Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken (Printer-friendly)
Tender chicken cooked with sweet pineapple, bell peppers, and a tangy-sweet sauce. A tropical-inspired dish perfect for busy weeknights or family gatherings.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 red bell pepper, chopped
03 - 1 green bell pepper, chopped
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
→ Fruit
05 - 1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained (reserve juice)
→ Sauce
06 - 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice
07 - 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
08 - 1/4 cup ketchup
09 - 3 tbsp brown sugar
10 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
11 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
12 - 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
13 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
→ Thickener
14 - 2 tbsp cornstarch
15 - 2 tbsp cold water
→ Garnish
16 - 2 green onions, sliced
17 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
# How To Make It:
01 - Whisk together pineapple juice, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves.
02 - Arrange chicken thighs in the slow cooker bottom. Layer bell peppers, onion, and pineapple chunks evenly over the chicken.
03 - Pour the prepared sauce uniformly over all ingredients in the slow cooker.
04 - Cover and cook on LOW setting for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours until chicken reaches 165°F and is fork-tender.
05 - Mix cornstarch with cold water in a small bowl, stirring until completely smooth and lump-free.
06 - During the final 30 minutes, stir cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker. Replace lid and continue cooking.
07 - Remove lid for the last 30 minutes to allow sauce to reduce and thicken properly.
08 - Transfer to serving plates, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce develops this incredible depth you cannot get from stovetop cooking alone
- It feeds a crowd with almost zero hands on time
- Leftovers taste even better the next day
02 -
- Adding the cornstarch slurry earlier than 30 minutes makes the sauce weirdly gummy
- Leaving the lid off for the final half hour is what gives you that restaurant quality glaze instead of watery broth
03 -
- Use chicken breasts if you must but pull them out at 4 hours so they do not dry out
- Tamari works perfectly for a gluten free version