Hawaiian Chicken

Chicken baked with a tropical Hawaiian glaze on top. It’s delicious, and pretty easy to make, just follow the recipe exactly!

Pineapple 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, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, and ketchup. Whisk this until it is well combined and simmer for about 3-4 minutes. 

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

Hawaiian Chicken

Chicken baked with a tropical Hawaiian glaze on top. It’s delicious, and pretty easy to make, just follow the recipe exactly!

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Course:

Main Dish

Cuisine:

Hawaiian

Keyword:

chicken

|

pineapple

Servings: 4

5 from 6 votes

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

• Saucepan – Small
• Mixing Bowls – Stainless Steel
• Whisk – Wire
• Glass Baking Dish
• Pastry Brush

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

**This recipe requires a lot of constant stirring when you make the sauce, so I usually try to set out all the ingredients before I start.

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Nutrition Facts

Hawaiian Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 495 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Cholesterol 144mg48%

Sodium 562mg23%

Potassium 1138mg33%

Carbohydrates 59g20%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 52g58%

Protein 49g98%

Vitamin A 290IU6%

Vitamin C 18.1mg22%

Calcium 60mg6%

Iron 1.6mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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.

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