Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken is a delicious and easy-to-make meal that's perfect for busy weeknights. Cooked in a sweet and savory sauce of pineapple, honey, soy sauce, and ginger, for tender and flavorful chicken that is perfect over rice.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken is a great recipe for any time of year. However, it is especially popular during the summer months when you don't want to cook in a hot kitchen.
Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken is a great weeknight meal for busy families because it is:
- Easy to make: This recipe is very easy to make. All you need to do is combine the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it cook all day.
- Delicious: The chicken is cooked in a delicious and flavorful sauce that is sure to please everyone.
- Versatile: This recipe is very versatile. You can serve it with rice, pasta, or vegetables. You can also use it to make tacos, burritos, or enchiladas.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken Ingredients
- How to Make Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken
- Serving Suggestions
- Related Recipes
- Substitutions and Variations
- Equipment
- Storage and Reheating
- Tips for Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Food Safety
- Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
- Connect with Smells Like Delish!
- 📖 Recipe
Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken Ingredients
I used skinless, boneless chicken breasts for this recipe, but skinless boneless chicken thighs work fantastic also. It's just a matter of whether your family prefers white or dark chicken meat.
Be sure to remove any skin from the chicken, as otherwise it will make the dish very greasy.
- Chicken breasts - Boneless, skinless. Or use chicken thighs.
- Pineapple chunks - Use a 20 oz can in juice, or about 3 cups of fresh pineapple chunks.
- Honey - You can use brown sugar if you don't have any honey.
- Ginger - Fresh grated. It's much easier to grate frozen ginger root than fresh!
- Smoked Paprika
- Salt
- Red Bell Pepper - Chunked.
- Cilantro - Fresh chopped cilantro.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken
Just throw everything in the slow cooker in the morning and come home to a delicious and flavorful meal waiting for you. The slow cooker will do the rest of the work!
Place Chicken In The Crockpot
- Spray the bottom of the slow cooker with some non stick cooking spray, and then place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Season The Chicken
- Mix the honey, soy sauce, grated ginger, smoked paprika, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl, and then pour over the chicken.
- Pour the can of pineapple chunks and juice over the seasoned chicken in the slow cooker.
Finish Cook With Red Bell Pepper and Cilantro
- Cover the slow cooker and set the heat to low and cook for 6 hours.
- Remove the lid and the chopped red bell pepper. Cover and continue to cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, or until the red bell pepper is at your desired tenderness.
- Garnish with the chopped fresh cilantro and serve the chicken with pineapple chunks and red bell pepper over rice.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken with rice, noodles, or even in a salad. In addition to serving this dish over rice or noodles, you can also serve it in a pita pocket or on a salad. The chicken is also great in tacos or burritos.
Some great sides to serve with this Hawaiian Chicken recipe are:
- Cilantro Lime Rice (Rice Cooker)
- Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
- Steamed White Rice
- Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans
- Air Fryer Broccolini
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Related Recipes
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few easy variations using this recipe Hawaiian Chicken recipe as a base:
- Substitute bone-in, skinless chicken thighs for the boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Other vegetables can be added to the slow cooker, such as carrots or onions, or or a different color of bell pepper.
- You can add other spices to the slow cooker, such as chili powder, cayenne pepper, or Chinese Five Spice.
- If you don't have honey, you can use brown sugar instead.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making Hawaiian Chicken recipe.
Storage and Reheating
Let the chicken cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze this Hawaiian Chicken recipe for up to 2 months.
When you are reheating the chicken, be sure to heat it until it is steaming hot.
Tips for Success
- If you want a thicker sauce, you can add a cornstarch slurry to the slow cooker during the last 30 to 60 minutes. To make a cornstarch slurry, simply whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water. Add the slurry to the slow cooker and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Be sure to add the Red Bell Peppers and any other vegetables (like carrot slices and onions) during the last 30 minutes, so they don't get over cooked.
- If you are using chicken thighs, remove the skin before adding them to the slow cooker. This will help to prevent the chicken from becoming greasy.
Frequently Asked Questions
This easy Hawaiian Chicken recipe takes about 6-8 hours to cook on low heat in your Crockpot.
Yes, you can cook this Hawaiian chicken recipe on high heat in your Crockpot, but it will take about 3-4 hours.
If you don't have a slow cooker, you can cook the chicken in a Dutch oven on the stovetop. Just simmer the chicken in the sauce over low heat for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork.
Yes, you can use frozen chicken in this recipe. Just increase the slow cooker time by about 30 minutes.
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
Connect with Smells Like Delish!
📖 Recipe
Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 lbs chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 2 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ginger fresh grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 20 oz canned pineapple do not drain
- 1 large bell pepper red chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro fresh chopped
Instructions
- Spray the bottom of the slow cooker with some non stick cooking spray, and then place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.4 lbs chicken breasts
- Mix the honey, soy sauce, grated ginger, smoked paprika, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl, and then pour over the chicken.2 tablespoon honey, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Pour the can of pineapple chunks and juice over the seasoned chicken in the slow cooker.20 oz canned pineapple
- Cover the slow cooker and set the heat to low and cook for 6 hours.
- Remove the lid and the chopped red bell pepper. Cover and continue to cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, or until the red bell pepper is at your desired tenderness.1 large bell pepper
- Garnish with the chopped fresh cilantro and serve the chicken with pineapple chunks and red bell pepper over rice.¼ cup cilantro
Notes
- If you want a thicker sauce, you can add a cornstarch slurry to the slow cooker during the last 30 to 60 minutes. To make a cornstarch slurry, simply whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water. Add the slurry to the slow cooker and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Be sure to add the Red Bell Peppers and any other vegetables (like carrot slices and onions) during the last 30 minutes, so they don't get over cooked.
- If you are using chicken thighs, remove the skin before adding them to the slow cooker. This will help to prevent the chicken from becoming greasy.
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