Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

If you love sweet and sour chicken stir fry (or these sweet and sour shrimp lettuce wraps), I think you’re going to flip for this sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken recipe. It has a lot of the same flavors and ingredients but it leans a little bit more into the sweet.

Chicken, pineapple, onion, and bell peppers are simmered in the crockpot with a flavorful sauce until the chicken is juicy and tender, and the veggies are lightly crisp, like a stir fry. The defining flavor of sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken comes from pineapple juice but soy sauce, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, garlic, and ketchup play an important role, too.

Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

The perfect balance of flavors. The combination of sweet pineapple juice and brown sugar with the savory soy sauce and tart rice vinegar creates a delectable, balanced sauce for the chicken, pineapple, and veggies.

Minimal prep time, maximum flavor. This dish requires minimal effort on your part, but the end result is a fantastic dinner that’s a lot more exciting than plain baked chicken breast. Because it’s made in the slow cooker, this Hawaiian chicken is perfect for busy weeknights or those weekends when you’re out of the house all day and want to come home to a dinner that’s ready to eat!

Family-friendly meal. This is the kind of recipe that kids and adults will happily devour. There are no dinnertime battles when sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken is on the table!

Ingredient Notes

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: I like to cut the breasts into bite-sized cubes before I cook it. It cooks more quickly and is easier to serve.
• Canned pineapple: Choose a 20 oz. can of pineapple chunks canned in juice instead of heavy syrup because you’ll be using the juice for the sauce. The heavy syrup would make the sauce too sweet. Be sure to reserve the juice when you drain the pineapple!
• Sauce ingredients: In addition to the pineapple juice, the sauce is made with ketchup, soy sauce (low sodium is best), brown sugar, and rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar). Avoid seasoned rice vinegar which has added salt and sugar.
• Garlic cloves and fresh ginger root: These fresh aromatics are commonly used in Asian cooking and add tons of flavor. You’ll find that Hawaiian cuisine has lots of Asian influence.
• Vegetables: Popular in stir fries and sweet and sour dishes, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and onion are commonly included in stir fries, especially sweet and sour recipes. The large chunks of pepper and onion end up tender-crisp at the end of cooking, which I love.
• Cornstarch: A slurry made up of cornstarch and water is added near the end of the cooking time to thicken the sauce.
• For serving: Rice, green onions, and sesame seeds. 

How to Make Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

Measure the pineapple juice. Drain the can of pineapple, making sure to reserve all of the juice. Pour the juice into a liquid measuring cup. Add water or chicken broth to reach ¾ cup. Set aside.

Assemble. Coat your crockpot insert with nonstick spray. Add the cubed chicken, onions, bell peppers, and the drained pineapple chunks to the crockpot.

Add the sauce. Whisk together the pineapple juice, minced garlic, and minced ginger root with the ketchup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and brown sugar until combined. Pour the sauce into the crockpot and stir to combine it with the chicken and vegetables.

Cook. Cover the crockpot and cook for 4 hours on low, or 3 hours on high.

Thicken. About 30 minutes before the cooking time is done, make the cornstarch slurry. Turn the crockpot to high (if it isn’t already) and stir in the slurry. Cover the crockpot, and cook the Hawaiian chicken for 20 to 30 minutes more, or until thickened. 

Finish. Taste a spoonful and check the seasoning. Add salt and pepper, to taste, if necessary. Sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken can be served over rice, with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish. Keep reading for more serving suggestions.

Possible Recipe Variations

Make it spicy. Add red pepper flakes to the sauce for a little kick. I’d start with ¼ teaspoon unless you like a lot of spice. Sriracha works well too!

Switch up the veggies. Add snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, or zucchini in addition to or instead of the bell peppers. Just don’t overdo it! You want to maintain the sauce-to-chicken-and-veggie ratio.

Add a little crunch. Garnish the sweet Hawaiian chicken with toasted cashews instead of sesame seeds. You could also stir in a handful when you add the cornstarch slurry. Another crunchy garnish option is crispy chow mein noodles or rice noodles.

Serving Suggestions

Refrigerate/freeze: Store leftover sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.

Freeze before cooking: This recipe freezes well both before and after cooking. To freeze before, assemble everything in a resealable freezer bag, press out the air, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then cook according to the recipe instructions.

Reheat: Warm up leftovers in the microwave or in a skillet set over medium heat. If needed, add a splash of water or broth to thin the sauce a bit.

• Drain pineapple juice from the can into a measuring cup, you should have about ¾ cup. If you have less, add water or chicken broth to make ¾ cup.

  1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks in juice

• For easy clean up, spray the inside of the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Add the chicken, bell peppers, onion, and drained pineapple chunks to the crockpot.

  4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-sized cubes, 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces, 1 green bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces, 1 medium sweet onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces

• In a medium bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, minced garlic, and ginger until well combined. Pour sauce over the chicken and vegetables; stir to combine.

  ¾ cup pineapple juice, ½ cup ketchup, ⅓ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed, 1 teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger

• Cover the crockpot and cook on Low for 4 hours, or on High for 3 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

• About 30 minutes before serving (see note), mix cornstarch with water to form a slurry.

  ¼ cup cornstarch, ¼ cup water

• Turn the crockpot to High. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the crockpot, cover, and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes to thicken.

• Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

• Serve the sweet Hawaiian chicken over cooked rice, garnished with sliced green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

• Cook time clarification: If you’re cooking the Hawaiian chicken on High, you can add the cornstarch slurry after it’s cooked for 2 ½ hours. After you stir in the slurry, continue cooking on High for 30 minutes. If you’re cooking the chicken on Low, add the cornstarch slurry after 3 ½ hours, turn the slow cooker to High, and cook an additional 30 minutes. 
• Add spice: For little spicy heat in your Hawaiian chicken, add ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste) to the sauce. Sriracha sauce is another good option. 
• Storage: Promptly refrigerate leftover sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken in an airtight; it will keep for up to 4 days. It can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
• Make ahead idea: This recipe freezes well before cooking, too. Assemble all the ingredients (except the cornstarch and water) in a resealable freezer bag, press out the air, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then cook according to the recipe instructions.

Serving: 2cups, Calories: 542kcal, Carbohydrates: 69g, Protein: 53g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 145mg, Sodium: 1318mg, Potassium: 1515mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 51g, Vitamin A: 1731IU, Vitamin C: 112mg, Calcium: 89mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!