This recipe is a delicious and easy way to enjoy island-inspired flavors with minimal effort. The crockpot does most of the work, leaving you with tender, flavorful chicken in a sweet and savory Hawaiian sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can pineapple chunks, undrained (reserve some juice for cornstarch slurry, optional)
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for thickening the sauce)
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (optional)
- 1 green bell pepper, diced (optional)
- Cooked rice, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Combine pineapple chunks (with juice), soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and black pepper in a bowl. Whisk until well combined.
- Place chicken pieces in the crockpot. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken.
- (Optional) Add diced bell peppers to the crockpot.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, or until chicken is cooked through and tender.
- (Optional) If you prefer a thicker sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together reserved pineapple juice and cornstarch to form a slurry. Stir the slurry into the crockpot and cook on HIGH for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Serve the chicken and sauce over cooked rice, if desired.
Tips:
- You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the breasts. Dark meat tends to stay more moist in the crockpot.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of brown sugar to your preference.
- For a spicier dish, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Serve with steamed broccoli or another vegetable for a complete meal.
