Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken
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Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken is tender chicken thighs in a sweet and savory pineapple sauce that turns glossy right at the end, piled over rice with green onions and sesame seeds. It takes 15 minutes of actual effort and then the slow cooker handles the rest while you go do literally anything else.
The Dinner That Cooks Itself
I work in a separate building on our property, which is a very nice arrangement roughly 11 months of the year. The exception is when there’s something in the slow cooker, because then I have to walk past the kitchen to get to my desk, and by hour 3 the entire house smells like pineapple and soy sauce and garlic, and I start finding reasons to go back for things I don’t need.
This is one of those recipes. It’s 15 minutes of chopping and whisking in the morning, and then it just quietly becomes dinner without any further input from me. No stirring, no checking, no standing over anything. By the time I come back in, the chicken has gone completely tender and the sauce has turned into a glaze you’ll want to eat with a spoon.
It’s sweet, it’s savory, there’s a little heat from the red pepper flakes, and the pineapple goes in at the end so it stays in actual recognizable pieces instead of dissolving into the sauce like a rumor.
Is This Actually Hawaiian?
Not traditionally, no. This is the sweet and savory pineapple dish that home cooks in North America have been calling Hawaiian since about the 1950s, and the name stuck. Flavor wise it sits somewhere between teriyaki and sweet and sour. You’ll also see it called crockpot pineapple chicken, which is arguably the more accurate name. Either way, it’s excellent, and I’d rather eat it than argue about it.
Ingredients in Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs (2½ pounds): The right cut for this, for all the reasons above. No trimming needed beyond any big obvious fat caps.
- Pineapple chunks in juice (1 can, 20 ounces): You’re using both parts but at different times. The juice goes into the sauce at the start, the chunks go in at the end. Buy chunks in juice, not syrup, unless you want dessert.
- Low sodium soy sauce (½ cup): Low sodium genuinely matters here. Regular soy sauce plus 5 hours of reducing equals a salt situation you can’t undo.
- Brown sugar (⅓ cup, packed): Packed means squashed into the cup. It balances the soy sauce and helps the glaze go glossy.
- Ketchup (¼ cup): Sounds odd, works brilliantly. It brings a little tang and a little body, and it’s what gives the sauce that gorgeous color.
- Garlic (3 cloves, minced): Fresh. The jarred stuff has a sharp edge that 5 hours will not soften.
- Fresh ginger (1 tablespoon, grated): Also fresh. Ground ginger is a different ingredient wearing the same name. Freeze the knob and grate it straight from frozen, no peeling required.
- Red pepper flakes (½ teaspoon): Just enough warmth to keep the sweetness honest. Double it if you like heat.
- Red bell pepper (1, cut into chunks): Goes in at the end so it stays crisp and bright instead of sad and grey.
- Cornstarch (3 tablespoons) and water (3 tablespoons): This is what turns thin cooking liquid into glaze. Mix them together before they go anywhere near the slow cooker.
- Green onions (2, sliced) and sesame seeds (1 tablespoon): Not decoration. The onions cut the sweetness and the sesame seeds add a nutty crunch.
- Cooked rice (4½ cups, warm): For serving, and non negotiable. This sauce needs somewhere to go.
How To Make Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken
Chicken in the pot: Put the 2½ pounds of chicken thighs in the slow cooker. Drain the can of pineapple over a bowl so you catch the juice, and set the chunks aside somewhere you’ll remember them.
Make the sauce: Whisk the reserved pineapple juice with ½ cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup ketchup, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Pour it over the chicken.
Walk away: Cover and cook on low 4 to 5 hours, or high 2 to 3 hours. This is the part where you go do something else. Thighs are forgiving, so if you’re 40 minutes late getting back, everything is fine.
Add the good stuff: Stir in the pineapple chunks and the red bell pepper. Mix the 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water until completely smooth, then stir that in too.
Let it thicken: Cover and cook on high another 20 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is glossy and coats the back of a spoon and the peppers are crisp tender. This is where it goes from soup to glaze and it’s genuinely satisfying to watch.
Serve: Spoon it over warm rice with plenty of sauce, then scatter the sliced green onions and sesame seeds over the top.
Tips
- Start with thawed chicken. Frozen chicken in a slow cooker spends too long in the temperature range where bacteria are happiest. Not worth it.
- The cornstarch slurry has to be smooth before it goes in. Lumpy slurry equals lumpy sauce, and you cannot whisk your way out of it once it’s in there.
- If it isn’t thickening, the liquid isn’t hot enough. Cornstarch needs a simmer. Lid on, high, give it another 10 minutes.
- Don’t lift the lid during the main cook. Every peek costs you about 20 minutes. I know. I’ve done it. It’s a hard habit to break.
- Taste before serving. Soy sauce brands vary wildly. If it needs a lift, a splash of rice vinegar does more than salt will.
Variations
- Hawaiian chicken bowls: Rice, chicken, shredded cabbage, avocado, extra green onion. Better than it has any right to be.
- Add heat: A tablespoon of sriracha or sambal oelek in the sauce.
- Sheet pan finish: Spread the finished chicken on a foil lined pan and broil 3 to 4 minutes for charred edges. Worth the extra pan.
- Swap the protein: Pork shoulder works beautifully, just give it 6 to 7 hours on low.
- Sandwiches: Shred the chicken, pile it on toasted buns with a bit of slaw. This is what happens to the leftovers at my house.
- Fresh pineapple: Works, and it’s brighter. Use 2 cups of chunks and ¾ cup of pineapple juice from a carton in place of the canned juice.
What To Serve With Hawaiian Chicken
Rice is the default for good reason, but coconut rice takes it somewhere lovely. Steamed jasmine, plain white, or brown all work.
For vegetables, go green and go simple. Roasted broccoli, roasted green beans, snap peas, or a cucumber salad with rice vinegar. Something crunchy and a little sharp next to all that sweetness.
For a crowd, macaroni salad is the traditional plate lunch partner and it’s a genuinely great combination. When I’m feeding the Thursday crowd I double the recipe, make a big bowl of rice, and put everything out so people build their own. Nobody has ever complained.
Make It Ahead and Storing
The sauce can be whisked together up to 3 days ahead and kept in a jar in the fridge. Morning you is going to be so grateful.
Leftovers keep in an airtight container for 4 days and honestly improve overnight. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
It freezes well for up to 3 months. Freeze the chicken and sauce, not the rice. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently. The bell peppers soften after freezing, so if you’re planning to freeze it, hold them back and add fresh ones when you reheat.
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Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 can pineapple chunks, with juice (20 ounces)
- ½ cup soy sauce (low sodium)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 red bell pepper (cut into chunks)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 green onions (sliced)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
For serving
- 3 cups cooked rice (warm)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Add the 2½ pounds chicken thighs to the slow cooker. Drain the pineapple chunks, reserving the juice, and set the chunks aside for later.
- In a bowl, whisk together the reserved pineapple juice, ½ cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup ketchup, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Pour it over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or on high for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Thighs are forgiving here, so they stay juicy even if they go a little long.
- Add the pineapple chunks and the red bell pepper to the slow cooker. Stir the 3 tablespoons cornstarch into the 3 tablespoons water until smooth, then stir it in as well. This is what turns the thin cooking liquid into a glossy glaze that coats every piece.
- Cover and cook on high for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the peppers are crisp tender. Adding the pineapple and pepper at the end keeps the pineapple from dissolving and the peppers from going mushy, so you get real texture and color.
- Serve over the 3 cups warm rice, spooning plenty of sauce over the top, and finish with the sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Equipment
Notes
- Chicken thighs are the right cut here. If using breasts, cook on low about 3 hours and check early to avoid drying them out.
- Use thawed chicken, never frozen, in a slow cooker.
- The cornstarch and water must be whisked completely smooth before adding, or the sauce will be lumpy.
- If the sauce isn’t thickening, the liquid isn’t hot enough. Keep the lid on and give it another 10 minutes on high.
- Buy pineapple packed in juice, not syrup.
- Adding the pineapple and bell pepper at the end keeps the pineapple in whole pieces and the peppers crisp.
- To freeze, hold back the bell pepper and add it fresh when reheating.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken breasts?
Yes, but cook on low for about 3 hours and check early. Breasts have no patience.
Is this the same as crockpot pineapple chicken?
Same dish, different name. Some people call it Hawaiian chicken, some call it pineapple chicken. Both get you here.
Can I make it on the stovetop?
Yes. Simmer everything covered in a Dutch oven over low heat for about 45 minutes, then add the pineapple, pepper, and slurry and cook uncovered 10 more minutes.
Why add the pineapple at the end?
Pineapple falls apart after hours of cooking. Adding it in the last half hour means you get actual chunks with actual texture instead of pineapple flavored mush.
Can I double it?
Yes, in a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Keep the cook time the same and check for doneness at the 4 hour mark.
