Transport your taste buds to the tropics with mouthwatering Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken! Only 10 minutes of prep is needed to make tender chicken infused with the exotic flavors of pineapple, soy sauce, and ginger
This easy-to-make recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser with its sweet and savory flavors.
Why you'll love this recipe
Aloha, friends! Chicken is a wonderfully versatile meat, and we make it a lot. But sometimes, we need something a little more than roast chicken, chicken salad, or homemade chicken soup. This crock pot Hawaiian chicken definitely comes in handy when we’re craving something both easy and flavorful!
There are three reasons why I love this crock pot Hawaiian chicken!
Easy to make – This recipe tastes so good it has no right to be so drama-free, but it’s zero fuss. You throw a bunch of stuff into a crock pot, and it’s ready to go in a few hours. Literally ten minutes of prep, and that’s it! How great is that for a busy family?
Simple ingredients – You’ll likely have a lot of the ingredients in your pantry, fridge, or freezer already. Those you don’t have will require nothing more than a quick trip to the supermarket.
A less common spin on chicken – If you’re like me, you serve a lot of chicken at home, and switching things up a bit helps with picky eaters (and makes things fun). When regular barbecue chicken, chicken tenders, or chicken pot pie isn’t cutting it anymore, this easy Hawaiian chicken will rescue your dinner!
This was inspired by my Hawaiian banana bread, and pairs well with slow cooker brown rice or regular white rice.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Everything in this slow cooker Hawaiian chicken recipe is easily found at your local grocery store.
- Chicken thighs –Be sure to season them with salt and pepper after you place them in the crock pot.
- Half an onion, red bell pepper – Chopped. These are your veggies that add all that good base flavor. You can also use green bell pepper…or whatever you like!
- Pineapple chunks – The juice adds extra flavor, so be sure to keep it! You can use crushed pineapple or pineapple tidbits too. If you have leftover pineapple chunks, use it to make some sweet and sour pork meatballs.
- Soy sauce, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch – Combined with the pineapple juice above, these ingredients make a delicious Hawaiian-style sauce.
Substitutions
Bell pepper and onion - you can use a frozen pepper/onion mix to substitute for fresh. It shouldn’t affect the quality of this dish at all.
Soy sauce - tamari or coconut aminos can be used in its place. A low sodium soy sauce works as well.
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How to make slow cooker Hawaiian chicken
Like many crock pot recipes, this is a simple one. It’s “set it and forget it” easy!
Step #1: Add your chicken to the slow cooker. Season them with salt and pepper.
On top of the chicken, place the onion, bell pepper, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, ½ cup of the pineapple juice from the can, and 1 cup of the pineapple chunks.
Be sure to reserve the rest of the pineapple juice for later.
Step #2: Turn on your crock pot and make sure it's plugged in! You're welcome!
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
Step #4: Serve it up. About 15 minutes before serving, mix the cornstarch with ½ cup of the reserved pineapple juice and stir into the slow cooker to thicken up the sauce.
Garnish with any leftover pineapple chunks and chopped scallions, and serve over rice!
Variations
After you've made your slow cooker Hawaiian chicken as written, you can experiment with different flavors and combinations! Here are some ideas:
Spicy Pineapple Kick: For those who enjoy a bit of heat, add some spice to your slow cooker Hawaiian chicken. Incorporate red pepper flakes, diced jalapeños, or a dash of hot sauce to give the dish a spicy kick that complements the sweet pineapple flavors.
Citrus Infused: Get even more tropical vibes by adding citrus flavors to your Hawaiian chicken. Squeeze some fresh lime or orange juice into the sauce for a tangy twist.
Coconut Milk: Create a creamy variation by adding coconut milk or coconut cream to the recipe. The coconut flavor pairs well with the pineapple and gives the dish a rich and luscious texture.
Serving Suggestions
Serve alongside regular rice, coconut rice, or jasmine rice for a fragrant side. Grilled vegetables and even air fryer corn on the cob are nice accompaniments.
For a cool side, try serving alongside Asian slaw or some tropical fruit salad.
Top tip
Make this as a freezer meal for a thaw and dump dinner option! I recommend you use the canned pineapple (not fresh) for this variation.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, slow cookers are made for this! Modern day slow cookers bring the meat up to safe temperature quickly, making it a safe way to cook poultry and other meats.
In order to keep this recipe as easy as possible, it doesn't call for browning the chicken. If you want to (and want the extra layer of flavor that comes with this step), you can absolutely brown the chicken beforehand.
If you have an Instant Pot, this is the perfect opportunity to sear the chicken in the pot and then use the slow cooker function to finish the cooking process.
If you tried this Hawaiian chicken in the crockpot or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments. Hungry for more? Be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ white or yellow onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 20 ounce can of pineapple chunks with juice divided
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
For Serving (optional)
- White or brown rice
- Chopped green onion or scallion
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Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs in your slow cooker and seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, 1 cup of the pineapple chunks and ½ cup of the pineapple juice.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours until the temperature of the chicken reaches 160°F when measured with a digital meat thermometer. Note: the chicken is not done yet. See next step.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with ½ cup of the reserved pineapple juice until smooth. Stir into the slow cooker to thicken up the sauce. Cook until the sauce is thickened and the chicken measures 165°F.
- Serve over rice of choice and add leftover pineapple chunks as garnish, along with green onions if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
This Farm Girl Cooks is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
SUE TURNER says
We both commented when we were done that "oh boy this tastes like more". cooked 1 hour longer on high because I only had bone-in skin on thighs. Will definitely make this again
SUE TURNER says
Forgot to mention I served it with Vigo brand coconut rice. The combination was just perfect