📖 Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken

close up of sweet hawaiian crockpot chicken served over rice in a white dish. the chicken is topped with green onions and green onions. additional plates are in the foreground and background, and small dishes of toppings too.

5 from 8 votes

This Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken recipe is bursting with tropical flavor. This dump-and-go slow cooker recipe needs to be added to your family's meal plan.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3 30

Total Time3 45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: Servings

Calories: 317kcal

Author: Meredith

Equipment

Large 6-Quart Slow Cooker

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 medium bell peppers, de-stemmed and de-seeded, cut into bite-sized pieces (any combination of colors)
1 20oz can pineapple chunks in 100% pineapple juice (¼ C juice reserved for the cornstarch slurry)
¼ C low sodium soy sauce
¼ C hoisin sauce
¼ C brown sugar (light or dark)
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoon cornstarch
cooked white rice for serving
optional toppings: sesame seeds, sliced green onions

Instructions

Chop bell peppers and chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Drain approximately ¼ cup of pineapple juice from the can of pineapple chunks and reserve for later.
Add chicken breast and bell peppers to the basin of a large crockpot. Then add the brown sugar, minced garlic, ground ginger, pineapple, pineapple juice (except the ¼ cup reserved for later), soy sauce, and hoisin sauce to the slow cooker.
Place the lid onto the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
During the last 30 minutes of cooking, whisk the reserved pineapple juice and cornstarch together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the slow cooker to help thicken the sauce, stirring to combine. Allow the Hawaiian chicken to cook for 30 minutes longer.
Serve warm over rice of choice.

Notes

Cooking time note: if you have time, cook on LOW for 7-8 hours (instead of on HIGH for 3-4 hours). This will result in the more tender and juicier chicken.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

Use different cuts of chicken. I prefer to use chicken breast because it’s one of the healthiest cuts of chicken. Boneless skinless chicken thighs or chopped chicken tenderloins would also be an option. I suggest trimming some of the fat off of the chicken thighs if you make this substitution.
Add BBQ sauce. Adding BBQ sauce to Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken will give the sauce a smokey flavor.
Make it spicy. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper powder if you prefer spicier meals.
Serve over different types of rice. The most common way to serve Hawaiian chicken is over white rice. You can also serve over brown rice, coconut rice, or cauliflower rice.
Use fresh or frozen pineapple. If doing this, be sure to purchase pineapple juice too (as this comes with the canned version).
Add more veggies. Try adding cauliflower, broccoli, onions, or carrots!

Nutrition facts were calculated without rice or optional toppings as the amount and type of rice used will differ.

Nutrition