Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken
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Everyone’s takeout favorite made right in the crockpot! The chicken is SO TENDER and JUICY bursting with so much flavor!
I’m still shopping for a new oven due to measurement issues at the new house. Thankfully, my trusted crockpot came to the rescue.
PRAISE. And yes, the weather is getting warmer and Spring is right around the corner. But let’s keep these slow cookers out of the garage and dust-free.
They should really be utilized all year long, not just for the Winter months. Plus, this pineapple chicken needs to be made on the daily, guys.
It’s sweet, tangy and savory in every bite. And those juicy, flavor-soaked pineapple chunks and veggies are E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.
Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha, optional
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks, juices reserved
- 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, juices reserved
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; drain excess fat and set chicken aside.
- In a large bowl, combine pineapple juice, chicken broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, Sriracha, garlic and ginger.
- Place chicken thighs into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in pineapple juice mixture. Top with pineapple chunks, crushed pineapple and reserved juices.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours, basting every few hours.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup water and cornstarch. Stir in cornstarch mixture, bell pepper and onion into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30-60 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.
- Serve chicken immediately, garnished with sesame seeds and parsley, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Made this for dinner tonight and loved it! put it over ancient grains (rice & quinoa) thank you for the recipe!
can I leave out the chicken broth?
This is THE most delicious crockpot chicken thigh recipe that I have ever made. My son who is in his 20’s loves it, my father who is 93 years old can eat it, he is unable to chew chicken or beef but this chicken melts in his mouth so safe to say this is his favorite recipe as well. The taste is incredible he says.
So thank you for this recipe.
I used a bag of thawed frozen peppers & onions. Worked just fine.
Made it tonight, was good with a little tinkering at the end. Like others said it was a little bland. I added more ginger, soy, garlic and a splash of lime to liven it up. Also, I may have misread the directions but I ONLY added 1 cup of pineapple juice. Turned out perfectly thick.
I tried this last night and everyone loved it. I didn’t have chicken thighs so I used chicken breasts then stredded at the end. Because my son is a fussy eater, I couldn’t add the peppers or onions, but it still had a lot of flavor.
That was absolutely delicious!
Served on jasmine rice & family loved it!!
A definite favourite for us, thanks so much
This looks really good, and I can’t wait to try it. Just one question, I am cooking only for myself, are your dishes freezer-friendly?
Hello,
I am very excited to try this recipe…all the flavours look so delicious.
A comment however for step 4: why drain the juices from pineapple when all go in at the same time anyway? This step is a bit time consuming.
Look forward to having my family try this one.
Thanks,
Kate
I gaveb it 5 stars bur haven’t made it yet. There seems to be a contradiction in the recipe itself and the answer to this question.
“If I choose to broil the chicken, it do I broil BEFORE putting in the crock pot to cook?
If the recipe is made with chicken breasts, will it taste better with the skin on or about the same with skinless breasts? Thank You!
Chungah — December 6, 2016 @ 12:14 PM Reply
1. It is best to broil AFTER, not BEFORE.
2. I personally find it better with the skin-on, but this really depends on personal preference.” Please clarify.
Hi Ed. Some people do not prefer skin-on chicken thighs so that’s what we mean by “personal preference”. The recipe tastes great either way – we just prefer it with skin-on. Hope that answers your question. 🙂
This is the second time I made this recipe, and it’s still just as great! I use skinless chicken thighs, pull them out to be shredded, and add them back in. It takes a bit more cornstarch to get it to the thick consistency I like (about 5 tbsp). I tested for flavour at the end and added a bit more garlic, soy sauce and used red chili flakes instead of sriracha. I serve half of it and then freeze the rest for an easy freezer meal! Super convenient and yummy. Thanks!
I omitted pineapple juice and broth. Baked in oven 1 hour added red and green peppers chunky onion. No sesame seeds (I didn’t have any). I served it with rice and green beans. It was delicious.
I made the recipe to the T, came out soooooooo soupy even after I added extra cornstarch so I added cooked rice, chopped up a couple of thighs and added it to the “sauce”. Served it as a soup. My kids loved it.
Absolutely wonderful, cooked on high for 3 hrs, added the veggies and cooked for half an hour more.
I will make this again but will add the veggies sooner! The flavours are AH- mazing!!!
Damn Delicious! This is a keeper.
Thank you.
Husband’s a picky eater AND doesn’t like chicken. Yet this was a hit, and repeatedly requested. Go figure. Excellent recipe!
I followed it exactly, except added sliced fresh jalapenos. Other times a dash of cayenne powder. Sweet+spice worked great here. Sometimes throw celery in the mix.
Highly recommend this crock delight.
What would you serve with this dish?????
I would serve this over rice.
Chung Ah! It’s Stacey from LIAC. I randomly stumbled upon this recipe and made it. It was delicious and then realized it was your page!!! Looks like you’re doing amazing! Such a small world! Much love!!
How can I cut down on the saturated fat in this recipe? Would chicken breast be lower in saturated fat? Is there a butter substitute? I’m trying to eliminate saturated fats from our diet due to health reasons but this recipe looks so good!
Hi! I only have a 4 qt slow cooker so will be using only 4 chicken thighs. Sorry if this is a dumb question – does the rest of the recipe stay the same if halfing the meat or do I also reduce all other ingredients by half?
The entire recipe should be halved. Hope that helps, Michelle!
I made the same recipe in the instant pot another time and it came out really good! Just looking at this now since I will be making it again this week. 😀 Thanks!!!
That’s so good to know! Thanks, Michelle!
To Michelle
Healthy fats like grass fed butter and healthy no Hormones or antibiotic fed chickens are GOOD for us. Eliminate the white flour, sugar and processed foods. Look at paleo diet.
Much healthier than cutting out saturated fats.