Why You’ll Love This this Sweet & Savory Hawaiian Chicken
This Hawaiian chicken delivers that perfect sweet-and-savory combo that somehow makes everyone at the dinner table go quiet for the first few bites, which is honestly a small miracle in most households.
The tender chicken soaks up all those gorgeous flavors from the soy sauce marinade and pineapple juice, creating something that tastes way more fancy than the simple ingredient list suggests.
Plus, it’s one of those magical one-pot wonders that transforms basic chicken into something tropical and special, even when you’re stuck making dinner on a random Tuesday night.
Ingredients List
You’ll need a handful of pantry staples and fresh ingredients to create this tropical weeknight dinner that tastes like vacation on a plate.
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sherry wine (cooking sherry works)
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 cut up chicken, washed & dried
- 6 tablespoons oil
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
- 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, not drained
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup thin sliced carrot
- 1 green pepper, cut in strips thin
- 1 medium onion, cut in wedges
- 3 cups cooked Minute Rice
- The beauty of this recipe lies in how you can make it healthier without sacrificing flavor – swap the regular oil for olive oil, use low-sodium soy sauce if you’re watching salt intake, and feel free to double up on those colorful vegetables for extra nutrients.
- That pineapple juice might seem like a lot of sugar, but remember you’re getting natural fruit sugars plus vitamin C, and the soy sauce keeps everything balanced on the savory side.
- If you want to lighten things up even more, try using chicken thighs instead of a whole cut-up chicken – they stay juicier with less oil needed for browning.
Step by Step Directions
This Hawaiian chicken recipe combines sweet pineapple with savory soy sauce for a tropical twist that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
- Prepare the marinade: Mix together 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sherry wine, and 1 teaspoon ginger powder in a bowl.
- Marinate the chicken: Rub the marinade all over the cut-up chicken pieces, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Drain and save: Remove chicken from marinade and drain, but save the marinade for later use.
- Brown the chicken: Heat 6 tablespoons oil in a large skillet and fry the chicken with 4 cloves minced garlic until chicken is browned on all sides.
- Add liquids: Pour in the saved marinade, water, juice from the canned pineapple, and 1 cup pineapple juice.
- Simmer: Cover and simmer for 1 hour, adding more juice if needed to prevent sticking.
- Add vegetables: During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the pineapple tidbits, 1/2 cup sliced carrots, green pepper strips, and onion wedges.
- Serve: Serve the Hawaiian chicken over 3 cups of cooked Minute Rice.
For an authentic grilling experience, consider using a Korean BBQ grill to add smoky flavors to your marinated chicken pieces before following the remaining cooking steps.
Substitutions and Variations
• Spice it up: Add some red pepper flakes or a diced jalapeño with the vegetables if you want a little heat to balance all that sweetness.
Sometimes I think pineapple dishes need a tiny kick to keep things interesting.
• Slow cooker version: After browning the chicken, toss everything except the vegetables into your slow cooker for 4-6 hours on low.
Add those veggies in the last 30 minutes so they don’t turn to mush.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This Hawaiian chicken is pretty hearty on its own, but a few simple sides can really round out the meal.
- Steamed jasmine rice – I know the recipe calls for Minute Rice, but if you want to get fancy, jasmine rice has this subtle floral aroma that pairs beautifully with the sweet pineapple flavors.
- Simple green salad – Something crisp and light helps cut through all that rich, saucy goodness, maybe with a basic vinaigrette to keep things from getting too heavy.
- Roasted vegetables – Broccoli, snap peas, or asparagus work great since they won’t compete with the pineapple and peppers already in the dish.
- Coconut rice – Replace some of the water with coconut milk when cooking your rice, because why not lean into that tropical atmosphere completely.
- Egg rolls or spring rolls – Store-bought ones from the freezer section work perfectly fine, and they add a nice crunchy texture contrast to the tender chicken.
- Cucumber salad – A quick Asian-style cucumber salad with rice vinegar and a touch of sesame oil provides a rejuvenating palate cleanser between bites.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
I’ve learned a few things about making this dish that’ll save you from the mistakes I almost made the first time I read through this recipe.
- Don’t skip the marinating time – Yeah, I know an hour feels like forever when you’re hungry, but that soy sauce and ginger mixture really needs time to work its magic into the chicken, otherwise you’ll just have bland meat swimming in flavorful sauce.
- Save that marinade like your life depends on it – The recipe says to drain and save it, and they mean it, because that liquid gold becomes part of your cooking liquid and adds so much more depth than plain water ever could.
- Brown the chicken properly – This means don’t crowd the pan, don’t rush it, and don’t flip it too early, because those golden-brown bits are where all the flavor lives, and pale, sad chicken just won’t cut it here.
- Keep extra pineapple juice on standby – The recipe mentions adding more if needed during that hour-long simmer, and trust me, you’ll probably need it, because that liquid evaporates faster than you think.
- Add those vegetables at the very end – Ten minutes is really all they need, because nobody wants mushy carrots and soggy peppers, and the whole point is to have them still bright and slightly crisp for texture contrast.
- Taste and adjust the sauce – Sometimes you need a pinch more salt, sometimes a touch more soy sauce, because every brand tastes different and your taste buds are the final judge.
Nutritional Facts
This Hawaiian Chicken recipe serves approximately 6 people and presents a balanced mix of protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables with tropical flair.
- Calories per serving: Approximately 450-500 calories, with the majority coming from chicken and rice.
- Protein content: High protein dish providing about 35-40 grams per serving from the chicken, making it excellent for muscle maintenance and satiety.
- Carbohydrates: Moderate carb content at around 45-50 grams per serving, primarily from the Minute Rice and natural sugars in pineapple.
- Fat content: Contains about 12-15 grams of fat per serving, mainly from the cooking oil and natural chicken fat.
- Sodium levels: Moderately high in sodium due to soy sauce, providing roughly 800-900mg per serving (about 35% of daily recommended intake).
- Vitamin C boost: The pineapple and green peppers provide a good dose of vitamin C, supporting immune function.
- Potassium source: Pineapple contributes potassium for heart health and proper muscle function.
- Added sugars: Contains natural fruit sugars plus 1 tablespoon of added sugar divided among 6 servings.
- Fiber content: Provides modest fiber from vegetables and pineapple, approximately 2-3 grams per serving.
- Iron and B-vitamins: Chicken supplies essential B-vitamins and iron for energy metabolism and healthy blood.
Fun “Did You Know?”
While you’re savoring this tropical dish, consider that pineapples were once so rare and expensive in colonial America that wealthy hosts would rent them for dinner parties just to display as centerpieces!
I find it fascinating that Hawaii produces about one-third of the world’s pineapples, yet the fruit isn’t actually native to the islands. Spanish explorers brought pineapples there in the 1500s.
The combination of pineapple and chicken you’re enjoying has roots in Chinese-American cuisine, where sweet and savory flavors create perfect harmony. Your homemade version connects you to centuries of culinary tradition!
