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Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

Sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken made in a slow cooker with a sticky, golden pineapple teriyaki glaze and visible pineapple chunks. Pull-apart tender chicken gets shredded and simmered just long enough to caramelize into a thick, clinging sauce over fluffy rice.
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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 sauce base
  • 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained (reserve 1/2 cup juice)
  • 0.3333 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
Thickening slurry
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp water
Serving
  • 1 steamed rice
  • 1 sesame seeds
  • 1 sliced green onions

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

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.
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours until chicken is tender and easily shredded.
Glaze the sauce and serve
  1. Shred chicken in the slow cooker; stir in cornstarch mixed with water.
  2. Cook on HIGH uncovered for 20-30 minutes until sauce thickens to a glaze, stirring once or twice for even caramelization.
  3. Serve over steamed rice garnished with sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

Pro tip: drain the pineapple chunks well and reserve the juice you’ll whisk into the sauce—this helps the glaze caramelize without thinning. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave, adding a splash of water if needed. Freezing is not recommended because the pineapple sauce can lose some texture after thawing. For a lower-sugar option, reduce brown sugar by 1–2 tbsp and use low-sugar ketchup while keeping the cornstarch amount the same.