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Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken

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Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken is sweet and smoky and slow cooked to perfection. This easy slow cooker recipe makes a great sandwich, and is perfect for family dinners, parties, game day, or anytime you’re looking for something super easy & incredibly delicious!

This Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken is sweet and smoky and slow cooked to perfection. It makes a great sandwich, and is perfect for family dinners, parties, game day, or anytime you're looking for something super easy & incredibly delicious!

Anyone who has spent any time with our family knows that, when it comes to sister relationships, the one between Greta and Nora has always been a bit of a challenge. I’m not sure if it’s because they’re both middle children, or because Greta tends to be sensitive, or because Nora really can be difficult to deal with….but whatever the reason, their relationship is definitely on the rocky side.

This Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken is sweet and smoky and slow cooked to perfection. It makes a great sandwich, and is perfect for family dinners, parties, game day, or anytime you're looking for something super easy & incredibly delicious!

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve talked to them about being nice to one another or worried about their feelings toward one another long term….and for the most part, it feels a little like talking to a wall. Because for the most part, nothing ever changes. But then, every so often, they do a 180 and everything is completely different. At least momentarily.

This Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken is sweet and smoky and slow cooked to perfection. It makes a great sandwich, and is perfect for family dinners, parties, game day, or anytime you're looking for something super easy & incredibly delicious!

This past weekend was one of those times. Ellia was gone on a Friday night sleepover, and since Myla goes to bed early, Greta and Nora only had each other. Of course, that can go one of two ways….but this time, at least, they decided to make the most of it. All weekend long they were playing together, coloring together, dressing as twins, eating the same foods, and referring to one another as “BFF” and “bestie”. To the point where I actually had to remind them not to leave Ellia out. And you know what? It made ALL the difference. Life felt so much more peaceful, so much more relaxed. And even though I’m sure it won’t last, I loved it while it did.

This Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken is sweet and smoky and slow cooked to perfection. It makes a great sandwich, and is perfect for family dinners, parties, game day, or anytime you're looking for something super easy & incredibly delicious!

And I’m sure it sounds silly, but one of the things I loved most about it (aside from the peace and quiet) was how easy it felt to get Nora to eat. Because she wanted whatever Greta was having….and Greta was loving this Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken. In fact, she was eating it by the bowlful all weekend long….which meant that Nora was, too. And I totally can’t blame them, because this Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken is AWESOME! It’s sweet and sticky and slow cooked to perfection. Undoubtedly the best pulled chicken sandwich I’ve had (and I love me some pulled chicken)! Of course, I’d be willing to share it ALL if it meant a more harmonious household. But…..I’m not holding my breath for that.

This Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken is sweet and smoky and slow cooked to perfection. It makes a great sandwich, and is perfect for family dinners, parties, game day, or anytime you're looking for something super easy & incredibly delicious!

But what we CAN hold our breath for is a week of slow cooker recipes!

Because, in addition to my slow cooker Hawaiian chicken recipe, I’ve joined together with a few of my favorite bloggers to bring you the BEST slow cooker recipes you can enjoy all year round!

Slow Cooker Week

Be sure to check them out:

And, this is your lucky week, because you can enter to win your very own brand new slow cooker! Yippee!!!!
Be sure to whip up my Hawaiian Cole Slaw to serve with the sandwiches!
Hawaiian Coleslaw 2c

This easy slow cooker Hawaiian chicken recipe could easily become your new summer recipe favorite!

4.2 from 20 votes
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Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken

This Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken is sweet and smoky and slow cooked to perfection. It makes a great sandwich, and is perfect for family dinners, parties, game day, or anytime you're looking for something super easy & incredibly delicious!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12
Author Cathy Trochelman

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 c. chopped onion
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1/4 c. flour
  • 2 c. pineapple juice
  • 1/2 c. brown sugar *edited from the original recipe, which called for 1 cup
  • 3/4 c. ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ginger

Instructions

  1. Combine pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, worcestershire sauce, and spices in a large measuring cup or mixing bowl. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated, then set aside.
  2. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  3. Add chopped onion and saute until onion begins to brown.
  4. Stir in 1/4 c. flour.
  5. Pour pineapple juice mixture into skillet and boil, stirring, 10-15 minutes or until sauce is thick.
  6. Place chicken in slow cooker and cover with sauce.
  7. Cook on low heat 8 hours.
  8. *If sauce is not as thick as you'd like it to be, you can prop open the lid and let some additional liquid evaporate before shredding and serving.
  9. *Note: sauce will thicken further as it cools.

Recipe Notes

Based on readers' comments, I updated the recipe on 8/11/17 by increasing the cooking time on the sauce prior to adding it to the slow cooker.

This Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken is sweet and smoky and slow cooked to perfection. It makes a great sandwich, and is perfect for family dinners, parties, game day, or anytime you're looking for something super easy & incredibly delicious!

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Comments

  1. I’m always looking for easy dinners these days and hate using the oven. This looks like a win-win! Oh and siblings are tough! My 2 can play joyfully and also fight like crazy. Lots of “reminders” and hiding to let them work it out. Sisters!!!!

    Reply

      • I used the leg & thighs as I’m not crazy for breast & thought the sauce was to thin. Going to make white rice & put the chicken on top & see how that is. Having it tonight for dinner. Taste great, however, think it could use a little more seasonings.

        Reply

        • Just curious, did you try the recipe to rate it 5 stars? I look at the ratings to try to get thoughts on the recipes.

          Reply

      • I agree I get so frustrated with those darn adds. I’m more likely to purchase said items if they don’t show the ads ad pop ups over whatever I’m trying to read.

        Reply

    • This dish is amazing my whole family devoured this. They liked it so much that I am making it again tonight thanks so much for sharing this the fitzsimmons clan

      Reply

  2. I am a vegetarian, but Cathy, you have made some wicked looking sandwiches! Don’t worry, my sister and I had our issues growing up but we are best of friends and I do not know what I would do without her (I almost feel sad my daughter will never have a sister but then I realize she will always have MY sister!)

    Reply

  11. Sounds amazing! We are having a sort of Hawaiian themed bday party next weekend and I am looking for food ideas. My mother in law is making sweet and sour chicken thighs so I was wondering if your recipe will work with a pork shoulder for pulled pork sandwiches instead because I want a variety? Im sure it will but wanted to ask if you’ve done that before? And the cooking time would probably be same right? I appreciate your input

    Thanks!
    Dawn Arredondo

    Reply

    • Hello, I am a Chef for a Sorority, there aren’t Crock Pots big enough for feeding that many girls…LOL…Follow all normal instructions, put your meat of choice into an oven safe pan and set your oven to Around 200F. Make sure it is wrapped tightly, throw into the oven and walk away for 6 hours and forget it (good Luck, the smell will make you crazy!) If it can be easily pulled apart at 6 hours, you’re done, if not…re-wrap tightly and continue cooking an additional 1-2 hours. HAVE FUN! GOOD LUCK!

      Reply

  17. We are RVers and this is going with us next week to Hilton Head. Easy to make ahead and put in the fridge till you want to heat it! Looks amazing!

    Reply

      • The initial sauce that you make is that to put on top of the chicken or does that go in the crockpot with the other sauce? I couldn’t find in instructions for that part

        Reply

          • I was wondering the same thing and I still haven’t figured it out. And I don’t drink coffee. Help.

          • You mix together all the sauce ingredients, then cook it briefly to thicken before adding it to the crock pot with the raw chicken. I hope this answers your question!

  18. Gurias…..Eu tenho uma maquininha a fazer petit gateau todavia deixando bolo
    cozinhar alguma coisa mas vira um cupcake…É da quadrifroglio ()…A fim de que as meninas com Rigoroso
    e localidade possui na Marli Trentin…Resta essa pista a adaptar
    para receita e também essa maquinhinha…No interior de querido aniver eu fiz e foi
    um sucesso….

    Reply

    • This recipe says it serves 12 so you have to extrapolate from there. If you want to serve 60, multiply by 5, for 120 by 10.

      I would think this would be a great recipe for a very large group.

      I just need to feed 3, but the leftovers will never be wasted at this house.

      Thanks for this recipe, Cathy….my men will love it, I’m sure and we will find out tomorrow.

      Reply

    • Has anyone tried this recipe? I have a party this weekend for around 20 people and want to try this, but afraid until I hear some reviews. Lots of comments but not from anyone that tried this recipe.
      Thanks

      Reply

  24. Cathy I was curious have you ever made the sauce the night before and then thrown everything in the crockpot the next morning? We are in the middle of travel soccer season so our weekend mornings are crazy and sometimes we leave the house as early as 4am. The less I have to do those mornings to ensure a hot meal when we get home the better. lol thanks and I’ve already made this once as instructed and with the slaw, absolutely amazing!!!

    Reply

  27. Hi,
    I’m a bit pressed for time and wondering if I could cook for less time on high? What would you recommend? Thanks.

    Reply

  32. Do you think this would work okay with regular cooked shredded chicken (done previously in the slow cooker) and just add the sauce to it and heat it through?

    Reply

  33. I quadrupled this recipe and made it for a large graduation party. It was a big hit! We served it with Kings Hawaiian rolls.

    Reply

  34. I made this as written, and I’m pretty handy in the kitchen. However, when chicken was finished in the crock (after 8 hours on low), the sauce was extremely thin (prolly from the chicken juices?). I am adding thickener and reducing it on the stove now to get that desirable stickiness, and will add it to the shredded chicken before throwing it under the broiler to crisp up a bit.

    Is the sauce always so thin?

    I’m contemplating just making a new batch of sauce, thickening it up and adding that to my chicken to get the best flavor.

    Reply

  35. Thoughts of the event or events enter your mind less often. But they would say that they are right and you are wrong.

    serve further notice that it’s time to build the Temple.

    Reply

  36. Just made this and my husband is eating it. Flavor is good and it is certainly easy. One thing I will note is that in order to get the sauce (which is tasty!) to stick to the chicken after you’ve shredded it, you REALLY need to reduce it to thicken it. Otherwise, it is runny and certainly wouldn’t stick to the chicken the way it shows in the picture. That might be a helpful instruction to include, along with the fact that you need to shred the chicken with 2 forks or whatever, since the recipe doesn’t specify that and some people may think you should cook it long enough until it falls apart, which I’m pretty sure it won’t do or if you cook it that long, it will be flavorless.

    I just bought one of those new Cuisinart slow cookers that has the added feature of being able to use it to saute. I was hesitant to buy it because of the cost compared to other slow cookers but so glad I did. I sauteed the onions right in the pot and then added the sauce ingredients and thickened them per the instructions. Then added the chicken and went swimming in our pool. After 6 hours, I took the chicken out, shredded it and put it in a serving dish. I turned the slow cooker back onto saute and let the sauce reduce by more than half until it was thick and sticky. Then I poured it over the shredded chicken and viola! It sticks to it. And I had no extra pots to wash, which is even better.

    Made the slaw, too. Nice accompaniment — think it needs a bit more flavor profile. Was a bit bland but might be my fault because I used Greek yogurt instead of mayo because this is not a house that is fond of mayo. Maybe it will taste better tomorrow after the flavors marry.

    Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

    • I am not a mayo lover either. Lately I have been using a store bought bottled Poppy Seed dressing for my slaw. Mayo lover husband prefers the Poppy Seed. Big surprise there.

      Got a wonderful recipe using bagged slaw mix, cut up snow peas, Craisins, Poppy Seed dressing and topped with cashews. Made it for a group of golfers (guys) and had to send the recipe to them, as per their requests.

      Reply

  37. My main dis for my mele kaliikimaka Christmas party this year! You did not mention the type of rolls you used.

    Reply

  38. This was very good. Definitely a keeper. Be sure to make the coleslaw too. They really complemented each other.

    Reply

  44. My daughter (15) made this. The sauce was super thin. Maybe she didn’t cook it long enough. It is good but VERY sweet. I think it is too “pineapply”.

    Reply

  45. I made this today and it was so yummy! In case people were wondering, I cooked on high for 4 hours and the chicken was fully cooked and fell apart. I shredded it and cooked on low for an additional hour to thicken it up a little more and soak up more flavor. It came out perfect! So if you’re in a crunch, you can cut the time in half by cooking on high for 4 hours.

    Reply

  46. Making this for the first time as we speak…. Will the sauce be okay overnight in the fridge?? Or will it thicken too much??

    Reply

  47. This looked like it would be so good, but was WAYYYY too sweet. If I make this again I’d have to tinker with the recipe a bit.

    Reply

  48. Do you know how to convert this for IP? I assume you would make the sauce on the sauté setting, but do you need to add liquid? How long to cook on what setting? QR or NPR?

    Reply

  49. I would also like to know about a possible Instant Pot conversion for this recipe. It looks great, but with fall sports for kids, I need to be able to have it done quicker, if possible.

    Reply

  54. Has anyone made this with Orange Juice instead of pineapple? I have a child who is allergic to pineapple, but this sounds so yummy!

    Reply

  55. I am definitely going to make this for a weekend gathering. We have tons of family and this would be a great comfort food dinner on a Saturday. Homemade rools and your Hawaiian Chicken are going to be the stars. Thank you for the idea.

    Reply

  56. Is there any way to speed up the process. Or maybe make the sauce the night before and mix all together in the morning?

    Reply

  57. something is missing in the flavor of the chicken sauce for me. making the coleslaw and hoping the combination pulls it together. otherwise I like the recipe and it is easy!

    Reply

  58. The recipie looks very delicious! But all these flashing ads are distracting and take away
    from the excitement of the recipie!

    Reply

  59. This recipe is definitely a good starting point for a great pulled chicken. I read through all the reviews and went to work. I agree with one person that said she was going to use chicken thighs, I think boneless, skinless breasts get too dry so I will add a mix next time. I added more flour at the beginning hoping it would help thicken it up a bit more in the end, but it didn’t. I cooked it the full 8 hours and in the end still felt it needed a bit more flavor. I added some (about 1/2 cup) crushed pineapple and about 1/2 of a mango habanero BBQ sauce I had on hand. I didn’t have time to cook the sauce down any so it was very messy. I served it with the Hawaiian coleslaw which was great!

    Reply

  60. I cooked this as written and at the 6 hour mark, my chicken was burnt. It was on low. Sad that this didn’t work out for us and that I had to make another plan for dinner.

    Reply

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