Hawaiian Chicken

Tired of cooking the same ol’ chicken recipes over and over? This tasty Hawaiian chicken is the answer to your prayers! It’s full of flavor with a homemade sauce that will knock your socks off cause it’s so good. Serve on a bed of rice (or maybe even fried rice!) and dinner is served. Or you could even make a big batch of this Hawaiian pineapple chicken recipe and place them in containers for lunches throughout the week!

Ingredients for Hawaiian Chicken

• Chicken: Grab a broiler/fryer chicken that has been cut up into pieces, about three to four pounds.
• Butter: Butter is drizzled over the chicken to add flavor and fat to this dish.
• Pineapple: Grab a can of pineapple chunks in juice. Be sure to reserve the juice when you drain it; you need it for the sauce!
• Brown sugar: This sweetens the sauce in contrast to the other tangy and savory ingredients added.
• Cornstarch: This helps to thicken the sauce before it is poured over the chicken to bake.
• Ketchup: This adds a tangy taste to the sauce that pairs well with the other ingredients.
• Cider vinegar: This gives the sauce some acid that will help balance out the flavor.
• Chili powder and ginger: These spices gives the sauce for this Hawaiian chicken a nice kick!
• Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce: Both of these add a unique taste to the sauce added to the chicken.

Directions

Step 1: Make the sauce

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Drain the pineapple and set the pineapple aside. Reserve the juice. In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in the pineapple juice until smooth. Add the ketchup, vinegar, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and ginger. Bring the sauce to a boil and let it cook, stirring for two minutes until it has thickened.

Step 2: Pour over chicken

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Place the chicken in a greased 13×9-inch baking dish and drizzle the chicken with butter. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Step 3: Cover and bake

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Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for one hour. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes. Top the chicken with the reserved pineapple and bake for another 15 minutes longer or until the chicken juices run clear and the pineapple has heated through.

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Recipe Variations

• Let the chicken marinate: If you have time let the chicken marinate in the sauce for up to 24 hour sin the refrigerator before baking. This will result in an even tastier meat!
• Use a slow cooker: Plan on being out all day and don’t feel like having to attend to your oven? Place the chicken in the slow cooker and let it cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the chicken reads 165° on a meat thermometer. The chicken will likely fall apart from slow cooking but it will still taste delicious!
• Serve with pineapple rings: Instead of chunks, serve the chicken with big slices of pineapple for a more elegant plate of chicken! You could even grill the pineapple rings if you’re really looking to wow your dinner guest with the presentation.

How to Store Hawaiian Chicken

This chicken stores best in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. This chicken will freeze well in that container for up to three months if you don’t plan on eating it within that time frame. When it’s time to eat, place the chicken in the fridge to defrost for 24 hours before heating up.

How do you reheat Hawaiian chicken?

Place the chicken in a baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil. Place it in the oven at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is fully heated through.

Hawaiian Chicken Tips

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Can I use fresh pineapple juice?

While it may seem like fresh pineapple juice would be better, you should stick to using canned. Canned pineapple juice doesn’t contain bromelain, a natural enzyme found in pineapple that can break down your meat. While this works well for tougher cuts of meat, it would make chicken mushy. So stick to canned.

Can you use chicken thighs for this recipe?

This recipe will also work well with bone-in skinless chicken thighs if you can’t get your hands on a full chicken.

What do you eat with Hawaiian chicken?

Hawaiian chicken is best served on your favorite rice, like this peppered cilantro rice or even a fried rice.