Slow Cooker Huli Huli Chicken
Slow Cooker Huli Huli Chicken is the perfect weeknight dinner. Tender chicken thighs and pineapple rings in a sweet, savory sauce create a tropical chicken dish with an Asian flair that you set, forget, and enjoy.
The best weeknight dinners are the ones that are as easy as they are delicious. Recipes like slow cooker turkey and dumplings, slow cooker Chinese pork chops, and slow cooker taco pasta make it simple to prepare tasty meals with minimal effort.
Now, we’ve added a tropical, Asian-inspired dish to our slow cooker lineup. This huli huli chicken is going to be a new favorite in your house. With sweet, tangy, savory flavor and tons of tender chicken, it’s a recipe that brings everyone back for more.
Pair it with rice or cream cheese mashed potatoes and lemon butter green beans with Parmesan and garlic for a dinner that pops with flavor.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: You’ll need only chicken, pineapple, and a few other items to make this recipe.
- So Easy: It only takes a few simple steps and a few hours in the slow cooker to make this chicken.
- Asian-Inspired, Tropical Flavor: The ingredients in this recipe create a sweet, tangy, savory dish with bright tropical and Asian flavors.
- Kid-Friendly: The sweet and tangy ingredients create tons of flavor that’s 100% kid-friendly.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Thighs: Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are extra juicy and flavorful.
- Pineapple Rings: Pineapple rings add texture and a kick of tropical flavor.
- Seasonings: A blend of garlic powder, paprika, ginger, and minced garlic adds an aromatic, smoky, earthy flavor to the dish.
Variations
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless thighs to skip the browning steps. You can also use chicken breasts, if you prefer.
- Pork: Try pork chops or boneless pork ribs for a tasty option.
- Spicy: Add red pepper flakes or red chilis for a kick of heat.
How to Make Slow Cooker Huli Huli Chicken
This is a quick overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Season the thighs. Then, sear them, skin-side down, in butter until they’re golden brown. Place them in the slow cooker.
- Mix the pineapple juice from the can with the remaining ingredients, then pour the mixture over the chicken. Cook until the thighs are tender.
- When cooked, place the thighs on a baking sheet and add the pineapple slices.
- Broil until the skin begins to caramelize. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Medium-high heat is the sweet spot for getting a nicely golden skin quickly.
- It’s important to mix the sauce ingredients before adding them to the slow cooker to ensure they meld properly.
- Watch your chicken and pineapple closely while broiling them. They can quickly go from caramelized to burned.
Slow Cooker Huli Huli Chicken FAQs
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Huli huli chicken is a Hawaiian variation of Japanese teriyaki that adds pineapple juice and honey. On the other hand, teriyaki is made with mirin or sake and focuses on soy, sugar, and ginger.
While any chicken cut will work, we recommend thighs for their deeper, richer flavor.
Refrigerate this chicken for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
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📖Recipe
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Slow Cooker Huli Huli Chicken
Equipment
- large bowl
- large skillet
- slow cooker
- small bowl
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bone in skin on chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 20 ounce pineapple rings
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- Scallions for garnish
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with the garlic powder, paprika and black pepper.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat melt the butter and place the thighs skin side down in the pan for 3-4 minutes, you just want to get a good golden brown color on the the skin.
- Once the skin is golden add your thighs to the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl combine the juice from the pineapple, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, ground ginger, and garlic.
- Pour the sauce over the thighs and cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Once cooked through take the chicken thighs and place them on a baking sheet.
- Add the pineapple slices and broil until the skin starts to caramelize.
- Serve!
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- You can use any cut of chicken you like just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- You can add red pepper flake for a kick.
- This is fabulous over white rice.
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
