Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken (Print Version)

Tangy-sweet chicken cooked slowly with pineapple and peppers for a delicious Hawaiian-inspired meal.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into large chunks

→ Vegetables & Fruit

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

→ Sauce

06 - 3/4 cup pineapple juice (from reserved can)
07 - 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
08 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
09 - 1/4 cup ketchup
10 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
13 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
14 - 2 tablespoons water (only if thickening sauce)

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
16 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

# How-To:

01 - Arrange chicken pieces in the bottom of your slow cooker.
02 - Scatter chopped bell peppers, onion, and pineapple chunks evenly over the chicken.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, minced garlic, grated ginger, and rice vinegar.
04 - Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the chicken and vegetables.
05 - Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6-7 hours, until the chicken is tender and easily shredded with a fork.
06 - For a thicker sauce, whisk cornstarch and water together in a small bowl to make a slurry. In the last 20 minutes of cooking, stir the slurry into the slow cooker, cover, and cook until the sauce thickens.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, over steamed rice or with your favorite sides.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce strikes that perfect balance between tangy and sweet, making everyone ask for seconds
  • Your slow cooker does literally all the heavy lifting while you go about your day
  • Leftovers taste even better after the flavors have had time to become best friends overnight
02 -
  • I once skipped draining the pineapple can and ended up with soup instead of sauce, so please drain those chunks
  • The sauce will taste quite salty at first but mellows into perfection as it cooks with the pineapple
  • Adding thickener too early can result in weird gelatinous textures, so wait until the very end
03 -
  • Cut your chicken into slightly larger chunks than you think necessary, as they shrink during cooking
  • Grate your ginger against the grain to avoid those tough fibrous strings in your sauce
  • Taste your sauce before pouring it in, adjusting the sugar or soy to match your personal preferences

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