Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken (Printable)
Slow-cooked sweet-tangy Hawaiian-style chicken with pineapple and bell peppers—easy, family-friendly dinner in hours.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
→ Vegetables & Fruit
02 - 1 large red bell pepper, cut into chunks
03 - 1 large green bell pepper, cut into chunks
04 - 1 small yellow onion, sliced
05 - 1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained (reserve juice)
→ Sauces & Condiments
06 - 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
07 - 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice
08 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
09 - 2 tablespoons ketchup
10 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
11 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
12 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
13 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
14 - 2 tablespoons water (for mixing cornstarch)
→ Garnish
15 - Sliced green onions
16 - Sesame seeds
17 - Fresh cilantro
# How-To:
01 - Arrange the chicken pieces in an even layer across the bottom of the slow cooker.
02 - Scatter the red and green bell pepper chunks, sliced onion, and drained pineapple chunks over the chicken.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, minced garlic, and grated ginger until the sugar dissolves. Pour the mixture evenly over the chicken and vegetables.
04 - Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and fork-tender.
05 - For a thicker sauce, combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, then stir the slurry into the slow cooker during the final 30 minutes of cooking.
06 - Serve hot over steamed white rice. Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and fresh cilantro as desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce basically builds itself while you are at work or folding laundry, and the house smells incredible by the time dinner rolls around.
- Chicken thighs come out so tender they fall apart with a fork, and the bell peppers stay slightly crisp which makes every bite interesting.
02 -
- Do not lift the lid during cooking to peek, because every time you do you lose 30 minutes of heat and extend the cooking time significantly.
- If using chicken breasts instead of thighs, check at the 4 hour mark on LOW since breasts dry out faster than thighs.
03 -
- Spray the inside of your crockpot with a light coat of cooking spray before adding anything, and cleanup will take thirty seconds instead of thirty minutes of scrubbing.
- Reserve a few pineapple chunks to stir in at the very end so you get bright, fresh pops of fruit alongside the cooked ones.