Go Back

Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

Sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken with pull-apart tender thighs in a sticky golden pineapple teriyaki sauce with visible pineapple chunks. Slow-cooked until shreddable, then thickened into a glossy glaze that clings to every shred over fluffy rice.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Hawaiian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 2.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
Pineapple teriyaki sauce
  • 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained (reserve 1/2 cup juice)
  • 0.33 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 3 tbsp ketchup
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 3 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp water
For serving
  • 1 steamed rice
  • 1 sesame seeds
  • 1 sliced green onions

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Slow-cook the chicken
  1. Place chicken thighs in the slow cooker.
  2. Whisk together reserved pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil; pour over the chicken.
  3. Add pineapple chunks on top of the chicken.
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours until chicken is tender and easily shredded, with the sauce bubbling around the edges.
Shred and glaze the sauce
  1. Shred chicken in the slow cooker; stir in cornstarch slurry until fully combined.
  2. Cook on HIGH uncovered for 20-30 minutes until the sauce thickens to a glaze, looking glossy and caramelized and clinging to the chicken.
Serve
  1. Serve over steamed rice garnished with sesame seeds and green onions, with pineapple chunks visible in the thick golden sauce.

Notes

For the thickest glaze, make sure the slow cooker is uncovered during the final 20-30 minutes on HIGH so the sauce can reduce and cling to the shredded chicken. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; freeze up to 2 months (thaw in the fridge and rewarm gently). For a lower-sugar option, reduce brown sugar to 2 tbsp and add an extra 1 tbsp pineapple juice to keep the sauce sweet-tangy without the extra sugar.