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Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken is tender chicken drenched in a lip-smacking glaze that’s made from a combo of sweet pineapple, savory soy sauce, and rich brown sugar.
I’m always on the lookout for new crockpot recipes that will be good for Sunday lunches. But sometimes you can’t get away from the classics like this simple Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken.
What makes this recipe even better is how easy it is. Just toss your boneless chicken breasts or thighs into the crock pot, along with juicy pineapple chunks. Then, drizzle in some soy sauce for that umami kick, and sprinkle in brown sugar for a hint of sweetness. That’s it!
If you’re in a bit of a time crunch, first cut the chicken into 1-2″ cubes. This will help it to cook more quickly and lets that sauce really soak into the meat for super flavorful bites!
Speaking of flavorful, you can add all sorts of extra goodness with your favorite spices. There’s no need to add salt because of the soy sauce, but here are a few ideas:
- smoked paprika-adds a bit of smokey depth and pretty red color
- garlic-I add it to every recipe whether called for or not 🙂
- onion powder-another delicious layer of flavor that’s not too strong
- red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper-add some heat if desired
- ground pepper-black, white, pink or a mixture of all three
Now, here’s the magic part. Let the crock pot work its wonders while you tackle the million other things on your to-do list. I love when I’ve already tackled the “what’s for dinner” question early in the day!
What to serve with Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken:
- white rice-if you have a pressure cooker/multi-cooker like the Crockpot Express, you can make a batch of rice in that while your slow cook the chicken! If not, the stove-top method is great, too.
- leafy salad-my kids are great salad eaters, so I usually serve a salad with every meal. It’s nice to have a little “crunch” to go along with the tender chicken and rice.
- macaroni salad–all the Hawaiian BBQ places in our area serve macaroni salad as a side with their meats. I know this isn’t exactly the same, but I think it would still go well with macaroni salad.
- stir-fry vegetables-Bell peppers, snap peas, carrots, and zucchini sautéed in a touch of soy sauce and garlic will provide a fresh and colorful side dish.
- fruit salad-finish the meal with a sweet salad that’s packed with tropical fruits.
Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks with juice
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs whole or cubed (see notes)
- 2 tbsp cold water optional
- 1 tbsp corn starch optional
Instructions
- 1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunksPour pineapple into slow cooker.
- 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup brown sugarMix soy sauce and brown sugar in a small bowl
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighsPlace chicken over pineapple and pour soy sauce mixture over it
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours
- 2 tbsp cold water, 1 tbsp corn starchTo thicken the cooking juice for a sauce, pour it into a small saucepan and add the corn starch slurry (mix cold water and corn starch first.) Simmer for a few minutes until it reaches desired thickness.
- Pour sauce over chicken and serve with white rice.
Notes
Nutrition
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Randy says
I made this not thinking it was going to good. Wow I was wrong I loved it
Nicole Burkholder says
I’m glad you tried it anyway 🙂
Juan says
Could i substitute something for soy sauce. I love chicken and pineapple but not soy sauce.
Nicole Burkholder says
You could try it with BBQ sauce instead if you want to lean more toward’s Hawaiian BBQ flavor.
mandy says
What if I don’t have light soy sauce, I just have regular soy ?
Nicole Burkholder says
That will be just fine!
rencontre asiatique says
very nice post and blog ! thanks for this content.
Jessica Berry says
You say to cook on LOW for 3-4 hours. Is this correct, or did you mean HIGH for 3-4 hours? Thank you!!
Nicole Burkholder says
Yes, low, if you are using boneless chicken breast. It cooks quickly and there’s nothing worse than dry chicken 🙂 My crockpot also cooks hot, so it may be slightly longer for you.
Anna Banana says
The scent of pineapple chicken is waifting through my apartment… hoping that the substitution of molasses for brown sugar still turns out as nice. I put a little coconut milk in as well, hoping to add a little thickness and tropical flair. Thanks for the great recipe!!
Nicole Burkholder says
So, how did it turn out? Brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses in it, so I’m sure that was a great substitution! The coconut milk sounds great, too! I’m really curious to hear how it tasted!
Diana So says
May have to try this out on the family this week. I can taste the flavors in my mouth. Mhmmm.
Heidy L. McCallum says
Great recipe for the crock-pot
Edwin Smith says
made this last week loved it. used juice to make the rice
Nicole Burkholder says
That is a GREAT idea! I bet it was so flavorful!
Melissa D. says
I think this is the original recipe you were referring to. Just found it before I found yours
http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/sweet-hawaiian-slow-cooker-chicken-recipe/1/
Nicole Burkholder says
No, that’s pretty much the same exact recipe as mine. And those grill marks do NOT come from a slow cooker! Someone just stole a photo and put a recipe with it. It’s been viral for a long time. The link to the actual recipe is in my post (or in the comments- I’ll have to check) and it belongs to Undressed Skeleton. Thanks, though!
Ruth Keller says
Nicole is correct, her photo is the true photo for the recipe.. She is correct in saying that your chicken will not look like the bottom photo the crockpot..
Lisa says
I just made this, thank you for expressing that the picture of the pin on Pinterest didn’t go with the actual recipe. I did add about 4 squirts of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce to your recipe. Served it over rice with crispy chow mien noodles. Husband loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Nicole Burkholder says
Oh my goodness, adding BBQ sauce sounds delicious! Like a Hawaiian BBQ ! I’m going to have to try that next time!
Emily says
Do you use frozen or thawed chicken?
Nicole Burkholder says
For this recipe I use thawed chicken. You probably could use frozen, but it would change the cooking time.
Melissa says
How any does this recipe serve?
Melissa says
*many
Nicole Burkholder says
I figured that was what you meant 🙂 I have five in my family and it serves us all with leftovers. It just depends on how many chicken breasts/thighs you use.
Mommy Burkholder says
I love pineapple so I put the whole can in, chunks and all.
Anonymous says
Do you put the pineapple juice only in the crockpot or do you also add the chunks in with the juice??
Anonymous says
Do you put the chicken in the crockpot without cooking it first??
Mommy Burkholder says
Nope! That’s the wonder of crock pot cooking 🙂
Anonymous says
Yummy sounds so good. Totally adding this to recipes I need to make…
Mommy Burkholder says
It is so tasty and so easy, too! I love things with few ingredients. 🙂
Mommy Burkholder says
One of the original versions of this that I adapted called for 1 cup pineapple juice. I like pineapple chunks, so I used the large can (I think it’s 15 ounces?) of Dole pineapple chunks. If you just wanted to go with plain juice, you could do that as well. I just made this again last Sunday, but I don’t remember the exact ounces.
Anonymous says
How big of a can? ?
Anonymous says
I think this may be the original source: http://undressedskeleton.tumblr.com/post/17348692723
Mommy Burkholder says
Thank you so much! I knew it couldn’t be originally a crock pot recipe with those char marks! 🙂 I’ll have to try the original one that goes with the photo as well! It’s amazing what gets stuck together on Pinterest! 🙂
Sarah LeClercq says
I made one similar last week and we loved it!!