A Hawaiian classic made in the crockpot! Slow Cooker Huli Huli Chicken is cooked in a sweet and sour pineapple sauce and is so tender and delicious!
Serve this chicken with traditional Hawaiian Macaroni Salad!
Originally published January 7, 2014. Updated January 17, 2022.
Huli Huli Chicken is a Hawaiian chicken dish that’s typically made over a fire but this version is super simple in the slow cooker.
And then because slow cooked chicken can look kind of pale, you finish it off in the oven, brushing it with the delicious sweet and sour sauce.
Oh, the sauce! The sauce is made from pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. It is sweet and sour and one of my favorite ways to enjoy chicken.
Use whatever parts of the chicken you want – the recipe calls for bone-in chicken because chicken on the bone tends to stay more moist and juicy but if you absolutely opposed to bone-in chicken, go ahead and the boneless stuff.
Ingredients
- Pineapple juice
- Brown sugar
- Ketchup
- Fresh lime juice
- Soy sauce
- Garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Salt and pepper
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken – you can use thighs, breasts, or drumsticks
How to Make Slow Cooker Huli Huli Chicken
- Make sauce. Simmer pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger in a medium saucepan until thickened and measures about 1 ½ cups, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook chicken. Transfer ½ cup of the sauce to the slow cooker; reserve remaining sauce separately. Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to slow cooker, and coat evenly with sauce. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4 to 6 hours on low.
- Bake chicken. Preheat oven to 450F. Transfer chicken, skin side up, to an aluminum foil lined baking sheet; discard braising liquid. Brush chicken with some reserved sauce and baking, brushing with more sauce every few minutes, until it has a deep, mahogany color, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Serve. Serve hot.
How Long It It Good For
Huli Huli Chicken will be good for up to 3 days in the fridge. Make sure to store it in an airtight container.
When you are ready to serve it, you can reheat in the microwave or in the oven.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
- Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken
- Slow Cooker Cool Ranch Chicken
- Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
- Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice
- Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki
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Slow Cooker Huli Huli Chicken
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice, about 2 limes
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated or minced
- salt and pepper
- vegetable oil spray
- 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken (breasts, thighs, and/or drumsticks)
Instructions
- Simmer pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger in a medium saucepan until thickened and measures about 1 ½ cups, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spray slow cooker with vegetable oil spray. Transfer ½ cup of the sauce to the slow cooker; reserve remaining sauce separately. Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to slow cooker, and coat evenly with sauce. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4 to 6 hours on low.
- Preheat oven to 450F. Transfer chicken, skin side up, to an aluminum foil lined baking sheet; discard braising liquid.
- Brush chicken with some reserved sauce and baking, brushing with more sauce every few minutes, until it has a deep, mahogany color, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 225Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 656mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 15g
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says
I love Huli Huli sauce! I only recently stumbled across a homemade recipe, as my dad always bought it bottled straight from Hawaii growing up. I sent him the recipe to save him the cost of that order haha. I’ll have to tell him about doing it in a slow cooker too.
Amy @Very Culinary says
Oh my holy yum.
Sheryl says
Have you tried just dumping everything into the slow cooker? I am always on the lookout for easy one step slowcooker meals. I get the oven carmelization, but do you HAVE to thicken the sauce first? Just wondering if you have already tried it like this. Thanks for sharing!
amanda says
No, I haven’t tried doing it but I’m sure it would be fine. The flavors would still be there whether you simmer the sauce or not. It just might not coat the chicken at the end. :)
Cate @ Chez CateyLou says
Your day of sledding sounds like so much fun! I really need to buy myself a slow cooker – this chicken looks so good, and I love how easy it is!
Gerry @ foodnessgracious says
Always a lover of Hawaiian dishes and this is no exception! sounds delicious :)
Stephanie Conway says
I just tried this and it was amazing! I added a little extra ketchup and brown sugar to make the sauce thicker like a store bought bbq and added chili flakes for some heat. Your directions were great and easy to follow. I can’t wait to make this again when we have guests over. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Stacy Kay says
I made this for my family tonight and it was a hit! I have already received a request for it again! Thanks for sharing a keeper for our fam!
amanda says
Awesome! This reminds me that I need to make it again! Thanks for coming back to let me know! :)
Marcia says
My family doesn’t like chicken skin. How do you think it would turn out if I used boneless skinless chicken?
Jean McDermott says
I made this today and it was delicious!
Erik says
Love the flavor, so awesome that I can cook it in a slow cooker.
Sandra says
This quickly became a favorite meal at my house! It’s really perfect for days I am busy, just a few prep and the slow cooker will do the work! Thanks for the recipe!
katerina @ diethood.com says
This sounds incredibly delicious!! My family would love it!
Beti | easyweeknightrecipes says
Oh my, the flavor sounds amazing!! I cant’ wait to make this for my family!