Name: Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 20 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts (about 2 pounds); 2 cups diced bell peppers (I used red and orange bell peppers); 1 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite); ¼ cup light brown packed sugar; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon onion powder; 1 tablespoon salt; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits, undrained

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Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken makes a perfect shredded chicken to serve over rice, or for sandwiches. Sweet, smoky, and slow cooked to perfection. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, for parties, or for game days.

This low maintenance shredded chicken recipe is simply amazing. Thanks to low and slow cooking, you get tendert6 chicken that has soaked up a sweet and sticky sauce.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken is the perfect shredded chicken with pineapple and bell peppers to serve over rice or pasta.

Or this delicious dinner recipe can double as a shredded chicken in the crockpot for tacos or Hawaiian sandwiches.

The best part? If you have leftovers, you can try both ways!

This Shredded Hawaiian Chicken is a wonderful slow cooker recipe to use in the summer so you don’t want to heat the house. Or, make this in the winter for a hearty and comforting meal for busy weeknights.

No matter the time of year, this is a recipe that’s always a hit when entertaining. With the ability to make ahead, and being a slow cooker meal and hands-off dish – you can concentrate on other things that need to be done. Even just relaxing!

If you love recipes with that island flair, make sure to try our Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pork Chops for your next easy dinner. With its tropical twist, its anything but bland and boring.

For a non-shredded oven recipe that has a similar taste, our Baked Hawaiian Chicken Recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser. We love this recipe when using bone-in chicken.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

EASY RECIPE – With just 10 minutes of prep, the slow cooker does all the work for you. You have the option of a 4 hour cooking time on high, or low for 5 to 6 hours.
Make-ahead – Make it ahead of time to have dinner ready to go, or for stress free entertaining.
TASTY – Savory, sweet and smoky – each bite is loaded with flavor.
VERSATILE – Delicious when served over rice or pasta. You can also use for tacos or sandwiches. Makes for great leftovers too.

Total Time: 4 hours, 20 Minutes

Serves: 8

Ingredients and Notes

Here are the simple ingredients needed to make sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken. As always, the full recipe is on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Chicken Breasts – I use boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat.
Diced Bell Peppers – I used both red bell pepper and orange bell pepper, to add lots of color. You can also use yellow bell pepper too.
Barbecue Sauce – Use you your favorite bbq sauce. This adds a slightly smoky flavor and cute the sweet, but also thickens the sauce too.
Light Brown Sugar – key to tropical dishes, brown sugar helps to get that stickiness to the sauce.
Soy Sauce – for a savory flavor, and the sodium tenderizes the meat over time which is perfect for slow cooking.
Seasonings – simple seasonings of onion powder, salt, and ground ginger.
Pineapple Tidbits – sweetens and gives flavor to the sauce. Use undrained canned pineapple, either tidbits or pineapple chunks. You can use fresh pineapple if you want, though you will need to add some pineapple juice as well then.

ingredients on a table, to make Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken

Recipe Variations

Make it spicy – Add some red pepper flakes, a pinch of cayenne pepper in the seasoning, or use a spicy BBQ sauce.
Make it kid-friendly – Use a Sweet BBQ sauce, and serve in a sandwich with cheese.
Add More Vegetables – Feel free to add more vegetables such as onions, thinly sliced carrots, mushrooms or even water chestnuts.

How to Make Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken

Place the chicken breasts into the slow cooker. Poke each one with a fork about 4-5 times.
Add the diced bell peppers on top. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk the BBQ sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, onion powder, salt, and ground ginger. Whisk until all ingredients are combined.
Add the pineapple juice from the can. Whisk until incorporated.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and diced pepper in the slow cooker.
Add the pineapple tidbits. Use a fork and try to spread the mixture evenly.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 5 to 6 hours.
After 4 hours, the chicken’s internal temperature should be 165 degrees F. (Time may vary depending on the side of your chicken breasts). Take the chicken breasts out and place them on a plate.
Using 2 forks, shred the chicken.
Place back into the slow cooker and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes.
Serve this crock pot Hawaiian chicken recipe with or without a garnish of chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Looking for a Hawaiian appetizer recipe? try our Slow Cooker Tangy Hawaiian Meatballs. They can also be served as an easy dinner recipe too.

How to Serve

One of the best things about this shredded Hawaiian chicken recipe is the many ways you can serve it.

Keep in mind, crockpot Hawaiian chicken makes a great family meal OR its perfect for entertaining and parties.

On Rice – Serve over white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice or coconut rice. Rice nicely soaks up the delicious Hawaiian sauce.
On its Own – Serve the juicy chicken with pineapple and bell peppers on its own if you’d like. You can also add more veggies to the slow cooker, or serve with separate veggies on the side.
With Pasta or Mashed Potatoes – It might not be your first instinct for serving, yet it’s actually a nice option.
As a Sandwich – Serve this shredded crockpot bbq Hawaiian chicken on hamburger buns, with or without slaw inside as well. Any side of macaroni salad will work great with Hawaiian chicken sandwiches.
As a Taco – Hawaiian chicken tacos are incredible. Use the shreded chicken with some of the cooked pineapple and bell peppers in a tortilla and you have a winner. Again, some Hawaiian slaw would be a nice touch, yet not necessary.

Storage and Reheating

To Store – Once completely cooled, place leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days, covered well with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.

To Reheat – there are different ways you can do so. Here are your options:

Microwave – Transfer desired amount to a microwave safe dish. Cover and microwave on high heat for 1 and stir. If it’s drying out, add a splash of water, chicken broth or pineapple juice. Cook for another minute, or until heated through.
Stovetop – Place the desired amount to be warmed up into a small pan. Add a splash of water, chicken broth or pineapple juice to prevent drying and sticking to the pan. Heat on low (covered yet stir regularly) for 10-12 minutes or until heated through.
Air Fryer – Pour your portion of the shredded chicken into heat-proof ramekins in the air fryer at 300 degrees F and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the chicken is warmed up to your liking.
Oven – Transfer desired amount to an oven-proof baking dish. Add a splash of water, chicken broth or pineapple juice to prevent drying and sticking. Cover and heat at 300°F for 15 minutes, or until heated through.
Crockpot – The slow cooker is a good choice for reheating when you have the time and want a hands off approach. Again, add a splash of water, chicken broth or pineapple juice to prevent drying and sticking. Simply reheat on the “keep warm” setting for 2-4 hours.

More Slow Cooker Recipes:

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham
Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup
Easy Crockpot Candy
Slow Cooker Boneless Turkey Breast
Crockpot Beef Stew
Slow Cooker Chicken Parm esan
Slow Cooker Cherry Coke BBQ Pulled Pork

Also, be sure to check out our other Slow Cooker Recipes!

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken

Yield: 8 Servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes

Indulge in a taste of paradise with this irresistible slow cooker recipe for shredded Hawaiian chicken infused with tangy pineapple and savory bell peppers. Flavorful and effortless, this easy crockpot recipe offers so many ways to serve.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
2 cups diced bell peppers (I used red and orange bell peppers)
1 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite)
¼ cup light brown packed sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits, undrained

Instructions

Place the chicken breasts into the slow cooker. Poke each one with a fork about 4-5 times.
Add the diced bell peppers on top. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk the BBQ sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, onion powder, salt, and ground ginger. Whisk until all ingredients are combined.
Add the pineapple juice from the can. Whisk until incorporated.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and diced pepper in the slow cooker.
Add the pineapple tidbits. Use a fork and try to spread the mixture evenly.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 5 to 6 hours.
After 4 hours, the chicken’s internal temperature should be 165 degrees F. (Time may vary depending on the side of your chicken breasts). Take the chicken breasts out and place them on a plate.
Using 2 forks, shred the chicken.
Place back into the slow cooker and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes.
Serve and Enjoy!

Notes

Storage: Once completely cooled, place in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Re-warm: You can use the microwave or pour your portion of the shredded chicken into heat-proof ramekins and place in the air fryer at 300 degrees F and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the chicken is warmed up to your liking.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 272Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 1421mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 1gSugar: 38gProtein: 20g

Created by Tammi Roy

Tammi Roy is the founder of My Organized Chaos, a Canadian food and lifestyle blog. She lives in Alberta, Canada and is the mom of three beautiful teenage girls. Tammi’s passions are her family, creating and sharing delicious recipes, travelling and photography. Learn more about Tammi.