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This slow cooker Hawaiian chicken is cooked for hours and then shredded in a sweet and smoky, Hawaiian-style barbecue sauce with juicy pineapple. We love it in sandwiches, and it’s just as tasty served over rice!
No slow cooker? My stovetop Hawaiian chicken recipe has all the flavors you’ll find in this recipe, packed into a speedy, 30-minute dinner. You might also like this quick pineapple chicken teriyaki.
Table of Contents
My slow cooker Hawaiian chicken with pineapple needs only 7 ingredients and leaves most of the work to your crockpot or slow cooker! The chicken comes out fall-apart-tender after a few hours, ready to be shredded and tossed in the cooking sauce. The sweet-savory flavors are off the charts.
We love turning this Hawaiian crock pot chicken into pulled chicken sandwiches, or I’ll serve it over fluffy rice for a satisfying family meal. And, if you’re looking for something tasty to make for a luau party this summer, this crowd-friendly slow cooker recipe is PERFECT!
Why You’ll Love This Hawaiian Chicken Recipe
- Dump and go. Making this Hawaiian chicken is as simple as dumping all your ingredients in the slow cooker, and pressing start! Come back in a few hours to a hot and flavorful, mostly hands-free meal.
- Great for leftovers. The shredded chicken stores well and freezes even better. I’ll often double the recipe for a big batch. Some to enjoy right away, and the rest to freeze for future lunches and dinners. It makes for easy entertaining, too!
- Versatile. This Hawaiian chicken is great whether we have our Home Depot tiki torches lit in the backyard, or if our living room is packed with friends on game day. It’s also a family favorite that I often throw into the cooker on weeknights.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I’ll start you off with a few notes on what you’ll need to make this sweet Hawaiian chicken in the crockpot. You’ll find a printable list in the recipe card below the post.
- Chicken – I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can use thighs, or just about any kind of chicken you’d like. Keep in mind that bone-in chicken will need more cooking time.
- Canned Pineapple – I use canned crushed pineapple, but diced works, too. Remember to drain the pineapple well beforehand. If you’d like to use fresh pineapple, just dice it up finely.
- Barbecue Sauce – Choose your favorite store-bought barbecue sauce. I sometimes make this recipe with homemade barbecue sauce, especially in the summer when I usually have a batch in the fridge.
- Soy Sauce and Worcestershire Sauce – One spoonful each gives this chicken plenty of umami flavor. Feel free to replace one with the other if needed.
- Garlic and Onion Powder – I use freshly minced garlic and dried onion powder. You can also replace the fresh garlic with ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
Can I Use Frozen Chicken in the Slow Cooker?
Unfortunately, no. You should NEVER add chicken to the crockpot or slow cooker straight from the freezer. Frozen chicken takes longer to reach a safe internal temperature in the low and slow heat. This leaves a bigger window for bacteria to grow, which can make you sick. Always, always defrost the chicken breasts for this recipe fully in the fridge before you start.
How to Make Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken
I love slow cooker recipes like this easy Hawaiian chicken because all you really need to do is dump everything into the crock and hit cook.
Start by adding your pineapple and sauce ingredients, and stir. Nestle the chicken in the sauce, cover, and leave that to cook on LOW for 3-4 hours. Afterward, shred the chicken and stir it back into the sauce. Your saucy chicken is ready to serve!
Recipe Variations
- Add veggies. Chopped red bell peppers (or any colored pepper) make a nice addition to this Hawaiian chicken. You can also add snap peas or sweet corn.
- Make it spicy. Give your chicken some kick with a dash of hot sauce, like sriracha, or seasoning like Cajun spice, cayenne pepper, or crushed red pepper flakes.
- Different protein. Make Hawaiian pulled pork and substitute the chicken breasts with pork tenderloin. Everything else stays the same, but you’ll need to increase the cooking time to 5-6 hours. See my slow cooker barbecue pulled pork for tips.
Serving Suggestions
My family’s favorite way to serve saucy slow cooker Hawaiian chicken is between buns with coleslaw, pulled chicken sandwich-style. It’s the perfect outdoor meal washed down with a tall glass of Hawaiian punch. We also love this chicken dished up over a bowl of jasmine rice, garnished with sesame seeds and green onions with a side of sauteed veggies, like asparagus or pan-seared mojo potatoes. I even love shredded Hawaiian chicken as a topping for hot dogs!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Leftover Hawaiian chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat. Reheat servings in a saucepan on the stovetop, covered in the oven, or in the microwave. I like to add a splash of pineapple juice or water to the shredded chicken to help loosen it up again while it heats through.
- Freeze. Once the chicken has cooled completely, store it airtight and freeze it for up to 3 months. Defrost the chicken in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
- Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
- Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
- Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast
- 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Add pineapple, barbecue sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and onion powder to the base of the crockpot. Stir to combine.
- Nestle chicken into the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and you can shred it.
- Remove chicken and use forks to shred. Add back to the crockpot and mix well with the sauce.
- Serve on buns for sandwiches, or over rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Your Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken is a new favorite in our household! It was so easy to prepare, and the flavors were absolutely delicious. The combination of pineapple and chicken was delightful.
This is one of my all time favorite chicken recipes. Sooooo easy, juicy and full of flavor!