Sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken is a three-ingredient sauce dinner: bite-size chicken simmered all day in a sweet and salty pineapple sauce, with optional pineapple chunks, sweet onion and green bell pepper. It comes out sweet, savory and tender, ready to spoon over rice. Prep takes 15 minutes and it serves 4.
How to make it: Stir the pineapple juice, brown sugar and soy sauce in the slow cooker until the sugar dissolves. Add the chicken and any pineapple, onion and pepper and toss to coat. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4, until the chicken reaches 165°F. Serve over rice with green onions or sesame seeds.
Why You’ll Love It
- Three-ingredient sauce: juice, sugar and soy.
- Dump and go: no browning or pre-cooking.
- Sweet and savory: kid-friendly flavor with a tropical twist.
- Easy add-ins: pineapple, onion and peppers make it a one-pot meal.
What Gives Hawaiian Chicken Its Sweet Flavor?
Pineapple juice and brown sugar. The juice brings fruity sweetness and a little tang, and the brown sugar adds a deep, caramel-like note. Soy sauce balances both with salt and savory depth. As the chicken cooks, it absorbs the sauce and turns sweet and savory all the way through.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken: 2 pounds, white or dark meat, cut into bite-sized chunks. Thighs stay juicier over a long cook.
Pineapple juice: 1 cup, the base of the sauce.
Brown sugar: 1/4 cup packed.
Soy sauce: 1/3 cup; low-sodium keeps it from getting too salty.
Optional add-ins: one 15-ounce can of pineapple chunks (drained), 1 chopped Vidalia onion and 1 green bell pepper.
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Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken, cut into bite-sized chunks (white or dark meat)
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup soy sauce (low sodium recommended)
- 1 can pineapple chunks (15 oz), drained (optional)
- 1 Vidalia onion, chopped (optional)
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks (optional)
How to Make Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken
1. Prep. Slice 2 pounds of chicken into bite-sized chunks. Dice 1 onion and cut 1 green bell pepper into chunks, if using.
2. Mix the sauce. In a slow cooker, mix together 1 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/3 cup soy sauce. Stir well to dissolve the brown sugar completely.
3. Add chicken and vegetables. Place the chicken, pineapple chunks, diced onion, and green bell pepper in the slow cooker. Stir to coat everything with the sauce.
4. Slow cook. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and reaches 165°F.
5. Serve over rice. While the chicken is finishing, prepare white or jasmine rice. Spoon the pineapple chicken over the rice, ensuring each serving includes a good mix of sauce and vegetables.
6. Garnish. Sprinkle with green onions or sesame seeds before serving for added flavor and color.
How to Thicken the Sauce
The sauce is thin and glossy straight from the slow cooker, perfect for soaking into rice. For a thicker glaze, stir a spoonful of cornstarch into a little cold water and stir it into the slow cooker near the end on HIGH, uncovered, until it coats the chicken.
Chicken Breasts or Thighs?
Either works. Breasts give lean, mild chunks that soak up the sauce, but they can turn dry and stringy if they cook too long, so the shorter cook time on HIGH suits them best. Thighs have more fat, stay juicy even after a long day on LOW, and add richness to the sauce. A mix of both is a good compromise. Whatever you use, cut the pieces about the same size so they finish together.
Tips for the Best Hawaiian Chicken
- Use thighs for long cooks. Breast meat can dry out over 8 hours; thighs stay tender.
- Cut even pieces. Same-size chunks cook at the same rate.
- Dissolve the sugar. Stir the sauce well before adding the chicken.
- Add peppers later for crunch. Stir them in for the last hour if you like them crisp-tender.
- Check the temperature. Chicken is done at 165°F.
Variations
- Garlic and ginger: add minced garlic and fresh ginger to the sauce.
- Teriyaki style: add a splash of rice vinegar and sesame oil.
- Spicy: add red pepper flakes or sriracha.
- BBQ Hawaiian: stir in barbecue sauce with the pineapple.
- Crushed pineapple: use it instead of chunks for a saucier dish.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat with the sauce until hot, to 165°F. It also freezes well in portions with the sauce.
What to Serve With It
Serve it over white or jasmine rice, fried rice or noodles, with steamed broccoli, snap peas or a crunchy slaw.
More Hawaiian and teriyaki chicken: Hawaiian style teriyaki chicken, slow cooker chicken teriyaki, teriyaki chicken and rice casserole and teriyaki chicken skewers. For a sweet and tangy dinner, try sweet and sour meatballs, or a creamy slow cooker meal like slow cooker creamy ranch chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sauce is on Hawaiian chicken?
A simple mix of pineapple juice, packed brown sugar and low-sodium soy sauce.
What gives Hawaiian chicken its sweet flavor?
Pineapple juice and brown sugar, balanced by soy sauce.
Can I use frozen chicken?
No. Thaw it in the refrigerator first; frozen chicken stays too long at unsafe temperatures in a slow cooker.
Can I use whole chicken breasts?
Yes. Cook them whole, then shred or slice before serving.
Do I need the pineapple chunks?
No. They’re optional; the juice alone gives plenty of pineapple flavor.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. It reheats well, so cook it a day ahead and warm it with the sauce.
How long do leftovers keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Final Notes
Dissolve the sugar, use thighs for long cooking and serve it over plenty of rice. If you add garlic and ginger or BBQ sauce, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken
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Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken cut into bite-sized chunks, white or dark meat
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup soy sauce low sodium recommended
- 1 can pineapple chunks 15 oz, drained, optional
- 1 Vidalia onion chopped, optional
- 1 green bell pepper cut into chunks, optional
Instructions
- Slice 2 pounds of chicken into bite-sized chunks. Dice 1 onion and cut 1 green bell pepper into chunks, if using.
- In a slow cooker, mix together 1 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/3 cup soy sauce. Stir well to dissolve the brown sugar completely.
- Place the chicken, pineapple chunks, diced onion, and green bell pepper in the slow cooker. Stir to coat everything with the sauce.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and reaches 165°F.
- While the chicken is finishing, prepare white or jasmine rice. Spoon the pineapple chicken over the rice, ensuring each serving includes a good mix of sauce and vegetables.
- Sprinkle with green onions or sesame seeds before serving for added flavor and color.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
