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Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

Sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken with tender shredded thighs in a teriyaki-style sauce from pineapple juice, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Slow-cooked until very tender, then thickened with a quick cornstarch slurry for a glossy finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and pineapple
  • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks with juice
Teriyaki-style sauce
  • 0.3333333333 cup soy sauce
  • 0.3333333333 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
Thickener and garnish
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water
  • 0.5 green onions for garnish
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds for garnish
Serving
  • 1 cooked white rice for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Load the slow cooker
  1. Place the chicken thighs into the slow cooker.
  2. Whisk together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, apple cider vinegar, ginger, and red pepper flakes until the sugar is dissolved.
  3. Pour the sauce over the chicken, then scatter the pineapple chunks on top.
Slow-cook until tender
  1. Cook on LOW for 4–5 hours (or on HIGH for 2–3 hours) until the chicken is very tender.
  2. Remove the chicken and shred it into large pieces or slice it, then set aside.
Thicken the sauce and finish
  1. Whisk the cornstarch with the cold water, then stir it into the slow cooker.
  2. Cook on HIGH for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens to a glossy consistency.
  3. Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer briefly to coat, then serve over white rice with green onions and sesame seeds on top.

Notes

For the best texture, shred the chicken while it’s hot so it separates into large strands that stay juicy in the thickened sauce. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through. Freezing is yes: freeze chicken and sauce (without rice) up to 2 months, thaw overnight and reheat thoroughly. For a lower-sugar option, use a packed brown-sugar substitute or reduce brown sugar by about 2 tbsp and taste the sauce after thickening.