CrockPot Pineapple Chicken Recipe



Day 140.


This is a very simple dish--and chances are you have all four ingredients already! The sweetness of the pineapple works great with the salt from the soy sauce and the touch of spice from red pepper flakes.



The Ingredients.
--enough chicken for 4
--20 oz can of pineapple chunks
--1/4 cup soy sauce (Tamari wheat free or La Choy are gluten free)
--1 t red pepper flakes


The Directions.

plop the chicken into the crockpot. I used frozen breast tenders. Drain the pineapple, and add the chunks with the soy sauce and the red pepper flakes.

cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 3-4.

The cooking time will depend on how thick your pieces of chicken are, and if they are frozen or not.

My frozen breast tenders only needed to cook on low for 4 hours.

Serve over rice, quinoa, or on a bed of fresh spinach.


The Verdict.

We ate this over spinach and ate outside. It was a hot evening, and we were in swimsuits. The kids had a ball feeding the guinea pigs any spinach that fell to the ground. I liked the flavor a lot, and the kids ate the chicken and picked at the pineapple. I did open a fresh can for them, though. Eating hot pineapple weirded them out. I added more red pepper flakes to my dish, and I can't remember what Adam did.


Our chicken was dry. I'm always a touch disappointed when I use the frozen breast tenders after using thighs for a while. The breast pieces just don't retain moisture the way the thighs do. I don't seem to remember this while I'm at the store, though.

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Posted by: Stephanie O'Dea | A Year of Slow Cooking at May 19, 2008

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What they say about this article

  1. Really fun blog idea! I admire your gusto: 365 days of crockpotting? I couldnt keep up. We do a giant crock pot recipe or two typically on sunday and eat it during the week. But we have never gotten as creative as you have. Well done!

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  2. Anonymous5/19/2008

    Hot pineapple really weirds me out, too. I like mine cold, please!

    Soy sauce and red pepper flakes... I think I have been inspired... Thanks!

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  3. Anonymous5/19/2008

    My fix for dry chicken is to shred it with two forks and put it back into the juices for about 10 minutes while I fix everything else. It changes the texture a bit, but it still works very well over rice or in a wrap/tortilla or on a salad.

    And I LOVE warm pineapple. I've been known to heat crushed pineapple in the microwave and use it as an ice cream topper. The ice cream gets all melty and... yummmmm...

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  4. I'm in the mood for pineapple today!

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  5. Just wanted to say thanks for all the crockpot ideas! I've made several of your dishes after your blogspot was emailed to me from a friend! I just called my husband at the store to have him pick up pineapple!!! Yum!

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  6. I have the same issues with breast meat in the crockpot. I need to remember to get some b-less/s-less thighs next time. But I love how easy this looks.

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  7. Anonymous5/19/2008

    I love my crock pot and want to use it more...your website is a gem! I'm now a subscriber!

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  8. chicken thighs are almost always the choice meat on America's Test Kitchen, and I can usually find great deals on them.

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  9. thanks, erin!
    it is a bit weird, anne. I don't like it on pizza.

    damsel, that is a great idea!
    applesofgold, yay!
    thank you, jase's mom. thank you, jase's mom's hubby!
    liz, it was really easy. definitely.
    thanks, lara!
    tj, I know. I'm going to have to remember this advice at the store. I keep forgetting!

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  10. Anonymous5/20/2008

    Do you think the chicken and pinapple recipe would work with salmon? I know how your kids feel about warm pinapple, but I think I can get over it (with the help of a margarita!)

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  11. I tried this and had the same problem with breasts. I used two frozen breasts and two thighs, both boneless, skinless. I cooked on low about 4 hours. Other than the weird texture thing, I really liked the taste of this dish.

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  12. I also had a tough time with the chicken texture of this dish. I used two frozen, boneless, skinless breasts and two thighs. I left it on low for 4 hours. I did tenders once and fuh-get-about-it.

    But other than that, I liked the flavors.

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  13. Hey gals! Fixed this for dinner lastnight, as I think everyone did! I got a late start so I did approx. 8 tenders (frozen) on high for 2 hours and the tenders were great! Moist, delicious! My husband devoured even the leftovers tonight for supper! Oh, and we do Weight Watchers around here and it's an incredibly tasty meal for about 6 points if you eat with 1 cup whole grain rice!! Yum! Thanks Crockpot Lady!

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  14. I remembered your blog from finding it a couple months ago. This morning, I realized I needed to put dinner in the crockpot to be ready after church so I googled your site.

    This is what we'll be having--I just put everything in the pot. Thank you!

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  15. Anonymous6/18/2008

    I tried this today. It was as simple as anything, and I like my chicken dry so no worries for me about that.
    I threw the ingredients in this morning and went off to work. Mid-day my son let me know that everything was sticking to the crockpot. Dumb me had tossed the pineapple juice, so we ended up adding alittle water, which in my opinion kind of diluted the taste. In spite of this small set back, Husband, daughter and I loved it, son liked the chicken but wasn't too hot on the hot pineapple. I served it over brown rice and served (cooked) frozen eggrolls on the side. My daughter has already requested it again and asked that next time I make more.
    Thanks for taking the time to put these recipes out there.

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  16. Anonymous7/11/2008

    First of all I like to use my crock pot but I am limited to recipe ideas. I was grateful I saw the Racheal Ray show with you on it. I cook chicken in a crock pot with pineapples and bar-b-que sauce and teh flavors mix pretty good.

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  17. Anonymous7/13/2008

    I tried this with with boneless pork chops and a short rack of small pork ribs (I was multi-tasking...and it was what I had at the time), and I used crushed pineapple (again, what I had) and added some ginger powder, garlic powder and onion powder to it...and it turned out great! I LOVE tweaking things! LOL BLessings~shaena:)

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  18. I just wanted to say ... I was getting excited thinking about what to cook for meals this week, and I liked this recipe SO much, I think I'm going to make it AGAIN, even though I made it just a few weeks ago. :) A friend pointed out your blog to me, and I've really enjoyed it! Yay for crockpot cooking ... I love it!

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  19. Anonymous1/14/2009

    Hi! Thanks for all the "lean" meals! I decided to add in the pineapple juice from the can (using skinless boneless thighs), and added in a little extra pineapple juice and soy sauce to cover the chicken completely. I'm hoping that will keep the chicken from drying out. I also added some garlic (cause..y'know...garlic is the god of seasonings. lol). I'll let you know how it turns out! :)

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  20. I made this today. I added the juice from the pineapple hoping it wouldn't be dry. Alas, it was a little dry. Nothing a little soy sauce couldn't fix! The flavor of the chicken was a little sour for my liking. Next time I make this I will add some brown sugar and ginger for added flavor and perhaps some extra water for moistness. This is a great recipe that just needs a little tweaking. My kids loved it though! Any other suggestions from the Crock Queen?

    I think I'll use the rest to make chicken salad. Mmmmm, lunchy goodness.

    Have a great week!!

    Erin

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  21. Anonymous2/15/2009

    Hi! Your blog has changed my life. My husband was recently diagnosed with celiac disease and we have had very boring dinners since, while I try to find recipes that he can eat. These recipes have helped so much. Thank you!

    Alsop, I have a question . . . I am going to make the Pineapple chicken today, but if I put the chicken in frozen, won't there be a lot of extra liquid after it thaws? How do I take care of that or do I even worry about it? I have always thawed chicken before putting it in the crockpot for that reason, but if I can skip that step I would be thrilled.

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  22. Hi Leanne,

    I used breast tenders, and the meat actually dried out a bit more than I would have liked it to. There isn't much food in the pot, and I think that was my problem.

    I don't notice too much extra liquid in the pot when I add frozen meat, and prefer it because I have a bit more wiggle room with the timing. Give it a try---I do think it will be okay, and you can always use a slotted spoon if you feel it's too juicy. I'm of the school of thought that I'd rather have extra moisture than dryness.
    I grew up on dry chicken and it sort of makes me gag now. :-)

    oxox
    steph

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  23. Just tried this recipe tonight - YUM, YUM, YUM!!! I tried one of the variations in the comments and added ginger and brown sugar. (Ok, I am not good at variations from the original recipe, so my husband was very proud of me for "trying something new") Anyway, I used 4 frozen chicken breasts and cooked on low for about 3 hrs, then high for the last hour (they just didn't quite look like they would be done in time). It was AWESOME! I served with brown rice and it was a perfect combination!
    THANK YOU for doing this blog - I have tried a few different recipes and so far I have loved every one!!

    Oh yea, and the chicken was not dry at all!! It turned out perfectly moist!

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  24. I have a similar recipe for slow cooker sweet and sour chicken..but that recipe calls for adding the juice from the can of pineapples but NOT adding the pineapples until the last 5 mins. of cooking...(it also calls for thighs LOL)...maybe if you adapted this recipe to reserving the pineapples till the last 5 mins...your kids would enjoy it more...love this recipe though and I'm going to adapt and use it for tomorrow's dinner.

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  25. I made this the other night, and it was very good. The red pepper gave it quite a kick, and the first few bites tasted pretty spicy but then it seemed to die down and even my 2 and 5 year olds liked it. I did use the frozen chicken tenderloins and cooked it on high. It was done in 2 hours and worked great! Thanks for the recipe!

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  26. I made this again last night, and I added 1/4 cup brown sugar and a few sprinkles of ground ginger. It was awesome! I used 1 huge chicken breast (1 pound), and it was so yummy!!! My 2 & 5 year old boys asked for 2nds and 3rds of the chicken! I also served it over white rice. Thank you again for the recipe!

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  27. This was super tasty! For the sauce, I used 1/4 cup Tamari, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 cup pineapple juice. It covered the chicken, so kept it nice and moist. The last 15 minutes, I added some cornstarch to thicken the sauce a bit, then served over white rice, turning it into a yummy teriyaki chicken bowl. Thanks!

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  28. NrseKim8/12/2009

    I omitted adding the red pepper flakes to allow each person to add their own heat. I did add ground ginger and garlic. I did NOT drain the pineapple. By not draining the pineapple it made for a nice juice that I thickened up with just a little bit of cornstarch & water. I served over a bed of white rice and LOVED it. My husband didn't care for it as warm pineapple "wierds him out" too! LOL Thanks for the ideas...love your blog!!

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  29. Thought I'd mention, I just tried this recipe and threw in a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - not too shabby!

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  30. I threw drained pineapple, bone-in thighs, soy, ketchup, onion flakes, garlic flakes, and some garlic chili sauce. Thickened at the end with some cornstarch. awesome

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  31. Brandi6/29/2011

    I know this is an old thread... but... try browning your chicken breasts first in a little olive oil. I know, it takes a bit longer & adds to clean up. But season them, & sear on all sides then slow cook. And you WILL retain lots more moisture. We prefer dark meat, but w/ this trick I can get my husband to tolerate the occassional 'not so dry' breast.

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  32. I made my sauce with 1/2 cup of low sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce, a tiny splash of sesame oil (a little goes a long way), and 2 tbsp of sweet chili. My kids don't like spicy stuff but I snuck in a bit of sweet heat with that. Next time I'm going to put in more chicken thighs. We ate it all. Super yummy! Thanks for the inspiration! Love the blog!

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  33. I love when I look at one of your recipes and I have everything I need in the house! I made this with thighs, because that's what I had, and it worked great. I added all the pineapple juice and a big handful of baby carrots, which turned out fantastic. This is definitely going on my list!

    The whole family is a fan of cooked pineapple- it's the only way I'll eat the stuff- so that wasn't a problem for us.

    Thanks again for a great recipe!

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  34. Carrots added to this turn out super yummy! Thanks again for a great dinner, Stephanie.

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  35. Great recipe and trying it tonight for dinner since I was at a loss for what to cook (today was a super busy work day) and I have all the ingredients on-hand, just like you said: frozen chicken thighs, some veggies, rice, fresh pineapple and soy sauce! Thank you!
    http://healthyhappygirl94901.blogspot.com

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  36. dearcat8/18/2012

    This is one of the best slow cooker chicken recipes I have seen in a long time (I'm 75). I made this last weekend and it was fabulous. I omitted the pepper flakes and added brown sugar and a little water to the pineapple juice. Added the pineapple about 20 minutes before it was done.

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