Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken (Print Page)

Slow-cooked chicken with pineapple, bell peppers, and a sweet-tangy soy-ginger sauce, ready in hours for family dinner.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts

→ Vegetables & Fruit

02 - 1 large red bell pepper, cut into chunks
03 - 1 large green bell pepper, cut into chunks
04 - 1 small yellow onion, sliced
05 - 1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained (reserve juice)

→ Sauces & Condiments

06 - 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
07 - 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice
08 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
09 - 2 tablespoons ketchup
10 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
11 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
12 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
13 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
14 - 2 tablespoons water (for cornstarch slurry)

→ Garnish

15 - Sliced green onions
16 - Sesame seeds
17 - Fresh cilantro

# Directions:

01 - Place the chicken pieces in the bottom of the crockpot in an even layer.
02 - Layer the red and green bell peppers, sliced onion, and drained pineapple chunks evenly over the chicken.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, minced garlic, and grated ginger until the sugar dissolves. Pour the sauce evenly over the ingredients in the crockpot.
04 - Cover the crockpot and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and fork-tender.
05 - For a thicker sauce, mix the cornstarch with water in a small bowl to form a slurry. Stir it into the crockpot during the final 30 minutes of cooking and allow the sauce to bubble and thicken.
06 - Serve hot over steamed white rice. Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, or fresh cilantro as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You literally dump everything in a crockpot and walk away, which feels like cheating but tastes like effort.
  • The sauce walks that perfect line between sweet and tangy, making it impossible to stop at one bowl.
  • Leftovers the next day are somehow even better, if you can manage not to eat it all in one sitting.
02 -
  • Do not skip draining the pineapple chunks, because excess liquid will water down your sauce and leave it tasting flat.
  • Chicken thighs are dramatically harder to overcook than breasts, so if you tend to lose track of time, go with thighs.
  • Always check your ketchup and soy sauce labels for hidden gluten if you are cooking for someone with sensitivities.
03 -
  • Reserve a few tablespoons of the sauce before cooking and use it as a marinade for the chicken the night before for even deeper flavor.
  • If your sauce tastes too sweet at the end, a tiny splash of rice vinegar will bring it right back into balance instantly.

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