If you’re in the mood for something sweet AND savory for dinner, try making this pineapple chicken dish! With a combination of pineapple chunks and dried red chili peppers, this pineapple chicken recipe will fulfill your tropical dreams in just under 4 hours!
I don’t know about you but, right now, I want to be on an island (I’m not picky!), laying in the sun, with a drink in hand and surrounded by amazing tropical themed dishes.
That’s all I want!
Seeing as how traveling is incredibly limited right now, I decided to bring the island to me with this recipe for pineapple chicken!
Not only is it super easy to make, but you don’t need a bunch of ingredients to make it. it’s actually pretty simple- and it makes you feel like you’re somewhere tropical!
Trust me- This pineapple chicken recipe is going to be a huge hit.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Pineapple Chicken Dish
Before I share my delicious pineapple chicken recipe, here are a few questions I have gotten from our readers that I wanted to share:
How Can I Make This Pineapple Chicken Spicy?
In this recipe, I added 2 dried red chili peppers so it already has that spicy kick in my opinion. However, you want to up the spice level, you can always add in another red chili pepper or add in a few dashes of crushed red peppers.
Can I Use Fresh Pineapples?
Yes, you can! However, fresh pineapple juices have enzymes that help tenderize and can quickly break down your chicken breasts. So, you want to make sure to cook the chicken as soon as you put the marinade over it and not let it sit.
If not, the chicken might end up being very mushy!
What Other Veggies Can I Add In With The Pineapple and Chicken?
I personally love how this chicken dish tastes with the tri-colored bell peppers but, if you feel like you need just a few more veggies, you can add these:
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Snap peas
Delicious Crockpot Pineapple Chicken
Time to start cooking! Here are the ingredients you will need to make this pineapple chicken recipe:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- Pineapple chunks in natural juice (not syrup)
- Cornstarch
- Water
- Soy sauce (low sodium)
- Fresh garlic (minced)
- Fresh ginger (minced)
- Sesame oil
- Red chili peppers (dried)
- Red, orange, yellow bell peppers (cut into 1” cubes)
How To Make Pineapple Chicken In The Crockpot
After you have cleaned up the boneless chicken breasts, take the time to cut them into 1-inch cubes. You don’t want them any bigger because it won’t cool all the way or evenly.
Safely open the can of pineapple chunks and drain all of the pineapple juice into a bowl. Place it off to the side to use later.
Place the chicken cubes into the bottom of your slow cooker. Layer the pineapple chunks and the tri-colored cuts of bell peppers on top of chicken.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, pineapple juice, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Pour the marinade over the chicken.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or HIGH for 3 – 3 1/2 hours until the chicken is cooked through.
Once the dish is done cooking, make a cornstarch slurry (mix together equal parts cornstarch and water) and gently mix it into the crockpot.
Cover and cook on HIGH for approximately 20-30 more minutes.
Serve while it’s warm and garnish with some scallions and sesame seeds (optional)!
Cooking Tips
- Double-check your canned pineapple chunks have natural juice and not the syrup. The syrup will burn and not give off that yummy flavor that the chicken needs to cook in.
- Not sweet enough for your tastebuds? If you want a sweeter flavor, you can add in 1/4 cup of light brown sugar into the pineapple juices before pouring over the chicken.
- Don’t have whole red chilies? You can easily replace it with red pepper flakes. Substitute 1/4 teaspoon for 2 red chilies.
What To Serve With Pineapple Chicken
With all the amazing flavors this pineapple chicken as going for it, you want to try to pair it up with a side dish that won’t take away from it. You want to make sure it actually complements the chicken.
I typically love to eat pineapple chicken with plain white rice. If I feel like it, sometimes I’ll make a quick bowl of fried rice to serve instead.
If you are wanting to serve a veggie side dish as well, I would recommend serving some steamed broccoli or Chinese green beans!
Need a low carb option? Try serving some cauliflower rice instead of white rice to reduce the amount of carbs you are consuming.
More Crockpot Recipes
If you loved this Pineapple Chicken recipe in the crockpot, check out some of our best recipes from The Slow Cooking Club:
- Chicken Enchilada Dip
- Homemade 2-Ingredient Bread
- Chicken Fajitas
- Chicken Bruschetta
- Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Pineapple Chicken In The Crockpot
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks in natural juice (not syrup)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 dried red chili peppers
- 3 bell peppers (red, orange, yellow) cut into 1” cubes
Instructions
- Place chicken cubes into your slow cooker.
- Drain pineapple juice from the can, and place to the side.
- Layer pineapple, and mixed-cut bell peppers on top of chicken.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together soy sauce, pineapple juice, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Pour liquid mixture over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or HIGH for 3 – 3 1/2 hours, until cooked through. Once done, mix together cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Gently mix into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for approximately 20-30 minutes.
Notes
- It’s important to note that your pineapple chunks need to natural juice and not the syrup. The syrup will burn and not give a flavor that the chicken needs to cook in.
- If you want a more sweetened flavor, you can add in 1/4 cup of light brown sugar into the juices before pouring over the chicken.
- Don’t have whole red chilies? You can easily replace it with red pepper flakes. Substitute 1/4 teaspoon for 2 red chilies.
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