Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken (Printable)
Tender chicken slow-cooked in sweet and tangy pineapple sauce with classic Hawaiian flavors.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
→ Sauce
02 - 1 cup pineapple juice
03 - 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
04 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
05 - 1/2 cup ketchup
06 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
07 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
08 - 2 tablespoons water for slurry
09 - 2 cloves garlic minced
10 - 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
→ Vegetables and Fruit
11 - 1 red bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
12 - 1 yellow bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
13 - 1 medium onion sliced
14 - 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks drained
→ Garnish
15 - 2 green onions sliced
16 - Sesame seeds
# Directions:
01 - Place chicken thighs or breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.
02 - Whisk together pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger in a medium bowl. Pour sauce over the chicken.
03 - Distribute onion, bell peppers, and pineapple chunks evenly over the chicken.
04 - Cover and cook on LOW setting for 4-5 hours until chicken is tender and reaches internal temperature of 165°F.
05 - Transfer chicken and vegetables to a serving platter and cover to maintain warmth.
06 - Mix cornstarch and water to form slurry. Pour cooking liquid into saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat. Whisk in cornstarch slurry and cook 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens.
07 - Pour thickened sauce over chicken and vegetables. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve hot with steamed rice.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It transforms five minutes of active effort into a dinner that tastes like you spent all day cooking
- The sweet and tangy sauce makes even picky eaters ask for seconds
02 -
- The sauce will seem too thin when you first taste it, but thats exactly how it should be before thickening
- Cornstarch clumps if you dump it directly into hot liquid—always mix it with cold water first
03 -
- Brown sugar can harden into a rock—microwave it for 10 seconds with a damp paper towel on top if needed
- Use a gravy separator or skim the fat off the cooking liquid before thickening for a lighter sauce