Description
Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken is an easy dinner with tender chicken and pineapple in a glossy sweet savory sauce. It is quick to prep and simple to finish which makes it one of the best ideas for a healthy weeknight dinner. Serve it over rice for meal prep or bring it to a potluck or holiday party. The slow cooker keeps every bite juicy while bell pepper adds color and texture and the sauce turns rich without extra fuss. It is family friendly and reheats beautifully.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can or 20 ounces Pineapple chunks in juice
- 1 large Red bell pepper
- 1 large Yellow bell pepper
- 1/3 cup Low sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup packed Brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Rice vinegar
- 3 cloves minced Garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated Fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons Water
- 4 cups Cooked white rice
- 2 thinly sliced Green onions
- 1 teaspoon Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cut the 2 pounds of chicken into irregular bite size pieces so some edges are slightly larger than others. Slice the red and yellow bell peppers into uneven strips that will soften without disappearing during cooking.
- Combine the pineapple juice with soy sauce and brown sugar plus ketchup and rice vinegar plus garlic and ginger. Mix until the sugar looks mostly dissolved and the sauce becomes smooth and reddish brown with tiny garlic and ginger flecks.
- Spread the chicken pieces across the bottom in an uneven layer and scatter the red and yellow pepper strips around them. Add the pineapple chunks in loose pockets and pour the sauce over everything so some chicken and peppers remain partly visible.
- Cook until the chicken changes from pale to opaque and tender while the peppers soften and the pineapple deepens in color. Stir once near the end so the pieces shift toward the center and become evenly coated in the thinner bubbling sauce.
- Stir the cornstarch and water together then fold the slurry into the hot chicken mixture until the sauce becomes thick and glossy. Spoon one portion over 1 cup of rice and finish with unevenly scattered green onion and sesame seeds so the tender chicken and pineapple remain visible.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Cut the chicken into similar but slightly irregular pieces so every bite cooks evenly and still looks naturally homemade.
- Drain the pineapple but save every bit of juice because it forms the fruity base and keeps the sauce from tasting flat.
- Add the peppers in thick uneven strips so they soften during cooking while keeping some color and gentle texture.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry into very hot liquid so the sauce turns glossy and clings evenly without tasting powdery.
Storage: Cool the chicken until it stops steaming heavily then transfer it with the sauce into a shallow airtight container. Refrigerate it within two hours so the chicken stays safe and the peppers keep their best texture. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days. Keep the rice in a separate container when possible because it can absorb too much sauce and become overly soft. Reheat a single portion with a spoonful of water until the sauce loosens and the chicken is hot throughout. Stir once during reheating so the pineapple and peppers warm evenly. Freeze the chicken mixture without the rice for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator then warm it gently and add fresh green onion after reheating.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American Hawaiian Inspired