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.
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!