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Cold crappy weather. All I wanted was something easy to throw into the slow cooker. Something tasty. Something with a Hawaiian twist. Slow cooker Hawaiian pineapple chicken fit the bill perfectly. It had a wonderfully sweet combination of honey, brown sugar and pineapple. Crunchy veggies and plenty of salty soy sauce. The chicken was tender and packed with flavors. It wasn’t fancy but it was good. I’m a pineapple addict, and this dish satisfied my craving and then some!
Searing For Success
I’m kind of a stickler about texture when it comes to meat in a crockpot. Searing gives this slow cooker Hawaiian pineapple chicken that texture I was hoping for. Whenever possible I sear the meat first before adding it my slow cooker. I need that contrast, a little crunch, a little char along the edges. Not fully cooked through, but seared just enough. You can skip it if you prefer to just add the chicken directly to your cooker. I’m just weird about it sometimes!
I used boneless skinless chicken thighs but you can substitute boneless chicken breasts instead. If you prefer to sear them like I did the thighs, I recommend that you butterfly them first so they have the same thickness throughout for more even cooking.
Get Chunky
I like to use pineapple chunks for this recipe. In fact, I like darned near every ingredient in it to be chunky. I like those bursts of flavor from each bite. I want it to be upfront and not hiding. I don’t want to go digging for a piece of pineapple. I want it to be obvious.
You can certainly cut things smaller than I did. Use pineapple tidbits instead of chunks if those are more your style and size. Just drain them well and you’ll be good to go!
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Also try my slow cooker French onion soup.
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- vegetable oil
- 1 20 ounce pineapple chunks drained
- 1 medium yellow onion cut into 1″ chunks
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce plus more for serving if desired
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated, or use 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1 medium red bell peppers cut into 1″ chunks
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- rice cooked, for serving
- green onions chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Season thighs with salt and pepper.
- Working in batches, heat oil in a large skillet and brown the thighs on both sides, 3-5 minutes. Remove to a plate.
- Place the pineapple and honey into a slow cooker.
- Add the honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and sesame seeds. Stir.
- Add the chicken and any juices that have accumulated in the plate.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.
- Stir in the bell peppers.
- In a small bowl or glass combine the cornstarch with the water.
- Stir into the slow cooker and cook another 30 minutes.
- Serve over cooked rice garnished with parsley or green onions, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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