This Hawaiian Chicken recipe is perfect for dinner on a busy weeknight for the whole family! Ready in just 30 minutes, with instructions on how to cook it on the grill or in the oven, you’ll want to save this delicious chicken recipe for later!
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This Hawaiian Chicken will transport you to a tropical island with this fruity and tangy sauce!
Ok, maybe not quite. But this recipe is so easy it’ll feel like a breeze to make, and your mouth will be happily bathed in tropical flavors, at least!
We often have chicken for dinner, and this recipe is so quick and easy that it’s great for any day of the week.
The sweet and tangy pineapple sauce is so yummy! It makes a perfect chicken dinner, but you can use it on vegetable kabobs or with a different meats as well.
I’ve included instructions for how to use it for chicken on the grill or oven-baked — we often grill when it’s warm out and bake it when it’s chilly.
There are similar flavors in my Crock Pot Pineapple Chicken, and you could cook this recipe all in one pot to make Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken if you prefer!
For more Hawaiian inspired meals, try my Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs, these Hawaiian Chicken Burgers with Grilled Pineapple, or my Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken Rice Bowls!
Ingredients Needed:
- Pineapple Juice: preferably use unsweetened fresh pineapple juice here.
- Brown Sugar: adds a sweetness to the chicken marinade, and makes the sauce caramelize when cooked.
- Water: to make the base of the marinade. You can use a low-sodium chicken broth if you prefer.
- Soy Sauce: I always use low-sodium soy sauce and add salt. If you are using regular soy sauce, you may want to reduce the salt and season after it is cooked.
- Seasoning: a mixture of freshly minced garlic, fresh ginger, kosher salt, and red chili flakes will pack a flavorful punch with a bit of a kick.
- Chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you could use boneless chicken thighs with the skin off or on if you prefer.
How to Make Hawaiian Chicken Recipe
This recipe is quick and easy to make. Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.
Marinate Chicken
- Make marinade: Whisk together all marinade ingredients in a glass mixing jug. Reserve ½ cup and set aside.
- Marinate chicken: Place chicken in a Ziploc bag or container and pour the remaining marinade over and around the chicken. Seal and turn to coat, then refrigerate to marinate.
Cook Chicken
- To Grill: Preheat the grill, then cook chicken, flipping once halfway through until done.
- To Oven-Bake: Preheat oven, place chicken in the prepared baking dish, and bake until done.
Make Hawaiian Sauce
- Heat remaining sauce: Cook the remaining marinade in a small pot on the stovetop on medium heat until reduced slightly.
- Thicken sauce: If desired, stir together a small amount of cornstarch and water to thicken the sauce. Serve with the cooked chicken.
Hawaiian Chicken Recipe FAQs
While the chicken is marinating, I don’t recommend refrigerating for more than 2 hours. Chicken is easily broken down by the acidity of the pineapple juice, so keeping it marinated for too long will make it mushy. However, leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can freeze Hawaiian chicken before or after cooking:
Before: Freeze the chicken in the marinade, then thaw in the refrigerator overnight (it will marinate as it thaws), then cook as directed.
After: Freeze the cooked chicken in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing it in the sauce so that it stays moist as it thaws.
Tips and Notes
- Marinade. Make the marinade the day before you want to marinate your chicken. Store it in the refrigerator to mature the flavors and ensure they meld together fully, then use it with your chicken the next day.
- Marinating time. Chicken doesn’t need long to marinate, I’d recommend letting it sit in the sauce for 30 minutes to 2 hours. You could even just brush it onto the chicken during the last half of the cooking time.
- Meat Thermometer. Invest in a good meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your chicken to check that it’s done. The internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken will read 165 degrees F when it is done.
Hawaiian Chicken Recipe Variations
- Change the juice. If you don’t have pineapple juice, try mango! You can also use the juice from a can of pineapple if you are grilling pineapple slices or pineapple chunks alongside the chicken.
- Extra flavor. You can add some BBQ sauce, a little bit of Worcestershire sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, or your favorite hot sauce for some extra flavor and a bit of spice.
- Brown sugar. You can use almost any sweetener instead of brown sugar. Granulated white sugar, honey, maple syrup, or agave would be great.
- Seasoning. Fresh seasonings add so much flavor, but if need be you can substitute with dry ground spices like ground ginger or garlic powder: about ¼-½ teaspoon of dried per teaspoon of fresh.
- Swap the meat. This recipe would also work well with boneless chicken thighs or pork tenderloin. You can use it with bone-in chicken, but it will require additional cook time.
- Garnish. Top the chicken with some chopped green onions, freshly chopped herbs, and/or sesame seeds.
Serving Suggestions
Use this easy recipe to make chicken for wraps or to have in a salad bowl with greens and my Easy Broccoli Salad, or this Southwest Potato Salad.
Make it go a bit further by turning it into a complete meal with carby sides like my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe, Roasted Red Potatoes, Instant Pot Jasmine Rice, or Air Fryer Potato Wedges.
Add some veggies on the side, like my Air Fryer Green Beans or Air Fryer Broccoli, or roasted red bell pepper and red onion!
We always have some bread with dinner as well, you can try my Garlic Bread or these Homemade Crescent Rolls too.
More Easy Chicken Recipes to Try
Hawaiian Chicken Recipe
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes adds some heat but won’t make it really spicy
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
Make Marinade
- Whisk together all marinade ingredients (pineapple juice through red pepper flakes). Reserve ½ cup and set aside.
- Place chicken in a zip-top bag or container just a little bigger than the amount needed for the chicken (too big and the marinade won’t surround our chicken).
Marinade Chicken
- Pour the remaining marinade over and around the chicken. Seal and turn to coat.
- Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Grill
- Preheat grill to medium-high (about 400 degrees). Grill chicken for 15-20 minutes, flipping once halfway through until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached.
Oven Cook
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and lightly grease a baking dish. Place chicken in the baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, until an internal temperature in the thickest part of the chicken reads 165 degrees F.
To Serve
- Meanwhile, cook the remaining marinade in a small pot on the stovetop on medium heat until reduced slightly. If desired, stir together a small amount of cornstarch and water to thicken the sauce. Serve with the cooked chicken.
Notes
- Fridge: While the chicken is marinating, I don’t recommend refrigerating for more than 2 hours. Chicken is easily broken down by the pineapple juice so too long and it will become mushy. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: you can freeze this recipe before and after cooking.
Before: freeze chicken in the marinade, then thaw in the refrigerator overnight (it will marinate as it thaws). Cook as directed.
After: freeze the cooked chicken in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing in the sauce so that it stays moist as it thaws.
Nutrition Information
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Silver says
I made this but for chicken kebabs. I substituted honey for the brown sugar and marinated a couple of days in the fridge and it was TO DIE FOR! A huge hit with my friends. Making it again today for a Canada Day barbecue 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Silver! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Baltisraul says
Looks similar to Huli Huli chicken. We substitute chili paste(Sambal Oelek) for the pepper flakes and add a couple tbl of Dry Sherry.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks for the feedback!