Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken is an easy weeknight dinner recipe that you’ll want to make over and over again! Tender bites of chicken breasts are slowly cooked with bell peppers in the most mouthwatering sweet and tangy sauce. Of course, the pineapples really seal the deal on that Hawaiian flavor!
What’s in Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken
Tender bites of chicken and veggies are served in the best tasting (and easiest) sweet pineapple sauce. This Crockpot dinner recipe is always a hit!
- Pineapple Chunks: One can should do the trick.
- Soy Sauce: Use an equal amount of tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten free alternative.
- Rice Vinegar: White wine vinegar will also work in a pinch, but rice vinegar is preferred.
- Ketchup: You can use any brand! This adds a sweet and tangy flavor that really compliments the other ingredients.
- Onion: Make sure it’s finely chopped to avoid large chunks of onions.
- Brown Sugar: This adds the best level of sweetness to the sauce that really compliments the pineapples.
- Garlic: I prefer using fresh garlic over pre-minced.
- Ground Ginger: The fresh flavor that this simple seasoning adds is insane!
- Chicken Breasts: You’ll need to chop the breasts up into bite-sized pieces prior to cooking.
- Bell Pepper: Both yellow and red peppers add a good pop of color to the dish. They also add some great nutrients!
- Cornstarch: This is used to thicken the sauce to the best consistency.
PRO TIP: You can use chicken thighs instead if you’d like.
Variations to Try
- Meat: Substitute pork or turkey chunks for the chicken, keeping the cooking time the same.
- Veggies: Add hearty vegetables in with the peppers, and add softer, more tender veggies in the last hour of cooking.
- Spice: To make this dish spicier, add ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. You could also add 1 chopped jalapeño pepper.
Hawaiian chicken is a cross between pineapple chicken and sweet and sour chicken, featuring pineapple and veggie stir fry with a sticky sweet and sour sauce.
Pineapple contains an enzyme called Bromelain, which is excellent at breaking down proteins and connective tissues. Marinating the chicken in a pineapple sauce yields tender breast meat with a texture closer to that of chicken thighs.
To make this recipe in a Dutch oven, preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly sauté the peppers, then add the marinated chicken and lightly brown it. Transfer the Dutch oven to the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are 165°F internally. Add the cornstarch during the last 15 minutes of baking.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover Crockpot pineapple chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time it stops, until warmed all the way through.
How to Freeze
Freeze Hawaiian Crockpot chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow chicken to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Crockpot Hawaiian chicken recipe with plain white rice and garnish with chopped green onions.
Top Reader Review
- “This was DELICIOUS and so easy to make!” – T
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Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 20 ounces pineapple chunks 1 standard can
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce see note
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper diced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
For Garnish
- Chopped green onions
- Sesame seeds
Equipment
Instructions
- Add the pineapple, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, onion, brown sugar, garlic, and ground ginger to the slow cooker. Whisk to combine.20 ounces pineapple chunks, ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup rice vinegar, ¼ cup ketchup, ¼ cup finely chopped onion, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- Add in the chicken and bell peppers and give everything a good stir.2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 4-6 hours.
- During the last 20-30 minutes of cooking, combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid.2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Pour the mixture into the slow cooker to continue cooking for 10-15 minutes until the liquid has thickened.
- Serve with rice. Sprinkle chopped green onions and sesame seeds on top.Chopped green onions, Sesame seeds
Notes
- Storage: Store crockpot Hawaiian chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Soy Sauce: Use an equal amount of tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten free alternative.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve crockpot Hawaiian chicken with plain white rice and garnish with chopped green onions.
Grace says
Don’t have rice vinegar what else can I use
Becky Hardin says
White wine vinegar will work!
Denise says
So bad. Threw it all out.
Becky Hardin says
I am sorry to hear, Denise
T says
This was DELICIOUS and so easy to make! I kept it refined sugar free by using no added sugar ketchup and honey instead of brown sugar and it tasted great
Becky Hardin says
Thanks so much for sharing the modifications that worked for you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!