, reserve the juice and make use of it in the recipe for added tropical flavor.

Soy Sauce: Empirically, when asked, I’m recommending low-sodium soy sauce to prevent the dish itself from getting too salty — the slow cooker can concentrate flavors.

Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar offers a molasses-inspired sweetness that complements the pineapple taste.

Optional Vegetables: Vidalia onion and green bell pepper to add color, texture, balance the sweetness). You can skip these if you want to keep it simple, but they really do add great flavor.

Garnishes: A sprinkle of fine-chopped green onions or sesame seeds for a finishing touch of freshness and crunch.

Full list of ingredients with amounts and instructions located in the recipe card below

Instructions:

Step 1: Prepare Chicken and Vegetables

Cut the Chicken: Cut 1-2 pounds of chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Chop the Vegetables: Dice 1 onion and chop 1 green bell pepper (if using).

Step 2: Mix the Sauce

Mix Together Sauce Ingredients: In a slow cooker combine:

1 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

Dissolve sugar: Stir well so that the brown sugar fully dissolves.

Step 3: Add ingredients to the slow cooker

Add in Chicken & Vegetables: Add the chicken pieces to the slow cooker along with pineapple chunks (from a 15-oz can), diced onion and green bell pepper chunks.

Stir to Coat: Gently stir to combine so all the chicken and vegetables are coated with the sauce.

Step 4: Bring the Pineapple Chicken to a boil.

Slow Cooker: Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours until the chicken is fork-tender.

Step 5: Cook Your Rice and Serve

Cook Rice: As the chicken finishes, make white or jasmine rice.

Serve: Spoon the pineapple chicken on top of the rice, being sure to include plenty of sauce and vegetables with each serving.

Serving Suggestions:

This Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken is fabulous on its own, however here are suggestions to complete the meal:

Serve a Side Salad: Pair this tropical meal with a crisp salad of mixed greens, cucumber, and a light citrus dressing.

Serve with Hawaiian Rolls: The fluffy, slightly sweet bread is perfect for sopping up sauce, and it keeps with the tropical theme.

Serve with Coconut Rice: Serve over coconut rice for an extra dollop. All the rice needs is a bit of coconut milk for added flavor.

Grilled Pineapple Side: Grilled pineapple slices that are great as a side dish and match well with the pineapple flavor on the chicken.

Storage and Reheating Tips:

Refrigerating Leftovers: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. The flavors really deepen as it sits, so it’s a good option for meal prep.

Freezing: This dish makes good freezer food! Transfer cooled chicken and sauce to a freezer-safe container, with a little room left at the top. Freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat.

Reheat It: To reheat, warm the chicken in the stovetop over lower heat, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much. Microwave in individual portions for 1-minute intervals, stirring after each interval.

Variations and Additions:

Spicy Hawaiian Chicken: Add some spice to the dish with some squirts of sriracha, or toss in some red pepper flakes. That spicy-sweet combination goes well with the pineapple and soy sauce.

Swap the Chicken: For an even juicier texture, try this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breast meat.

Vegetarian Variation: Replace the chicken with tofu or tempeh. Just add the tofu or tempeh early on in history and cook as directed.

More Veggies: Try adding bell pepper of different colors, snap peas, or carrots for more color and texture and nutrition.

Pineapple Teriyaki Glaze: For a teriyaki-style mix, stir a tablespoon of hoisin sauce or some minced ginger and garlic into the sauce for more depths of flavor.

Skip the Rice for a Low-Carb Dish: For a low-carb option, skip the regular rice and top the chicken off on cauliflower rice. It’s lighter and still absorbs the sauce beautifully.

Conclusion:

The Skewer Eating the Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken is the Best way to shows up Tropical flavor at your table with little effort. Every bite is an explosion of flavor, with the sweetness of pineapple, the savoriness of soy sauce and the richness of brown sugar. Tender, saucy and layered with satisfying textures, it’s a dish certain to earn a place among family favorites.

Serve over fluffy rice, top with a sprinkle of fresh green onions, and enjoy a taste of the islands from your own home!