Description
Sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken brings tropical flavors to your dinner table with minimal effort. Succulent chicken pieces swimming in a tangy-sweet sauce will delight families seeking quick and delicious meal solutions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (900 g) chicken breasts or thighs, boneless, skinless
- 1 can (20 oz / 565 g) pineapple chunks, drained (reserve juice)
- ½ cup (120 ml) brown sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced (optional)
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for spice)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsps water (optional, for thickening)
- Green onions, chopped (for garnish)
- Sesame seeds (for garnish)
Instructions
- Sauce Preparation: Whisk pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger in a mixing bowl until smooth and fully blended.
- Chicken Layering: Place chicken breasts evenly across the crockpot base, creating a uniform foundation for flavor absorption.
- Flavor Infusion: Pour prepared sauce over chicken, coating each piece thoroughly, then distribute pineapple chunks across the surface to enhance tropical essence.
- Slow Cooking Process: Cover crockpot and cook on low setting for 6-7 hours or high setting for 3-4 hours, allowing chicken to become tender and deeply seasoned.
- Sauce Enhancement: Remove chicken momentarily, introduce cornstarch slurry to sauce, stirring vigorously to create a glossy, thickened consistency.
- Sauce Reduction: Elevate sauce on high heat for 10-15 minutes, concentrating flavors and developing a rich, luxurious texture.
- Final Assembly: Return chicken to the enhanced sauce, ensuring complete coverage and harmonious flavor integration.
- Serving Presentation: Plate chicken over steamed rice or noodles, garnishing with chopped green onions and sesame seeds for added texture and visual appeal.
Notes
- Maximize Chicken Tenderness: Choose boneless, skinless chicken breasts and slice them slightly thicker to prevent drying out during slow cooking, ensuring juicy and moist meat.
- Enhance Sauce Depth: Caramelize brown sugar briefly in a pan before adding to the sauce to unlock deeper, richer flavor notes and create more complex taste profile.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Swap soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free options, and use low-sodium alternatives to control salt intake without compromising taste.
- Perfect Sauce Consistency: If sauce remains thin after cooking, create cornstarch slurry with cold water to prevent lumps, and gradually whisk into hot liquid for smooth, glossy finish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-7 hours (low) or 3-4 hours (high)
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Hawaiian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg