Description
This Crock Pot Huli Huli Chicken recipe delivers tender, flavorful chicken thighs simmered in a luscious, sweet and tangy pineapple-based sauce. Slow-cooked in a crock pot, this Hawaiian-inspired dish combines pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, and fresh ginger for an easy, hands-off meal perfect for serving over rice any night of the week.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (excess fat trimmed off)
Sauce
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 2 tsp fresh ginger (grated)
- 1½ tsp garlic (minced)
Thickening Mixture
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Place the boneless, skinless chicken thighs at the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot, ensuring an even layer for thorough cooking.
- Mix Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, grated fresh ginger, and minced garlic until the sauce is smooth and well combined.
- Cook Chicken: Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the chicken in the crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours, allowing the chicken to become tender and infused with the sauce flavors.
- Remove Chicken & Thicken Sauce: Carefully remove the cooked chicken from the crock pot and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water to make a slurry, then stir it into the crock pot sauce to help thicken it.
- Finish Cooking: Return the chicken to the crock pot, either whole or shredded using two forks as per your preference, and continue cooking for another 1-15 minutes until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
- Serve: Spoon the huli huli chicken and thickened sauce over cooked rice or your favorite sides. Enjoy this flavorful Hawaiian-inspired crock pot meal!
Notes
- Chicken thighs are preferred for juiciness and flavor, but chicken breasts can be used as a substitute based on personal preference.
- Doubling the sauce ingredients is a great tip to have extra sauce for drizzling over rice or leftovers.
- If the sauce isn’t thick enough, repeat mixing ¼ cup water with 2 tablespoons cornstarch and add progressively until you reach the desired thickness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
