Description
This Slow Cooker Hawaiian Sticky Chicken recipe delivers tender, juicy chicken breasts cooked in a flavorful blend of pineapple juice, apricot jam, soy and hoisin sauces. The slow-cooked chicken is shredded and simmered again in a sticky, sweet-tangy sauce infused with garlic and a touch of heat from red pepper flakes. Perfect served over hot rice and garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, this easy-to-make dish brings tropical flavors to your dinner table with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1 cup crushed pineapple
- 3 medium garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
Sauces and Thickeners
- 1/2 cup apricot jam
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water (or 1 tablespoon Wondra flour)
Serving and Garnish
- Hot cooked rice (optional)
- Chopped green onions (optional)
- Sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Place the chicken breasts, chicken broth, pineapple juice, crushed pineapple, garlic cloves, and salt into your slow cooker. Ensure all ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Cook Chicken: Set the slow cooker to high and cook for 4 hours until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Remove and Drain: Take the chicken out onto a cutting board. Carefully drain the liquid from the slow cooker into a large measuring cup or bowl.
- Save Sauce Base: Reserve 2 cups of the liquid with some crushed pineapple and discard the rest of the liquid from the slow cooker.
- Mix Sauce: Add the apricot jam, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, hoisin sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, and the cornstarch-water mixture to the reserved liquid in the slow cooker. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
- Shred Chicken: Using two forks, shred the cooked chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
- Combine and Cook: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker with the sauce, stirring well to coat. Cover and cook on high for an additional 1 hour to thicken the sauce and infuse flavors.
- Serve: Serve the Hawaiian sticky chicken over hot cooked rice. Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds as desired for an extra burst of flavor and texture.
Notes
- For thicker sauce, you can adjust the cornstarch amount based on your desired consistency.
- If you prefer less spice, reduce or omit the crushed red pepper flakes.
- This dish can be prepared a day ahead; flavors often improve with resting time in the refrigerator.
- Use low sodium soy sauce to control the saltiness of the dish.
- Apricot jam can be substituted with peach or pineapple jam if desired.
