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?
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Man, oh man….this was good! Even my picky eater downed his plate. 🙂 I used only 1/2 of the brown sugar and it was still plenty sweet. Thank you!
Also, just a note, I added an extra tablespoon of cornstarch to make it thicker so that my toddler could easily scoop it up in a spoon.
Another great recipe from you! You never disappoint. 🙂
Are sesame seeds added before broiling?
I recommend adding after broiling as a garnish.
Do i broil chicken before i put it in the crockpot to cook or after its not. Not clear on that
Thanks
Michelle
After.
Can a combination of thighs/drumsticks be used?
Yes, absolutely.
I cannot wait to try this.. Pineapple is a huge pregnancy craving for me right now 🙂 Any suggestions for side items that pair nicely with this delicious dish?
My absolute favorite side dish is the garlic parmesan roasted potatoes. But please feel free to check out all of my side dish recipes here.
This was perfect –we LOVED it. May add rice or something else next time, for all of that wonderful sauce. Thank you for such great recipes!
I substituted the thighs with chicken breast. I’m a bit disappointed because my chicken didn’t seem to get much flavor. The sauce itself didn’t thicken or have much flavor. I’m thinking I did something wrong:( feeling bummed! Any ideas what may have happened?
Chicken breasts can be substituted for chicken thighs – however, this recipe yields the best results when chicken thighs are used.
Have you ever used a 3-4 lb pork loin instead of chicken? I’m thinking the ingredients would marry well with pork. Just looking for an alternative to chicken. Thanks.
I actually haven’t but that sounds absolutely amazing!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I used it as a starting point and made too many changes and didn’t do it justice. I shared the kitchen adventure on my blog this week: http://www.juniperinherhair.com/slow-cooker-pineapple-chicken-pineapple-chicken-fried-rice-spinach-greek-yogurt-macncheese-recap/
cheers!
I made this yesterday and my family loved it!
I made this last night and I didn’t find this recipe to have a whole lot of flavor. It was decent, but not robust. Without the pineapples I wouldn’t know it was pineapple chicken. Super easy to make and prep time is minimal which I do like.
I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully tested in my own kitchen, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well. However, I understand that we all have different taste preferences, and I really appreciate your honest feedback.
I actually just had the same experience… I followed it to a “T”, but accidentally put the pineapple juice that was in the can in as well. Do you think that may have caused all the flavorsto even out? Even the pineapples themselves didn’t seem to soak up the flavors I expected from the soy sauce/brown sugar/etc. Not critiquing the recipe, just curious if you can think of a culprit so I can try again. I did the 5-6 hour on low version.
I’m not really sure – extra pineapple juice couldn’t really “hurt” the recipe so to speak. Were the pineapples submerged in the sauce?
A little confused… If you use one can of pineapple and reserve the juice but throw the pineapple in at the same time as the reserved juice, isn’t that the same as adding the pineapple can without draining the juice?
Yes.
Could it be what the canned pineapple was packed in? Sometimes fruit is packed in different (heavy sugar juices versus water) to alter calories. I have picked up the unwanted item numerous times, in error.
can you please downgrade the recipe for 4 people
Marc, you can halve or third the recipe as needed. Here’s a great tutorial on cutting down recipe measurements. You can also make the recipe as is and have leftovers for work the next day! 🙂
Can I use coconut sugar rather than the brown sugar? I realize it won’t be as sweet, but I’m trying to cut out refined sugars.
Yes, absolutely.
Thanks for your wonderful food blog, Chungah. I’ve made several of your recipes to the delights of my partner and friends. A few days ago, I took your enchilada orzo to a potluck and it was a big hit!
What substitute would you suggest for the cornstarch?
I’m so happy to hear that! Here is a list of possible cornstarch substitutes. Hope that helps!
Can you use frozen chicken breasts?
I recommend thawing completely prior to using.
Any idea on the calories this has…its sounds amazing!
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, it is best that you use free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
Do you by any chance have an idea of how many calories this is per serving?
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, it is best that you use free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
Hi, I’m making this wonderful pineapple chicken dinner for the second time, I made it last week for just my husband and I it was great. This week is our prayer group so I’m making it agine, this time not in the cooker, I have used the sauce as a marinad for the chicken and I’m baking the chicken now , I’ve made
more sauce that I’ll add the pineapple too, along with green beans. I made pasta the other day so I’ll have it over the pasta.
Your sauce’s are the best,
Feeling kinda silly for asking here, but is the 1 cup of pineapple juice in addition to the reserved juice from the can of pineapple? I ask because you say to stir in the pineapple juice mixture, and then add the pineapple and reserved juice.
Yes, that’s exactly right. There’s no need to waste it, right?
Regarding the optional/crisp chicken thighs portion of the recipe. Are you referring to the cooked chicken thighs you take out of the crockpot?
Yes.
Should I alter cooking time if using skinless, boneless chicken thighs?
Yes, cooking time may have to be adjusted accordingly.