Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken

Crockpot Hawaiian chicken with pineapple and barbecue sauce only has 5 ingredients in it! Some call this pineapple chicken because of the fruit we add in there with some barbecue sauce to kick it up a notch! 

Hawaiian chicken with pineapple made with chicken breasts can be shredded for even more fun dinnertime ideas. If you love healthy, easy, Crockpot recipes too I bet this will be a hit in your home.

First when I got this idea into my head I made it as a batch of Instant Pot Hawaiian chicken. This one has similar flavors but takes longer. A great one for a throw it in and be ready at the end of the day though. It was incredible and we all loved the sweet and tanginess of this dish. Now it was time to use this basic idea in a slow cooker recipe using chicken. 

What does pineapple do to chicken?

Pineapple is a fruit that pairs well with beef, pork, chicken and some types of fish. While giving your meat a great deal of flavor, pineapple juice helps tenderize your meat as well. A great way to get it to break down those connective tissues quickly with a killer flavor at the same time. Whether you use it in your Instant Pot or slow cooker it does the same thing. The enzyme in pineapple, digests protein which softens the tissues before cooking it.

Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken with Frozen Chicken

Ok so I am forgetful and you might be too. With that said I like to offer instructions in case yours isn’t thawed out when it is time. Believe it or not the timing is almost exactly the same! The only thing you need to make sure of with Crockpot frozen chicken thighs is that your pieces are broken apart before adding into the pot. You can do this run under cool water for a bit.

You just throw everything in in the morning and let it get tender while you’re away. When you’re ready just fluff up some rice or shred and serve inside tortillas as tacos. For a faster version try Ninja Foodi pineapple chicken but as for the old fashioned way, this is a hit.

Ingredient Notes

For the main star of the show I typically will use a few Chicken breasts that are boneless and skinless work best so you can just shred when done, but thighs work if you prefer dark meat.

You will want a can of crushed pineapple, tidbits or cut up small pieces with the juice in the can too. If you used fresh you would want another can of juice.

In a small bowl you will want to whisk together some Barbecue sauce, choose your favorite, and seasonings to coat the meat. This will make sure the protein stays moist with the high heat and won’t dry out.

With it you will add some light Brown sugar to sweeten, Garlic powder we love, Salt, Soy sauce is optional but I usually add it in, you could add large chunks of bell peppers or green onions diced in there too.

If you want to make this a bit spicy that is yummy too. I would just use a dash of red pepper flakes or chili powder. Go light handed at first so it isn’t overwhelming, adjust at the end. Ok so this is a bit like our Crockpot bbq chicken recipe except we left the breasts whole this time and added more than 3 ingredients. That is a good one too if you want another throw together recipe.

Are chicken thighs or breasts better to use?

Once you find a great sauce you’ve gotta’ use it on all the things I say, so using whole chicken breasts were next. If you’re a super fan of thighs instead, then use those by all means. I would just use boneless skinless either way. Just makes it a lot easier to serve when done and the meat cooks more evenly without the bone-in I think.

Easy Crockpot chicken recipes can be served up a few different ways. Serve them whole once done, or shred the meat once it’s fall apart tender and slap some inside tortillas for tacos! Any way you “slice it” is a winner around here.

Tips

You will want to lay breasts or chicken thighs into your pot overlapping the least amount possible. You can do this with some sideways around the outsides and a few in the center. You can use pineapple chunks or tidbits to pour over the top but any canned fruit will do really.

As always you can certainly make your own homemade barbecue sauce or use bottled doctored up as you see here. I like Sweet baby Ray’s since it is typically so cheap but whatever I find on sale is typically what I use. I will say that I do like a little heat in with the sweetness so it isn’t like so overwhelming.

You want to really mix together bbq sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, soy sauce and salt so it is smooth with a whisk. Make sure that it coats all the pieces to keep moist as they steam so they won’t dry out.

Before serving you always want to check the internal temperature in the middle to make sure they reach a safe 165 degrees. You can slice or shred and serve over Ninja foodi rice or inside tortillas for tacos. If shredding I would shred meat, submerge in liquid, and cover for an additional 20 minutes or so to soak up more of the juices.

The sauce you get that the meat is soaking in is killer. I like to shred the meat about 30 minutes beore serving and let it sit in there for a while. Then it can soak it up more and become sweeter. If you are making them into tacos I might add pineapple tidbits on top too.

If you have guests coming over make a whole bar out of it with all the toppings you love. Have small tortillas there, both flour and corn. Beyond that think outside of the box. Of course salsa is great, cilantro, sour cream, I love slices of avocado on all the things so that is my go to.

Should you cook chicken breasts in slow cooker on low or high?

Setting it to low is the best way to go. Hurrying things up isn’t the best idea for this method of cooking. SLOW cooker it’s called remember. 😉 The biggest difference between the two is that meat won’t get nearly as moist and tender if cooked faster. Just dries it out y’all, a no go.

How to serve

As for serving you can do it any way you wish. In a bowl, using lettuce to make a wrap out of it, the list goes on and on. If you’re looking for a low carb dish you can serve it as is or with a side of quinoa.  I usually serve it with a side of white rice or air fryer vegetables. A side of air fryer bacon wrapped brussel sprouts are great too.

If I shred it and serve it as soft tacos I load up on avocado and sour cream on top. It’s an easy recipe to throw together in the morning and serve for taco Tuesdays in our house.

Other easy chicken recipes you’ll love

We share a bunch of easy Instant Pot chicken recipes in this post and in our menu at the top of our blog too you can find. These Crockpot chicken sliders are a quick meal too.

I first made this Instant Pot Hawaiian pulled pork, then with chicken. Both are winners and much faster cooking time. It’s made diced up into bite size pieces in the beginning. Both are great but this one comes out a bit saucier than the first. Have leftover chicken? Use it in this easy chicken pot pie recipe! You can print recipe below. Enjoy friends!

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