Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken with crispy chicken thighs, fresh pineapple chunks, onions and bell pepper takes 15 minutes of prep!
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken is a quick and easy meal that you can make on a weeknight that will transport you to the Hawaiian Islands.
The first time I make Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken it was because we were looking for a healthier option to replace Sweet and Sour Chicken, which is one of our favorite takeout meals. As in the past this post is generously sponsored by Foster Farms, who I use exclusively for chicken and have since I was a kid growing up in California.
The tangy and sweet sauce with the pineapples, onions and bell peppers is a flavor we weren’t looking to lose, but the deep fried chunks of chicken had to go.
Foster Farms is a player in the “New Comfort Food” movement which looks to take recipes out of the box, use local, fresh and high quality products (which by the way are antibiotic free) and change the way you think of comfort food.
Gone is the old school Sweet and Sour Chicken takeout and here today is an amazing Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken that helps you keep your time management in check after you get home from work or school.
With just fifteen minutes of prep time in the morning you can come home, put some rice on the stovetop and by the time it is done cooking you’ll have a fantastic home cooked meal with fresh ingredients instead of takeout!
Comfort Food is moving in a whole new direction these days. People are interested in knowing more about the quality of the products they’re using and where they’re coming from.
Fruits and vegetables are making their way onto the dinner plates with much more frequency and according to a Foster Farms national survey, more than 80 percent choose healthier recipes and more fruits and veggies in their comfort food meals.
Looking for more slow cooker Chicken Recipes?
- Crisp & Juicy Slow Cooker Chicken
- Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken
- Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
- Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
- Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken
Tools Used in the making of this Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken:
Low Sodium Soy Sauce – I find regular soy sauce much too salty, remember you can always add salt but you can’t subtract it. Starting with low sodium allows you to alter to your tastes if necessary.
Slow Cooker: Love this slow cooker and how programmable it is, it has been a workhorse for me… until…
My New Slow Cooker: This recipe was made in this slow cooker. For larger roasts I also brown the meat in the insert and not lose a bunch of the flavor by transferring the meat and leaving the browned bits behind. If you’re thinking of a new slow cooker, consider it if your budget is open.
Ingredients
- 4 Foster Farms Simply Raised Chicken Thighs (bone-in and skin on)
- 2 cups pineapple , cut into 1" chunks
- 1 yellow onion , cut into 1" chunks
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds , optional
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 red bell pepper , cut into 1" chunks
- parsley , for garnish
Instructions
- Using a skillet or the cast aluminum slow cooker insert, brown your Foster Farms Simply Raised Chicken Thighs on both sides for 3-5 minutes over high heat then remove them from the slow cooker.
- Add the pineapple and onion to the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Mix the honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, grated ginger and garlic into the slow cooker.
- Carefully add the Foster Farms Simply Raised Chicken Thighs back into the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 3 hours
- Add the cornstarch to a tablespoon of water, mix, and add to the slow cooker with the bell peppers and let it cook an additional 30 minutes while you cook some rice to accompany your meal.
- Serve with parsley for a garnish if desired.
Video
Nutrition
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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Foster Farms Simply Raised Chicken.
Could I add fresh mint???
Sounds interesting!
This is delish! I did season my chicken with salt and pepper first. Then I just threw it all in together at once (peppers and all) and let it go because that’s why we crockpot! Love the sweetness of the pineapple and the sauce is yummy. Great recipe!
The receipe that I made was Pineapple Chicken & it was delicious & easy to make!! Family loved it!!
Just love this recipe. Having a husband and 5 children I learned to adjust the quantities over the years, increasing them over the years to less and less over the years as all my children flew the coup. I have been making something similar for the past 45 years. The only difference is I use both chicken thighs and chicken legs as well as adding some bacon I have browned in the pan before browning the chicken. The quantity of bacon varies depending on how much and what type I have in the freezer, and how big the pieces are, which are defrosted and patted dry with a paper towel. Though usually, I use 4 slices sliced into 2 1/2 cm pieces – of streaky bacon, or 6 slices of short-cut bacon or 4 slices middle cut bacon). I also add broccoli florets into the mix 30 minutes prior to serving, at the same time the bell peppers (we call them capsicums here in Australia) again the quantity depends on how much I have in the refrigerator. I also season my chicken before browning, sometimes with just a pinch of salt and ground pepper, other times with onion salt or garlic salt. I also use a large can of pineapple in natural syrup (no added sugar) when fresh pineapple is out of season. Draining the can of pineapple really well, reserving a little of the liquid to mix with the cornstarch instead of with water. This is a great recipe that can be easily tweaked to suit your taste and has been a true hit with my family, and now my grandchildren, over the past 45 years.
I used 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, 32 oz can of pineapple with juice, 1/4 cup of coconut sugar, hemp seeds instead of sesame seeds, arrowroot instead of corn starch. I added 2 crowns broccoli with the red peppers the last 30 minutes. I used coco aminos instead of soy. Next time I will add more chicken and 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/2 black pepper. And 1 more tbs of arrow root became of the addition of pineapple juice
Will there be enough liquid?
Won’t the chicken skin be mushy after cooking in the liquid? Why does the picture look like the skin is still nice and crisp?
Yes! I just made it today and while it was really tasty I had to remove the chicken skin because it was soggy and mushy! I’m not sure how you would keep it beautiful and crispy like the picture? I think next time I would just buy the chicken without the skin.
Don’t see when to add the sesame seeds. Are they an ingredient or garnish? Do you mix the wet ingredients together before adding or just separately to the pot? Is the time for browning for each side or total?
Tried the recipe and just added 1/3 cup of brown sugar. Used 6 chicken thighs.
Way…way too sweet! Rescued it by draining the pepper onions and pineapple and washing it in cold water. Dumped 3/4 of the sauce out. Added chicken stock and put everything back in.
Looks good but these calories are absolutely wrong. I forgot to add the bell pepper to the calories and it’s still 421 cal per serving. Recipe says 193.
Kind of deceiving.
I’ve made this a few times now and is becoming a firm favourite for all seasons. I tried it with chicken breast, but found the meat was very dry so only use thighs and drumsticks now. Its fresh and light for the warmer days and by slightly increasing the ginger, gives it added warmth for colder days.
For health issues, I have to follow the Low Fodmap diet which is complex and hard to find recipes without strings of ingredients that I know I react to. This one is loved by all and so easy to adapt. I’m fine with raw honey and by using spring onion tops instead of onion, I get the flavouring. Another way to get it is to cut a red onion in half and placing in the bottom of the slow cooker. I remove both portions before serving to ensure I don’t eat any by accident and those who want any can help themselves.
So glad you were able to adapt this recipe to meet your needs. Thank you for sharing, others will benefit from what you have shared.
Great base recipe Browned thighs so they looked more like fried chicken. Added red, orange and Yellow peppers. Didn’t drain the pineapple so I would have sauce for the rice. You can add more cornstarch if you like it thicker Turned out yummy.
Thank you, David!
I used bone in chicken 9not Foster Farms though a little pricier than the rest) and it was great according to the gang. I personally wont eat dark meat chicken so next time its white meat. Hey I am the cook. Right? So my question what does the cook time change to?
I just asked about using skinless chicken breasts then read your comment on another recipe of how the skin becomes crispy as the underlying fat is rendered off and adds flavor to the dish. My question then is really only can I substitute chicken breasts for thighs?
Yes, you can
Delicious – I made with boneless breasts instead. Liked by all ? and did on high for 3 hours. I used frozen pineapple chunks as well. Will definitely make again
It looks delicious but I do not like dark meat or skin at all. Can this be made with skinless chicken breasts? So many luscious looking recipes on your site call for chicken thighs so my question is for several recipes.
Yes, you can use skinless chicken breast. As well as the other recipes that call for thighs.
I tried this in my instant pot and it turned out really good. I may have overcooked a little so next time I’ll shorten the cooking time. I’ll have to try it in my crock pot too. Great recipe. Thank you
Amazing! Made it for my daughter’s birthday dinner and she absolutely loved it. Made the pineapple coconut bread to go along with it and piña colada drink. It was all a hit. Thank you!!!
Sounds like a fun time. Thanks for the 5 stars, Jeanette.
Winner winner chicken dinner ? I made in my instant pot tonight and it was sooooo yummy!!!! Only changes was I doubled sauce because I like saucy ,added a tablespoon of sriracha because I like it a little spice and about a cup of chicken broth to avoid any chance of the burn indicator going off it was super good !!! Thanks for a awesome recipe ?
I’m glad to know it was a hit, Arlena!
I am using chicken breast will this work? I also have pineapple juice no pineapples should I just pour a cup of this in?
I am just seeing this tonight. I am sure the recipe has long been cooked/or not but I still want to try to help.
The chicken breast would dry out a lot. The juice would make the sauce a bit too thin. I would sear the chicken on the stovetop, cook the veggies and add the pineapple juice to reduce with the sauce. Different recipe but it wouldn’t be dry chicken breast meat and probably done in 30 minutes.
Chicken is our main protein I’m looking for recipes for dinner meals.
You can do a search for chicken in the search box and they will show up for you. Enjoy!
Made this tonight. Smelled wonderful cooking. The chicken was moist and fall off the bone, but took none of the sweet flavor of the sauce. The chicken was very bland
What did you season your chicken with? I seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and it came out great!
Can you substitute pinapple juice for your water in the cornstarch mixture for 1 tablespoon of pinapple juice instead of water into 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
Of course 🙂
these are very big thighs, how long do you suggest?
Just use enough to create a single layer at the bottom of the slow cooker. You don’t want them to be overlapping too much.
This recipe looks marvelous but my husband only eats chicken breasts. To prevent them from drying out could I wrap each one with a slice of bacon?
Thank you
Sure 🙂
Such good recipes!!
Thank you!
Can I use chicken leg quarters
Sure 🙂
I want to slow cook all the recipes that aren’t spicey! They look delicious!
Enjoy!
love this one….
I have been making making and loving this recipe for years. I recently started a blog (gracefullybusy.com) and plan to link to this recipe in one of my posts because I love it so much. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Sabrina!
Can you clarify this for me. What is a cast aluminum slow cooker insert? It looks like the standard inserts are made of ceramic like mine. Also does that mean to put the insert directly over stove to brown the chicken or to brown it on high in the crockpot? Sorry this was the only part that was confusing for me.
The insert just allows you to cook everything inside of one dish using the slow cooker vs having to use a skillet to brown. Hope this helps to clear things up.
PLEASE DO NOT put your ceramic slow cooker insert directly on the stove to brown the chicken… it will EXPLODE!!!
It also WON’T brown AT ALL, on high in the crock-pot.
Just brown it WELL, in a cast-iron or an non-coated stainless-steel skillet.
Then, just put it in the crock-pot & continue.
Made this recipe today with a few tweaks. Used canned, drained pineapple, garlic powder & freeze dried onion. It was delish & now written in my recipe book.
Made this last night, I cooked it on high for 3 and a half hours. It was awesome with a side of yellow rice. Make sure you drain your canned pineapple really well and get rid of all the syrup otherwise it will be too sweet.
Thanks for your sharing!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Selina. Thanks for the 5 stars.
Your pineapple chicken recipe looks delicious. My question is this, my family will not eat dark meat poultry (and yes, they consider thighs dark meat). Can I substitute chicken breast or boneless breast and if so, is the cooking time the same? Thank you in advance for your response.
Lower the cooking time to 5 hours on low. Hope this helps 🙂 You also may need to thicken the leftover sauce in a saucepan with 1 tbsp of cornstarch mixed in a bit of cool water, simmer until thickened on medium heat.
Made this last night, I cooked it on high for 3 and a half hours. It was awesome with a side of yellow rice. Make sure you drain your canned pineapple really well and get rid of all the syrup otherwise it will be too sweet.
How can the calories be 193 per serving when just one Foster Farm Bone in skin on is 240 calories? I put the ingredients through a recipe calculator, minus the onion, and using 16 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs and got 404.
It’s an automatic calculation once I enter the ingredients. I’ll have to take a look at how it imported the ingredients. Thanks for letting me know.
hi. this sounds delicious! wondering about making it in my dutch oven instead of the crock pot. if you have a suggestion of how long and what temp, i would appreciate it.
Sorry, it looks like your comment got stuck in my spam filter. If you want to make this in a dutch oven, you can cook it for 2-3 hours at 325 degrees. Enjoy!
Can this be made in an instant pot? Can I leave out the soy sauce?
I haven’t tested it yet but I’m sure you can use an IP. Leaving out the soy sauce will change the flavor so as long as you’re ok with that, go ahead. Enjoy!
I seared the thighs in sesame oil, and then made it exactly to recipe and it came out amazing! I wanted to make something simple for a guest but also something that would impress… This dish delivered! It had just the right amount of sweetness and the veggies were perfectly crunchy without being raw. Great recipe! Will make again and again!
Yay!! So glad you all loved it.
This looked delicious and I definitely want to make it.
I only gave it one star because I didn’t notice this site was connected with Pinterest. I HATE PINTEREST. There is no way to print anything from that stupid site. I printed 14 pages of pictures. Their site was a mess when they started and it’s still a mess.
Unfortunately, I will not be back to this site, or any site connect with Pinterest, and I will block it;
So sorry to hear that! I created a recipe box on this site so that people didn’t have to go to Pinterest. You are able to save and print the recipes from this site without ever having to go to Pinterest again 🙂 Hope this helps!
I’m going to make this for the first time this week and am super excited! I normally make one to eat and at the same time make one to freeze and pull out and dump in the crockpot for another time – has anyone tried freezing the ingredients and doing a freezer crockpot meal out of this? I realize I wouldn’t be able to brown it in the skillet from freeze meal but it appears several people have had success not browning the chicken first…
Thanks!
You can definitely prep this ahead and freeze. Just leave out the cornstarch until you prepare. Keep in mind that more liquid will release from the ingredients being frozen, but it will still be delicious 🙂
Do you use canned pineapple, if not can I used canned pineapple
Yes, you can use canned pineapple just drain the juice before adding. Enjoy!
But instead of adding water to the cornstarch you could add the 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice, can’t you?
I add cornstarch to thicken the sauce a bit.
i think she meant adding the juice to the cornstarch
Delicious dinner. I loved how sweet the sauce was. I doubled it but forgot to put more cornstarch so it was a bit liquidy, but it was still good. I also didnt have any ginger but the flavors were still there. The doubled recipe served 4 in my house. 10/10
So glad you all still enjoyed it! Thanks for the 5 stars.
Can you replace thighs with breasts? I don’t like dark meat. If the replacement works, do you leave the bone in the breasts or do you use boneless?
Breast tend to dry out a bit in a slow cooker. If you’re going to use them, I would suggest bone in as that will help to keep them moist. Enjoy!
SLOW COOKER HAWAIIAN PINEAPPLE CHICKEN: I have a question. Since I don’t own the special crockpot that you used to make this dish, it says to fry the chicken thighs in a skillet first. I would presume you would use some olive oil or vegetable oil to fry them in??? Nothing was stated.
Yes, you can put some oil in your skillet to brown the chicken. I hope you enjoy!
It looks divine. Can I substitute ground ginger for fresh? I will make it this week-end. Thanks for the recipe.
Yes, but you’ll need to less as it’s more potent. Maybe about half as much. Enjoy!
I believe that when you are substituting dry for fresh herbs, the measure is 1/3. So if it calls for 1 TBSP of fresh ginger, use 1 tsp of ground. That has been recommended in most cookbooks that I have read over the last 35+ years.
Hi, I’m confused about the amount of liquid in this recipe. Am I missing something? The few teaspoons of liquid won’t even cover the meat half way, correct? Where is all the sauce in the pictures coming from? I want to make this recipe, just confused about this..
The chicken will cook down and release liquid so as long as you follow the recipe card, it’ll be perfect. Enjoy!
Totally understand what your saying.!
Just about to cook this recipe and I’m not convinced about how much liquid is going into this…?
Do you take the chicken out when you add the cornstarch before cooking an extra 30 minutes ?
You leave everything in the slow cooker. 🙂 Enjoy!
I made this for dinner tonight. My husband had a bad day at work. So, we went out to eat instead. We will eat this tomorrow. I hope it’s great!!
Delicious! Doubled the recipe.
This recipe looked so delicious that I decided to make it this morning. I have always found
(as has been mentioned) that thighs are a better bet for the slow cooker, especially for
flavor. One might be able to prevent the drying out of chicken breasts by adding chicken
broth etc, but they don’t seem to provide the same flavor in most recipes that I have tried.
I also added a few extra vegetables to this recipe. We as a family like them in this type of a recipe.
As a new member, I will look forward to tying some other recipes. All of the chicken ones look excellent. MANY THANKS !
So glad you enjoyed it! I look forward to seeing you around the site.
Would recommend using skinless chicken thighs…found the sauce to be a bit greasy…I even browned the chicken before adding to the crockpot but still found the skin came off in the sauce. Otherwise super delicious and the whole family liked it! Definitely making it again!
I made this with boneless chicken thighs, trimmed most of the fat. It was really good! I only did 3/4 of the sugar and served with some jasmine rice.
I will try next time with skin on thighs to see if they’re more crispy. I really liked how this came out but it wasn’t that crisp. I did brown each piece on both sides for 3 mins each side. I shortened the cooking time to 2 hours with slow cooker on high.
Sabrina
Made this recipe with chicken and loved it. I have decided to try same recipe using country style pork ribs. Should I also sear the ribs before adding to the crock pot? Do you think this change will work? Thanks.
Rich
I think this sounds amazing!!
My house if full of picky eaters! EXTREAMLY PICKY! Everyone loves this dinner. So do I! my non-veggie..only dry chicken child said “that really good I would est that again” 🙂 I make extra for lunch leftovers with rice. I put both thighs and white meat and the white was definitely drier but no one complained, but I prefer the thighs. Thank you so much for sharing -?????
My house if full of picky eaters! EXTREAMLY PICKY! Everyone loves this dinner. So do I! my non-veggie..only dry chicken child said “that really good I would est that again” 🙂 I make extra for lunch leftovers with rice. I put both thighs and white meat and the white was definitely drier but no one complained, but I prefer the thighs. Thank you so much for sharing -?????
Your comment just made my day!! I love when we win over the pickiest of eaters!!
Made it in skillet using chicken breasts….added shrimp too!. Turned out great!!! Served over basmati rice.
Sounds delicious!
Too sweet, for us and missing something. But it is easy to make ahead, so I might make it again with half the amount of sugar and honey.
Made this for my hubby and I. We had two meals from it. It was extremely easy to make and yummy to eat!
Can you use breasts instead of thighs? Would like to try the recipe but do not eat dark meat. Thank you.
I’m always hesitant to use breasts for fear that they’ll dry out while in the slow cooker though I have seen other commenters state that they’ve used them with no issue. As long as you know that going in, I’d say give it a try.
I want to make but bought thighs and legs not cut. Can I use them. Don’t have much time so have to make it on high
Will let u know how it is.
Made this for dinner today. Instead of thighs I used breasts and just didn’t brown them because I was afraid of them drying out. It was soo delicious. My husband said it was best chicken he has ever had! Thanks for the share!
Can we just add the cornstarch to the sauce when we make it up? That way we don’t have to try to mix it in later?
I’m not sure it would work but you can try it. The reason I add at the end is becuase the sauce will thicken a bit while cooking so you you’ll get it to the right consistency.
I have a 6 quart crock pot, but only 4 will lay flat on the bottom. I want to cook 6, will it hurt uf I add 2 on top of the others?
You really don’t want to overcrowd your slow cooker. My suggestion would be to try and position them to maybe prop up a bit more on the side vs laying them on top of each other.
I didnt use a slow cooker but did it in a convenional oven. I also added some chilli just enough to give a background heat. Gorgeous.
So glad you like it with the oven method! Love that you added some heat too!
Sounds delicious. How many calories are in this dish?
Sorry I don’t have the nutritional facts for recipes on the site but I know there are a lot of free resources on the internet from when I’ve cooked for clients with low calorie diets.
If I want to substitute chicken breasts for party wings how would that work?
I haven’t tested it but I’m not sure it would work. My concern is that wings are smaller and have less meat on them than thighs. I’m not sure there would be enough fat to render down in the slow cooker. Sorry.
Is it possible to make this in A cast iron dutch oven?
I would recommend cooking it 3-4 hours at 325 degrees. Enjoy!
I have never been accused of being a good cook, not even a poor cook. However, this looks wonderful! My biggest problem with the crock pot is that everything comes out watery. I think you may have solved this problem for me as adding the cornstarch will thicken the sauce, correct? I’m going to give the crockpot a second chance and see if adding cornstarch to some of the recipes so they won’t be so watery. Ya think?
That will help. Also, make sure that your chicken is fully thawed before putting it into the crock pot (I even pat my dry with paper towels a bit) that will help eliminate any excess water being added while cooking.
Making this recipe tonight but trying to understand the purpose of browning the chicken?
It adds a lot more flavor to the chicken. Especially the parts of the chicken not covered by skin.
Do you think I would be able to use broccoli as well?
Certainly!
What liquid do you use for this recipe?
The chicken will release plenty of liquid to keep the food moist. I know it seems different but trust me, it’s so good!
I made this for dinner last night. What a great recipe. This will make its way in to a fairly regular recipe. We served over rice but I may try a mashed potatoe next time. Thanks so much.
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I had a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts that I needed to use. There were 8 pieces of Dolly Parton pieces. I cut them lengthwise and doubled the other ingredients. It came out fabulous. The chicken were so moist and fork tender. I had guests over and they all raved about it. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Can you use light brown sugar or do you have to use dark sugar?
Sure use light, the flavor profile won’t be quite as deep but it will still be delicious!
I used 8 small boneless skinless thighs and added a jalapeno cubed. The chicken fell apart easily after about 4 hours. We ate it like pulled chicken over rice. It was delicious! Will absolutely make it again!
Thanks for the 5 star rating, JD! So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this for dinner tonight. I had to brown the thighs in my iron skillet and cooking them on high made a greasy mess all over my stove. I left out the honey and cut the brown sugar in half..I think the thighs did not have enough flavor and were bland. The flavor is all in the sauce. I probably will not make this again. I cooked on low the recommended time and hubby said the chicken tasted dry to him.
Hi Gena, I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. The honey and the brown sugar help to also coat the chicken in the slow cooker so it stays moist in addition to adding the flavor. Honey is a very flavor rich ingredient. I’m afraid if you change that much of the recipe it may have less than awesome results.
HENCE THE WORD “RECIPE”
it’s nice
Sabrina, I have boneless skinless thighs, what is the proper cook time?
I don’t usually recommend using boneless/skinless as it tends to dry out a bit but if you’d like to use them, I would cook it on low for 4-5 hours. enjoy!!
Hi! This looks delicious and I think my family would love this. This might sound like a stupid question but do I add water? THank you for posting.
At the end, you’ll add the cornstarch to a tablespoon on water to create a “slurry” but besides that, no other water needed. Hope this clears up any confusion. Enjoy!!
I’m currently making it, I put dressing or mix in before, do i add more after the 3 hours on high…thank you
You’ll want to mix in the honey, garlic and such in the slow cooker before putting the chicken in to cook. Enjoy!
Can you double the ingredients I have a big family.
Yes but I would suggest using multiple slow cookers to double it because if you layer it, you’ll lose the crisp of the chicken. If you do decide to throw it all in one slow cooker, I would suggest using skinless thighs since the chicken won’t have a chance to sit above the surface. The flavors will still be good but the skin would just add fat and not crisp up anyway.
This was a Great recipe! Delicious!
Thank you!
This dish sounds yummy! Can I use drumsticks instead?
The legs may dry out a bit because they won’t have enough skin to protect them in the slow cooker.
First things first. I have NEVER posted a comment on a recipe I have tried but, this was very, very good! My family told me it tasted like a meal from a good restaurant so thank-you! This yummy dish has been added to my meal rotation!
I’m so honored to be the first for you! Glad you loved it!!
Can you use ground ginger in place of grated ginger?
Yes but you’ll want to use about 1/4 teaspoon since it’s more concentrated than grated ginger root. Enjoy!
Is there another meat you would suggest? I have a poultry allergy
You could substitute with pork but make sure to use a dark meat, not a loin or tenderloin.
The recipe says to brown in a skillet then remove from the slow cooker. Error maybe? anyhow, I browned the chicken and added it to the slow cooker. It’s cooking right now!
Sorry for the confusion, I have a cast aluminum insert for my slow cooker that I’m able to use for browning the meat. If using that method, you’ll need to remove it after browning to add the other ingredients and then place the chicken thighs on top. Hope this clears up the confusion.
I gave this a try yesterday and my husband really loved it! Thanks so much for this amazing recipe.
You’re welcome! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know 🙂
Really want to try this. But I always use deboned and skinless theighs! The thought if eating the skin…..
What do you think??
Unfortunately, the skin helps to keep a lot of the moisture in while it’s cooking so the chicken doesn’t dry out. Another commenter did say that she browned skinless, boneless breasts for the recipe and was happy with the outcome.
I went and bought everything I needed to make this tomorrow and I’m reading thru the recipe and it doesn’t seem like thereading will be any liquid in this. Between a half a cup brown sugar, the honey and the soy sauce, it just feels like if I leave this in the crock pot and come back later to it the chicken will be burnt to the pot. Am I missing something?
The chicken will release plenty of liquid to keep the food moist but it will be under the skin line of the chicken. Most of my slow cooker recipes have minimal liquid because I’ve never liked how slow cooker recipes tend to make a soup rather than a standard meal. If you’d like more liquid I suggest a couple of cups of chicken broth but I wouldn’t expect it to look the same as my pictures because these were taken using a minimal amount of added liquid ingredients.
Question on cooking time, can it go longer than 5 hours in the crock pot? This recipe sounds amazing but my typical work shift is 8 hours (plus drive time). Just wondering if this will have to be a meal on the weekend when I have the day off.
Thanks! Can’t wait to try it out.
It can cook longer but will just lose a bit of the integrity of the dish. The chicken and vegetables will break down more from a longer cooking time but it will still taste amazing. You could also look into a slow cooker that has a cook time setting and switches over to warm once the cooking time is over. That way you won’t be limited to it cooking the entire time you’re away. Enjoy!!
Hi Sabrina! I am looking to slow bake this in the oven 😀 What do you do with the pineapple juice from canned pineapple? I would like to incorporate it into a sauce once the dish is cooked or during would be good too. 😀 Thank you so much for such a great idea for dinner tonight. Have a lovely weekend.
You can definitely incorporate the juice from canned pineapple into this dish. If you add it while it’s cooking, I would suggest adding a bit more cornstarch/water mixture at the end to thicken the sauce to your liking. Hope you enjoy the dish!
I made this, and while the taste was excellent, it was a bit too soup-like for me. The pictures lead me to believe it thickened up for you. The cornstarch step didn’t seem to do anything.
Is that how it’s supposed to turn out? Still an excellent meal regardless.
Oh no, so sorry. Sounds like maybe there should’ve been more of the cornstarch/water mixture to thicken it up. Did you adjust any of the other measurements? I’d be happy to troubleshoot it with you. You can email me at [email protected]
This recipe looks delicious. What size crock pot did you use??
I used a 6 qt slow cooker for this recipe 🙂
When placing the chicken on top of the other ingredients, I assume that you place it skin side up. Correct? Do you drizzle any liquid over the skin to impart the flavor of the sauce?
Yes, you’ll want to place it skin side up and I didn’t drizzle anything over the top until I was serving it. I like to ensure the chicken stays crispy 🙂 I’d love for you to come back and let me know what you thought!
If I choose to bake in the oven how much time would you suggest? Also am I reading don’t cover in the oven? This sounds very good.the only reason I wouldn’t use my crock pot is that if I’m away all day it tends to over cook
I haven’t tried it that way but it’ll probably be in the oven for almost an hour. You can always use a meat thermometer and bake until it reaches 165 degrees F. I’d love for you to come back and let me know how it turns out!
Baked at 376 for about 45 to 50 minutes turned out good
Awesome! Thanks for the baking tip!
Can you use the xl presure cooker to make this and how long to cook it
While I’ve been using a pressure cooker for many years, I haven’t tested this recipe for it and wouldn’t feel comfortable giving a recommendation. You can check out other recipes for the pressure cooker that have similar ingredients and that might help give you some insight of how long to cook it.
This looks absolutely delicious and I’m definitely going to try it, but I also have to cook a large amount for a family of six so would you just skip the first step of browning it on both sides in the skillet if you’re saying the skin isn’t going to stay crispy anyway? Thanks so much!
I don’t think there would be a problem with skipping that step. I just prefer to have a little bit of crisp and color to the skin. Come back and let me know how it turns out if you try it that way. Enjoy!
What did you use to brown chicken in skillet?
I didn’t add any additional ingredients to brown the chicken in the skillet. Just cook it over high heat on both sides for 3-5 minutes. Enjoy!
So no butter or oil in the pan? You must have used a non-stick Or iron pan then?
No butter or oil needed 🙂 You’re just browning the thighs for 3-5 minutes on each side.
I doubled the recipe so that I would have leftovers. Do you think this will work with eight thighs instead of four? I did double the sauce I’m just worried about the thighs that can’t fit directly on top of the sauce.
I don’t recommend it. You’d be better off using multiple slow cookers to double it or if you have a large roaster and keep it on a single layer I would cook until done at 350 degrees (time depends on how big the pan is). I wouldn’t cover it though, you’ll end up steaming it instead of it browning. The flavors will still be ok with the way you’ve done it but the skin would just add fat and be a nuisance.
Woah…that is an insane amount of sugar!!
If you are concerned with the sugar you could probably cut half the dark brown sugar, but with 5-6 servings and most of the sugar being in the sauce the actual amount you’re eating is less than 2 tablespoons. Hope you enjoy it if you give it a try.
Hi, do you think this could be adjusted for a crowd, ie. slow cook in a turkey roaster?
If you have a large roaster and keep it on a single layer I would cook until done at 350 degrees (time depends on how big the pan is). I wouldn’t cover it though, you’ll end up steaming it instead of it browning.
I am allergic to fresh pineapple is it possible to use canned pineapple in this recipe? Or will the long cooking time break down the canned pineapple?
No, absolutely go ahead and use the canned pineapple chunks. Hope you enjoy it!
Trying this today
You realize your comment is BS, right? There’s no such thing af an allergy to an amount of freshness of an item. If you want to use canned pineapple, ask about that instead if making up elaborate, illogical excuses. If you are referring to the irritant naturally found on pineapple skin, that isn’t an allergy, it’s an irritant that affects most people when they put their lips or skin on pineapple skin. It’s not a ‘you specifically’ thing. This recipe sounds wonderful & I was wondering about canned pineapple as well. Thank you for answering her ridiculous question since it answered mine af well.
Hello I want to make this recipe for approximately 10 people how can I adjust the measurements and Will it be a problem cooking all those things in the slow cooker? Thank you!!
Unless you are using multiple slow cookers I don’t think the recipe will turn out well if you layer more food into the same slow cooker. The chicken sits above a small amount of sauce/ingredients so that the skin stays above the surface of the liquids. It wouldn’t be possible to do that for 10 people. You’d likely be better off using skinless thighs with that volume since the chicken will not have a chance to sit above the surface. Flavors would still be good, but the skin would just add fat and be a nuisance.
So we can use skinless chicken instead? My family eats alot and I need to make a lot. I want to try this for dinner…
I always recommend using skin on chicken because that’s what will crisp up in the slow cooker but if you’re not looking for the crisp factor, you can definitely use skinless but make sure to use thighs as the extra fat in them helps keep the meat moist.
I know this has honey and sugar but my juice is very very sweet, is it meant to be really sweet or have I messed up my measures of ingredients? If I have , what could I put in to take a bit of the sweetness away?
Thanks.
It’s not meant to be cloyingly sweet but certainly a bit sweet. If you want to cut down on it definitely pull back on the honey. You can also add a bit more ginger and garlic to cut through the sweetness as well. If you want to troubleshoot I’d be happy to email back and forth too 🙂 contact @ dinnerthendessert.com
I’m assuming you use skin-on bone-in chicken thighs? Just want to make sure! 🙂
Yes! Sorry if it wasn’t clear – I’ve updated the recipe.
Can you freeze this meal? And if so how long and what temp, hi or lo? And do I combine everything but just not cook anything yet if I’m going to freeze it?
You can freeze it pre-cooking, but it will make the tops of the chicken soggy. If you don’t mind that, go right ahead!
When do you add the sesame seeds?
For garnish at the end. 🙂
Thank you. I scrolled down to get this answer:)
So the red bell peppers go in at the last 30 minutes?
Yes! Helps them stay vibrant and not completely break down. 🙂 Sorry for the confusion.
Can chicken breast be used instead?
It would definitely dry out more, I almost never use chicken breasts in the slow cooker, but if you are okay with that going into it, sure! I would use bone in and skin on though.
Made this tonight for my family. They loved it!! Thanks so much!!
You’re very welcome! I’m so happy you guys enjoyed it!
I need more slow cooker recipes and this looks and sounds great. Pinning to make soon!
Such a flavorful recipe! That pineapple and bell pepper looks great!
I was going to make fajitas in the crockpot today, but I think I’m gonna make this instead! I have everything on hand, and this looks so delicious!
I hope you like it! I’d love for you to came back and let me know how well you liked it!
My girls love Hawaiian chicken! Can’t wait to try this in the crock pot!
I am all about the slow cooker these days!
I’m always up for new slow cooker meals… can’t wait to try this one out!
I don’t like chicken thighs. Please advise how I would adjust the cooking time using chicken breasts & wings?
Sorry this comment took so long to get to, it ended up in my spam filter somehow! I don’t recommend chicken breasts in the slow cooker as they will dry out. The extra fat in the chicken thighs helps keep the meat moist. You can certainly bake in the oven in a cast iron skillet at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes if you’d like to use breast and wings though.
Bake just the chicken and then put the rest in the crock pot?
If you’re using breasts, then yes. The breasts will dry out if you put them in the slow cooker.
I cut up chicken breasts and browned them in sesame oil pout them in crock pot and they did not dry out at all
Good to know! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Just switch breast for thighs. That’s what I do. No special instructions needed
What kind of cretin prefers the breast? That stuff is only fit for dog food! Stick with thighs and legs.
This looks AMAZING! I am definitely making this!
Wow! This looks absolutely amazing! And you just can’t beat the super quick prep for this recipe. 🙂
This looks awesome Sabrina!!!! Yummers!
Thanks Mila!