This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Tasty and tangy Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches are a fun and sweet change for a simple slow cooker chicken meal with only a few pantry ingredients needed!
Serve this dinner with a simple dessert recipe like one of my amazing 3-ingredient no-bake dessert recipes. But, my personal favorite is either the Hershey’s chocolate pie or Ice cream sandwich cake — cold and refreshing to enjoy for the summertime.
Table of Contents
- 🔍 Quick Look: Slow Cooker Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches
- Ingredient Substitutions:
- Key Ingredients:
- How to Make Slow Cooker Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches:
- Recipe Tip
- Storage Instructions:
- Recipe FAQs
- Chicken recipes:
- Slow Cooker Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches Recipe
- Quick links for making dinner easy:
🔍 Quick Look: Slow Cooker Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches
- ⏰ Ready In: 5 hours
- 🛒 Recipe Ingredients: Chicken thigh, pineapple juice, more pantry ingredients
- 🍽️ Servings: 6-8
- 👩🍳 Difficulty: Easy
- 🧊 Make-Ahead Friendly: Freezer Friendly for 2 months, Stores for 4 days in fridge
- 📍Before You Make This: Pineapple juice is the special ingredient, so be sure to have it on hand
Continue enjoying the delicious tropical flavor in my sheet pan Hawaiian chicken, slow cooker Hawaiian pork, and one-pot Hawaiian chicken and coconut rice!
Why you’ll love this recipe…
Hawaiian chicken sandwiches are such a fun and delicious recipe to make that the whole family can enjoy.
- The fresh tropical flavor is amazing.
- No more dry chicken when using pineapple juice to cook the chicken.
- Homemade sauce for the BBQ sandwiches.
- Taste’s amazing over rice or serve with ham fried rice.
- No barbecue sauce needed.
Serve this scrumptious chicken recipe with a simple side salad and maybe even a pineapple upside down cake to keep with the Hawaiian theme!
Made With Love,
Ingredient Substitutions:
If necessary, you can swap out the pineapple juice for crushed pineapple so you can still get the fresh pineapple flavor. But the texture will be altered a bit since it is thicker than 100% pure pineapple juice.
Pick your favorite type of buns to serve these chicken sandwiches. My favorite are King’s Hawaiian rolls!
Key Ingredients:
- Pineapple: The pineapple is definitely the star of the show in this recipe. It brings out those Hawaiian flavors and creates perfectly juicy chicken.
- Ketchup: Yes, you need ketchup in this recipe! The combination of ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce takes out the need for BBQ sauce bought at the grocery store.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Slow Cooker Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches:
Trim the Chicken Thighs:
Using a sharp knife and clean cutting board:
- Remove any large pieces of visible fat from the edges of each thigh.
- If there are connective tissues or small bone fragments, carefully trim those off.
- Pat chicken dry with a paper towel to help it absorb the sauce better.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tip
Add a splash of the pineapple juice right before serving to boost the tropical flavor.
Prepare the Sauce:
- In a medium bowl, add:
- ½ diced yellow onion
- 6 oz pineapple juice
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ tsp salt
- Dash of black pepper
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp paprika
- Whisk until well combined.
Assemble in the Slow Cooker:
- Place trimmed chicken thighs into the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the chicken.
Cook:
- over and cook on Low for 5 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked and tender (internal temp should reach 165°F / 74°C).
Shred the Chicken:
- Remove the chicken and shred it using two forks.
- Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir to coat it in the sauce.
Serve:
- Spoon the chicken onto hamburger buns or Hawaiian rolls for sandwiches.
Optional: Top with pineapple slices or my classic coleslaw. - Alternative: Serve over steamed rice for a lighter, gluten-free option.
Storage Instructions:
Fridge: Store leftovers to an airtight container and then place the container in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Freezer: In a freezer safe container or freezer bag, store the cooled chicken for up to 2 months.
Recipe FAQs
I enjoy using chicken thighs in this recipe, but you can always use boneless chicken breasts in their place.
Depending on how thick the chicken is, most of the time chicken can be cooked in the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
The chicken should be tender and easily pulled apart with a fork. To be on the safe side, you can also use a meat thermometer and check to see if the chicken’s internal temp is at least 165°F / 74°C.
Chicken recipes:
If you liked this Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches, make sure to tag me on Instagram @julia.pacheco.cooking and let us know how much you liked the recipes!
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, (see trimming instructions below)
Sauce Ingredients
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 6 oz pineapple juice, about ¾ cup
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ tsp salt
- Dash of black pepper
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp paprika
Optional for Serving
- Hamburger buns or Hawaiian rolls
- Cooked rice
- Pineapple slices or coleslaw, for topping
Instructions
Trim the Chicken Thighs
- Using a sharp knife and clean cutting board:
- Remove any large pieces of visible fat from the edges of each thigh.
- If there are connective tissues or small bone fragments, carefully trim those off.
- Pat chicken dry with a paper towel to help it absorb the sauce better.
Make Hawaiian Chicken
- Prepare the Sauce. In a medium bowl, add all the sauce ingredients.
- Whisk until well combined.
- Assemble in the Slow Cooker: Place trimmed chicken thighs into the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the chicken.
- Cook: Cover and cook on Low for 5 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked and tender (internal temp should reach 165°F / 74°C).
- Shred the Chicken: Remove the chicken and shred it using two forks.
- Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir to coat it in the sauce.
- Serve: Spoon the chicken onto hamburger buns or Hawaiian rolls for sandwiches.
- Optional: Top with pineapple slices or coleslaw.
- Alternative: Serve over steamed rice for a lighter, gluten-free option.
Notes
- Add a splash of the pineapple juice right before serving to boost the tropical flavor.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
