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Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

Sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken made in a slow cooker for pull-apart tender thighs in a sticky, golden pineapple teriyaki sauce. Pineapple chunks melt into a thick glaze that clings to every shred, served over fluffy rice with sesame and green onion.
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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: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and pineapple sauce
  • 2.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained (reserve 1/2 cup juice)
  • 0.33 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
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 steamed rice
  • 1 sesame seeds
  • 1 sliced green onions

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Add ingredients to the slow cooker
  1. Place the boneless skinless chicken thighs in the slow cooker.
  2. Whisk together the reserved pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil, then pour over the chicken.
  3. Add the pineapple chunks on top of the chicken.
Slow-cook until tender
  1. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and easily shredded (visual cue: sauce looks reduced and aromatic around the edges).
Thicken into a glaze
  1. Shred the chicken in the slow cooker.
  2. Stir in the cornstarch slurry.
  3. Cover removed, cook on HIGH uncovered for 20-30 minutes until the sauce thickens to a glaze (visual cue: glossy, clinging pineapple teriyaki sheen).
Serve
  1. Serve over steamed rice, garnished with sesame seeds and sliced green onions (visual cue: green onion rings and sesame specks on the finished bowls).

Notes

For maximum cling, shred thoroughly while the sauce is hot so the pineapple teriyaki coats every strand. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days; reheat gently until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the cornstarch-thickened glaze can separate after thawing. For a lower-sugar option, use a brown-sugar substitute that measures 1:1 to keep the caramelized glaze texture.