Chicken baked with a tropical Hawaiian glaze on top. It’s delicious, and pretty easy to make, just follow the recipe exactly!
Jump to RecipePineapple is one of my favorite fruits to eat in almost any way, so I love every Hawaiian recipe I’ve tried. I know some of these aren’t traditional Hawaiian food, but it’s what most people consider Hawaiian. You know, those meals full of BBQ sauce or pineapple or both. In comes the recipe for Hawaiian Chicken!
When we went to Hawaii about ten years ago we saw numerous pineapple fields and had pineapple served with almost every meal. Maybe that isn’t typical for those who live on the island, but it seems to be what the tourists expect. We ate at our hotel for a lot of meals, so they obliged the tourists.
My aunt always made this recipe every year for our annual family reunion (before the family got so big we had to do meals on our own). Her most important piece of advice is to follow the recipe exactly. If you are out of something and make a substitute the texture of the sauce won’t be good.
Also, have everything measured and ready. I try to do this anyways (see: Mise en Place) but it’s extremely important for Hawaiian Chicken. You will be adding ingredients in while constantly stirring. Things have to be done quickly so it doesn’t burn. There isn’t time to find and measure once you get started.
We enjoy this recipe as a full Hawaiian meal by pairing it with fresh pineapple, Hawaiian bread (either bought or homemade), and finish with Pineapple Upside Down Cake.
The recipe can be made with either fresh pineapple or canned fruit. Since we have our pineapple corer and prefer fresh, I tried with that last time and it was just as good, maybe better. The fresh means we have less waste and it always tastes better.
Hawaiian Chicken Step by Step
Instructions
- 4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 1 can pineapple rings
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 2 tbsp chili sauce
- 1/3 cup ketchup
Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350F. If you are using fresh pineapple, core the fruit making sure to save the juice. Cut the pineapple into rings.
Pour the juice from the pineapple into a small saucepan while setting the pineapple rings aside. You want about 1/4 cup of pineapple juice, so if you are using fresh you may need to add water to equal this amount.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and cold water and add it to the pineapple juice. Set the heat to medium and whisk occasionally until it’s smooth and starts to thicken.
Add the brown sugar,
Place the chicken breasts in a 9×13 baking dish and cover with about 1/2 of the prepared glaze. Then bake for about 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Garnish the chicken with pineapple rings and the extra glaze and serve warm.
Hawaiian Chicken Leftovers
Storage: Keep any leftover Hawaiian chicken in a container separate from the pineapple rings and extra sauce. It can stay in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3-4 days.
Reheating: The best way to reheat Hawaiian chicken is in the oven with a bit of the extra sauce. You can also reheat the sauce in a saucepan until warm.
Recipe
Originally Published On: September 12, 2016
Last Updated On: December 20, 2022
Hawaiian Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 1 can pineapple rings
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 2 tbsp chili sauce
- 1/3 cup ketchup
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Drain juice from the can of pineapple rings into a small saucepan
- Reserve the pineapples for garnish
- In a small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch
- Gradually stir the cornstarch into the pineapple juice
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened
- Add brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, and ketchup
- Stir well
- Simmer 3-4 minutes
- Place chicken in 9×13 baking dish and brush with glaze
- Bake 30-40 minutes
- Garnish with pineapples and extra glaze
Notes
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
More Hawaiian-Inspired Recipes
- Easy Hawaiian Sliders Recipe with Ham and Cheese
- Hawaiian Lit’l Smokies in the Slow Cooker
- Hawaiian Chicken Wraps: An Easy Summer Meal
- Hawaiian Meatballs in the Slow Cooker
- Hawaiian Chicken
Pineapple Recipes to try
- Grilled Pineapple Pork Chops
- Pineapple Bread Casserole
- Pineapple Coconut Dessert Bars
- Hawaiian Chicken Wraps: An Easy Summer Meal
- Crystallized Pineapple: A Sweet Snack with Only 3 Ingredients
- Pineapple Shrimp Stir Fry
- Hawaiian Chicken
- Strawberry Pineapple Daiquiri Frozen Drink Recipe
- Carrot Cake with Pineapple Filling
- Hawaiian Meatballs in the Slow Cooker
- Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
- 5 Ingredient Rum Runner Cocktail Recipe
- Hawaiian Lit’l Smokies in the Slow Cooker
- Frozen Piña Colada
- Fluffy Frozen Fruit Salad
- Tropical Yogurt Parfait
- Frozen Fruit Cups: The Perfect Summer Treat
- 5 Cup Salad Recipe: A Perfect Cool Summer Dessert
This looks absolutely delicious. I love anything and everything pineapple and we are definitely going to have to try this. I like that you share family recipes. My grandmother was an amazing cook and I have all of her old recipes in a file box. I should pull them out and start sharing some of them.
I love pineapple too. I need to go through my grandma’s box of recipes at some point, too.
My husband loves pineapple. This would be such a nice way to break up our usual dinner meals. Anything that goes with Hawaiian bread is alright by me. 😁
Pineapple is a favorite of all of ours, too. And yes, Hawaiian bread is the best!
I love pineapple!! I think it’s great to have with food. It’s interesting about Hawaii, not something I would have thought of. This looks so good.
Pineapple is one of our favorites as well!
Chicken and Pinapple is perfect combination for making Hawaiian Chicken. Looks like yummy and perfect for dinner I love it this recipe,
It works so well together! We love both chicken and pineapple so it’s a common dinner in our house.
Wow, this looks really good! And I love the family history and tradition/memories behind this dish – thanks for sharing that as well!
It’s so fun to share family meals! They always mean more to me since we have a story behind them.
I know my daughter would love this for the most part. Not sure what she is thinking of pineapples these days but the rest of it she would love. I will try this out. Needing to find more great chicken recipes.
You can always make it without the pineapples on top. There will be a bit of pineapple flavor in the sauce, but nothing too powerful that way.
Great recipe! This would be such a nice change to typical meals.
It’s such a delicious meal. We all enjoy this one at my house.
I love sweet and sour dishes and this one looks and sounds so delicious! I will try your recipe!
I didn’t think about it, but the sauce is a bit similar to sweet and sour sauce. Enjoy!
My husband and I went to Hawaii on our honeymoon and its pretty much is favorite place. I should make this for our anniversary! I bet he would love it!
We wanted to go for our honeymoon but there weren’t any good timeshares available to trade into at the time. My husband hasn’t been and really wants to go.
I love cooking with pineapple too. This recipe is awesome I will make it soon this week. Thank you for sharing.
Pineapples are so good and add a great flavor to the meal.
Looks delicious! My whole family loves pineapple and anything that goes with it. I will definitely try your recipe and will follow the process. Thanks for sharing.
I hope you guys enjoy the meal!
Beautiful Hawaiian pictures. It looks like you guys had a blast. I would like to visit one day. I never had chicken with pineapple (Hawaiian Chicken) before but it sure does look delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
We had such a great time in Hawaii. I want to go back in the next few years. The pineapple is delicious with the sauce on the chicken.
Thanks for your recipe! I enjoy Hawaiian chicken very much, but always had it at restaurants only. I’ve realized that I can now make it myself… so simple & easy!!
As long as you have everything ready and keep it mixing, the recipe is easy to put together.
This looks fruity and fabulous. Love the idea of mixing fruit with main meals. Gives meal times a more healthy slant for sure xx
It definitely does! We love pineapple in our house and it goes great with this sweet and sour sauce.
This looks really yummy! I bet the girls would love it. Also (though I realize this is off topic) I’m curious to know if that family pic is at Queen Emma’s Bath on Kauai? Granted, we weren’t there at the optimal season on my most recent trip, but I was amazed and saddened that compared to when I went almost 2 decades ago, accessing it and swimming there has become so much harder :(…
Nonetheless, you’re right, there’s nothing like a good recipe with pineapple to make you at least THINK of being back in the Hawaiian Islands! 🙂
We were actually on the island of Maui, so it couldn’t be there. I am not sure exactly where, we were just told to pull off at a specific mile marker and hike down the side of the road a bit to find this area! It’s so pretty there and I want to go back again in a few years.
This looks super yummy! I love eating pineapples with either ham (my mom always made that) or chicken! I have to make this as pineapples are in season here.
Ham and pineapple was a very common theme for the meals when we were in Hawaii. I’ve never made it as a combination at home, though.
I am in love with your recipes. They always turn out yummy and simple to follow due to your detailed instructions. Thank you so much I would make it for my family.
Thank you so much! I try to make the recipes as easy to follow as I can. I am a visual person, which is why I try to include photos for every step of the way.
One of my favorite parts of this Hawaiian chicken recipe is it is comprised of everyday ingredients that are simple to find, and totally awesome when combined. So despite the simplicity, it feels so special.
Yes! I love using simple ingredients for meals.