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Close-up of glazed Hawaiian chicken, pineapple, and red peppers served over rice and garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.
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Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken

Tender chicken thighs slow cooked in a sweet and savory pineapple sauce, finished with bell pepper and pineapple chunks and thickened into a glossy glaze. 15 minutes of prep and the slow cooker handles the rest. Serve over rice.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time4 hours 45 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: crockpot pineapple chicken, hawaiian chicken, slow cooker hawaiian chicken, slow cooker pineapple chicken
Servings: 6
Calories: 486kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

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
US Customary - Metric

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.
    Raw boneless chicken thighs arranged inside a black slow cooker before adding the Hawaiian sauce and remaining ingredients.
  • 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.
    Two process photos show the Hawaiian sauce ingredients in a glass bowl before and after being whisked together.
  • 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.
    Partially cooked chicken thighs simmer in a rich brown Hawaiian sauce inside a black slow cooker.
  • 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.
    Two overhead process photos show pineapple and red peppers added to saucy chicken inside the slow cooker.
  • 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.
    Two overhead photos show Hawaiian chicken cooking in sauce before being finished with green onions and sesame seeds.
  • Serve over the 3 cups warm rice, spooning plenty of sauce over the top, and finish with the sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Notes

  1. Chicken thighs are the right cut here. If using breasts, cook on low about 3 hours and check early to avoid drying them out.
  2. Use thawed chicken, never frozen, in a slow cooker.
  3. The cornstarch and water must be whisked completely smooth before adding, or the sauce will be lumpy.
  4. If the sauce isn't thickening, the liquid isn't hot enough. Keep the lid on and give it another 10 minutes on high.
  5. Buy pineapple packed in juice, not syrup.
  6. Adding the pineapple and bell pepper at the end keeps the pineapple in whole pieces and the peppers crisp.
  7. To freeze, hold back the bell pepper and add it fresh when reheating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 180mg | Sodium: 1035mg | Potassium: 800mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 854IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 3mg
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