Why You’ll Love This this Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Sweet Potato
This slow cooker wonder combines tender chicken breasts with sweet, earthy sweet potatoes in a creamy pineapple-kissed sauce that practically cooks itself while you go about your day.
The warm spices like nutmeg and cinnamon create this inviting, tropical atmosphere that somehow makes perfect sense together, even though your brain might do a little double-take at first.
Plus, when you serve this over rice or noodles, you get this complete, satisfying meal that tastes way more complicated than the minimal effort you actually put in.
Ingredients List
This Hawaiian-inspired slow cooker recipe uses simple, everyday ingredients that somehow transform into something that tastes way more exotic than your grocery list would suggest.
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 lb mushroom, sliced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon orange peel, grated
Ingredient Considerations:
- Sweet potatoes pack way more vitamins and fiber than regular potatoes, plus they add natural sweetness that cuts down on added sugar needs
- Using chicken breasts keeps the protein lean, though you could swap for thighs if you want more flavor and don’t mind a bit more fat
- The cream of chicken soup does add sodium and preservatives, but it’s what makes this recipe so wonderfully hands-off
- Fresh pineapple juice beats the canned stuff nutritionally, but honestly, either works fine and the canned version is way more convenient
Step by Step Directions
This slow cooker recipe layers seasoned chicken with sweet potatoes and a tropical sauce that practically cooks itself while you go about your day.
- Combine 2/3 cup flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, onion powder and black pepper in large bowl.
- Thoroughly coat chicken breasts in the flour mixture.
- Place sliced sweet potatoes on bottom of slow cooker.
- Top sweet potatoes with the coated chicken breasts.
- Combine cream of chicken soup, pineapple juice, sliced mushrooms, 3 tablespoons flour, brown sugar and grated orange peel in small bowl and stir well.
- Pour soup mixture over chicken in slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
- Serve chicken and sauce over rice or noodles.
For even easier mixing of your flour coating and sauce ingredients, a professional stand mixer can streamline your prep work and ensure perfectly combined seasonings.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use coconut milk instead of cream of chicken soup – this makes it dairy-free and gives it an even more tropical atmosphere, though it might be a bit thinner.
- Skip the mushrooms entirely – I know some people have strong feelings about fungi, so just leave them out if they’re not your thing.
- Add fresh pineapple chunks in the last hour – because why not double down on the pineapple situation and get some actual fruit pieces in there.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This dish is basically begging for some good sidekicks to make it a complete meal situation.
- Jasmine or basmati rice – because you’re going to want something to soak up all that sweet, creamy sauce, and regular white rice feels a little too basic for something this tropical.
- Coconut rice – cook your rice in half water, half coconut milk, and suddenly you’ve got yourself a proper Hawaiian plate lunch atmosphere going.
- Steamed broccoli or snap peas – you need something green and crisp to cut through all that richness, plus it makes you feel like a responsible adult.
- Grilled pineapple rings – if you’re already going full pineapple mode, why not lean into it completely and get some caramelized fruit action happening.
- Simple cucumber salad – just cucumbers, rice vinegar, and a pinch of sugar, because sometimes you need something cool and invigorating to balance out the warm, inviting ambiance.
- Garlic bread or dinner rolls – technically not Hawaiian at all, but bread makes everything better, and I’m not about to argue with that logic.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
Getting this recipe right is mostly about patience and trusting the slow cooker magic, but there are definitely some moves that’ll make your life easier.
- Don’t skip the flour coating step – I know it seems fussy, but that seasoned flour creates the base for all your flavor and helps thicken the sauce as everything cooks together.
- Layer like you mean it – sweet potatoes go on the bottom because they take longer to get tender, and you don’t want sad, crunchy potato surprises hiding under your perfectly cooked chicken.
- Mix that sauce completely – those 3 tablespoons of flour need to be whisked in really well or you’ll end up with weird lumpy bits floating around, and nobody wants to explain that situation to their dinner guests.
- Resist the urge to peek – every time you lift that lid, you’re adding about 30 minutes to your cook time, and honestly, the anticipation is half the fun anyway.
- Check your chicken thickness – if you’ve got some chunky breasts and some thin ones, either pound them to even thickness or just accept that some pieces might be done earlier.
- Taste and adjust at the end – the sweetness level can vary depending on your pineapple juice, so give it a quick taste test and add a pinch more brown sugar if it needs some help.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes – the sauce will thicken up nicely while you’re getting everything else ready, and patience really does pay off here.
Nutritional Facts
This tropical comfort food delivers solid protein while keeping things relatively light, though portion control matters with those sweet potatoes adding natural sugars.
- Calories per serving: Approximately 385-420 calories (based on 6 servings)
- Protein powerhouse: Each serving packs about 35-40 grams of lean protein from the chicken breast
- Carbohydrate content: Around 45-50 grams per serving, mostly from sweet potatoes and pineapple juice
- Fat content: Relatively low at 8-12 grams per serving, primarily from the cream of chicken soup
- Fiber boost: Sweet potatoes contribute about 4-5 grams of dietary fiber per serving
- Vitamin A overload: One serving provides over 100% of your daily vitamin A needs thanks to those orange sweet potatoes
- Potassium rich: Sweet potatoes deliver significant potassium for heart and muscle function
- Sodium consideration: Contains approximately 800-950mg sodium per serving due to the canned soup and seasoning blend
- Natural sugars: About 12-15 grams of sugar per serving from sweet potatoes and pineapple juice
- Low saturated fat: Only 2-3 grams of saturated fat per serving, making it heart-friendly
- Iron content: Provides about 8-10% of daily iron needs per serving
Fun “Did You Know?”
Ever wonder why pineapple and chicken make such a perfect pair?
I’ll share some fascinating facts that’ll surprise you. Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that naturally tenderizes meat by breaking down proteins. That’s why your chicken turns out incredibly tender in this recipe!
Sweet potatoes aren’t actually potatoes – they’re roots from the morning glory family. The combination of pineapple’s acidity and sweet potatoes’ natural sugars creates a perfect flavor balance.
Here’s something cool: this cooking method mimics traditional Hawaiian imu cooking, where meats and vegetables slow-cook together underground for hours, creating incredibly flavorful meals.
