Recipe Overview
Why you’ll adore it: Candy Hawaiian crockpot hen provides a low effort dinner with excessive reward. Tender chunks of hen, juicy bits of pineapple, bell peppers, and onions are cooked in a tangy candy and bitter pineapple sauce.
How lengthy it takes: 3 to 4 hours
Gear you’ll want: gradual cooker, strainer
Servings: 4
Pin this now to search out it later
Pin ItIf you happen to love candy and bitter hen stir fry (or these candy and bitter shrimp lettuce wraps), I feel you’re going to flip for this candy Hawaiian crockpot hen recipe. It has a number of the identical flavors and elements however it leans just a little bit extra into the candy.
Rooster, pineapple, onion, and bell peppers are simmered within the crockpot with a flavorful sauce till the hen is juicy and tender, and the veggies are flippantly crisp, like a stir fry. The defining taste of candy Hawaiian crockpot hen comes from pineapple juice however soy sauce, rice vinegar, contemporary ginger, garlic, and ketchup play an essential function, too.
Candy Hawaiian Crockpot Rooster
The proper steadiness of flavors. The mix of candy pineapple juice and brown sugar with the savory soy sauce and tart rice vinegar creates a tasty, balanced sauce for the hen, pineapple, and veggies.
Minimal prep time, most taste. This dish requires minimal effort in your half, however the finish result’s a unbelievable dinner that’s much more thrilling than plain baked hen breast. As a result of it’s made within the gradual cooker, this Hawaiian hen is ideal for busy weeknights or these weekends if you’re out of the home all day and need to come residence to a dinner that’s able to eat!
Household-friendly meal. That is the form of recipe that youngsters and adults will fortunately devour. There are not any dinnertime battles when candy Hawaiian crockpot hen is on the desk!
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless skinless hen breasts: I like to chop the breasts into bite-sized cubes earlier than I prepare dinner it. It cooks extra shortly and is less complicated to serve.
- Canned pineapple: Select a 20 oz. can of pineapple chunks canned in juice as an alternative of heavy syrup since you’ll be utilizing the juice for the sauce. The heavy syrup would make the sauce too candy. You’ll want to reserve the juice if you drain the pineapple!
- Sauce elements: Along with the pineapple juice, the sauce is made with ketchup, soy sauce (low sodium is greatest), brown sugar, and rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar). Keep away from seasoned rice vinegar which has added salt and sugar.
- Garlic cloves and contemporary ginger root: These contemporary aromatics are generally utilized in Asian cooking and add tons of taste. You’ll discover that Hawaiian delicacies has a lot of Asian affect.
- Greens: Common in stir fries and candy and bitter dishes, crimson bell pepper, inexperienced bell pepper, and onion are generally included in stir fries, particularly candy and bitter recipes. The massive chunks of pepper and onion find yourself tender-crisp on the finish of cooking, which I really like.
- Cornstarch: A slurry made up of cornstarch and water is added close to the top of the cooking time to thicken the sauce.
- For serving: Rice, inexperienced onions, and sesame seeds.
Find out how to Make Candy Hawaiian Crockpot Rooster
Measure the pineapple juice. Drain the can of pineapple, ensuring to order the entire juice. Pour the juice right into a liquid measuring cup. Add water or hen broth to succeed in ¾ cup. Put aside.
Assemble. Coat your crockpot insert with nonstick spray. Add the cubed hen, onions, bell peppers, and the drained pineapple chunks to the crockpot.
Add the sauce. Whisk collectively the pineapple juice, minced garlic, and minced ginger root with the ketchup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and brown sugar till mixed. Pour the sauce into the crockpot and stir to mix it with the hen and greens.
Prepare dinner. Cowl the crockpot and prepare dinner for 4 hours on low, or 3 hours on excessive.
Thicken. About half-hour earlier than the cooking time is finished, make the cornstarch slurry. Flip the crockpot to excessive (if it isn’t already) and stir within the slurry. Cowl the crockpot, and prepare dinner the Hawaiian hen for 20 to half-hour extra, or till thickened.
Recipe Tip
Though it could appear fussy, it’s essential to combine the water and cornstarch and then pour it into the crockpot. If you happen to dump within the cornstarch and water individually, the cornstarch will kind little lumps and received’t correctly thicken the sauce.
End. Style a spoonful and examine the seasoning. Add salt and pepper, to style, if crucial. Candy Hawaiian crockpot hen will be served over rice, with sliced inexperienced onions and sesame seeds, for garnish. Maintain studying for extra serving recommendations.
Potential Recipe Variations
Make it spicy. Add crimson pepper flakes to the sauce for just a little kick. I’d begin with ¼ teaspoon except you want a number of spice. Sriracha works effectively too!
Change up the veggies. Add snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, or zucchini along with or as an alternative of the bell peppers. Simply don’t overdo it! You need to preserve the sauce-to-chicken-and-veggie ratio.
Add just a little crunch. Garnish the candy Hawaiian hen with toasted cashews as an alternative of sesame seeds. You would additionally stir in a handful if you add the cornstarch slurry. One other crunchy garnish possibility is crispy chow mein noodles or rice noodles.
Serving Solutions
Refrigerate/freeze: Retailer leftover candy Hawaiian crockpot hen in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days. It may be frozen for as much as 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Freeze earlier than cooking: This recipe freezes effectively each earlier than and after cooking. To freeze earlier than, assemble every little thing in a resealable freezer bag, press out the air, and freeze for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge, then prepare dinner in line with the recipe directions.
Reheat: Heat up leftovers within the microwave or in a skillet set over medium warmth. If wanted, add a splash of water or broth to skinny the sauce a bit.
Drain pineapple juice from the can right into a measuring cup, you must have about ¾ cup. When you’ve got much less, add water or hen broth to make ¾ cup.
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks in juice
For straightforward clear up, spray the within of the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Add the hen, bell peppers, onion, and drained pineapple chunks to the crockpot.
4 boneless skinless hen breasts (about 2 kilos), reduce into bite-sized cubes, 1 crimson bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch items, 1 inexperienced bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch items, 1 medium candy onion, chopped into 1-inch items
In a medium bowl, whisk collectively pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, minced garlic, and ginger till effectively mixed. Pour sauce over the hen and greens; stir to mix.
¾ cup pineapple juice, ½ cup ketchup, ⅓ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed, 1 teaspoon minced or grated contemporary ginger
Cowl the crockpot and prepare dinner on Low for 4 hours, or on Excessive for 3 hours, till the hen is tender and cooked by.
About half-hour earlier than serving (see observe), combine cornstarch with water to kind a slurry.
¼ cup cornstarch, ¼ cup water
Flip the crockpot to Excessive. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the crockpot, cowl, and prepare dinner for an additional 20 to half-hour to thicken.
Style and season with salt and pepper as desired.
Serve the candy Hawaiian hen over cooked rice, garnished with sliced inexperienced onions and sesame seeds if desired.
- Prepare dinner time clarification: If you happen to’re cooking the Hawaiian hen on Excessive, you may add the cornstarch slurry after it’s cooked for two ½ hours. After you stir within the slurry, proceed cooking on Excessive for half-hour. If you happen to’re cooking the hen on Low, add the cornstarch slurry after 3 ½ hours, flip the gradual cooker to Excessive, and prepare dinner a further half-hour.
- Add spice: For little spicy warmth in your Hawaiian hen, add ¼ teaspoon crimson pepper flakes (or to style) to the sauce. Sriracha sauce is one other good possibility.
- Storage: Promptly refrigerate leftover candy Hawaiian crockpot hen in an hermetic; it would hold for as much as 4 days. It may be frozen for as much as 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
- Make forward thought: This recipe freezes effectively earlier than cooking, too. Assemble all of the elements (besides the cornstarch and water) in a resealable freezer bag, press out the air, and freeze for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge, then prepare dinner in line with the recipe directions.
Serving: 2cups, Energy: 542kcal, Carbohydrates: 69g, Protein: 53g, Fats: 6g, Saturated Fats: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g, Monounsaturated Fats: 2g, Trans Fats: 0.03g, Ldl cholesterol: 145mg, Sodium: 1318mg, Potassium: 1515mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 51g, Vitamin A: 1731IU, Vitamin C: 112mg, Calcium: 89mg, Iron: 2mg
Vitamin info is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
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