Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken (Printable)
Slow-cooked chicken in a sweet pineapple soy glaze with bell peppers—simple, flavorful family dinner.
# What You'll 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 cornstarch slurry)
→ Garnish
15 - Sliced green onions
16 - Sesame seeds
17 - Fresh cilantro
# Directions:
01 - Place the chicken pieces in the bottom of the slow cooker in an even layer.
02 - Arrange the red and green bell pepper chunks, sliced onion, and drained pineapple chunks evenly over the chicken.
03 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, minced garlic, and grated ginger until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker.
04 - Cover the slow cooker 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, whisk the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl to form a slurry, then stir it 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 practically builds itself in the crockpot while you go about your day and the result tastes like you ordered from a restaurant.
- Pineapple juice and brown sugar caramelize around the chicken creating glossy sticky edges that make everyone reach for seconds.
02 -
- Do not lift the lid during cooking because every peek adds roughly 15 minutes to the cook time and lets precious steam escape.
- Chicken thighs hold up better to long cooking but if you use breasts check at the 4 hour mark on LOW to avoid drying them out.
03 -
- Dice the chicken into large bite sized pieces before adding to the crockpot so every piece gets coated in sauce and serves up neatly.
- Toast your sesame seeds in a dry skillet for two minutes before garnishing because that tiny step doubles their flavor.