Keep dinner clean with this juicy slow cooker Polynesian chicken recipe.
Got 10 minutes? Then you have time to prepare this slow-cooker recipe. Our Slow Cooker Polynesian Chicken is a healthy spin on a favorite chicken and rice dish served at restaurants. The recipe is cleaned up and includes whole grains, protein, and fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables. Best of all, its sweet taste will have your family requesting this dish at least once a week (and that’s great news for you because it’s so easy!)
Get Out of Your Chicken Rut
Chicken can be one of the healthiest ingredients in your kitchen, but finding great chicken recipes that are both tasty and good for your health can be tough. Many healthy chicken recipes are bland and dry, bleh. Meanwhile, those that taste great are sometimes filled with processed ingredients or full of fat and calories (sigh). But it doesn’t have to be that way! At Skinny Ms., we provide a wide selection of chicken dishes that are tasty and made with healthy ingredients. This means you never need to worry about what to do with the chicken in your freezer or refrigerator before it spoils, and you definitely won’t get stuck preparing the same meals over and over again.
Sweet, savory, and beyond easy to prepare, this Slow Cooker Polynesian Chicken is the perfect go-to chicken recipe to mix up your weeknight rotation. Under 300 calories, this easy dinner packs plenty of protein and big flavor into a light and healthy meal.
There’s More Than One Way to Prep and Serve Polynesian Chicken
Typically, you’ll find juicy Polynesian chicken recipes like this one served with rice. If you’re looking to go the traditional route, keep things clean with a bed of healthy brown rice. Alternatively, you can also serve this Slow Cooker Polynesian chicken over quinoa for a fun and tasty (not to mention protein-packed) twist. Looking to keep your meal under the 300-calorie mark? This sweet and savory chicken is also delicious served over fresh steamed broccoli or riced cauliflower.
No matter how you serve it, this Slow Cooker Polynesian Chicken recipe is an easy, delicious, and healthy dinner you’ll definitely want to add to your weeknight meal rotation.
The flavors in this recipe can transport you (or at least your senses) straight to the islands, regardless of the time of year or weather conditions outside! What are you waiting for? Make it tonight and fill your kitchen with soft, fruity, and delectable scents!
Slow Cooker Polynesian Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breasts, about 4 pieces cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded, sliced into 1-inch strips
- 20 ounces pineapple chunks, canned in natural juice
- 2 tablespoons tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger, grated
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
Instructions
- Pour juice from canned pineapple chunks into a small mixing bowl. Add Bragg Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce), garlic, ginger, and honey, and whisk to combine. Add cornstarch and stir until combined.
- Place chicken in the slow cooker, and add pineapple chunks. Pour pineapple mixture over chicken, cover, and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Add bell peppers in the last 15 minutes of cook time. Serve chicken over a bed of quinoa or brown rice.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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If you enjoyed this yummy slow cooker Polynesian chicken, we think you’re going to love these dishes as well:
- Hawaiian Chicken Casserole
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Pineapple Honey Shrimp Taco Bowl
- Slow Cooker Beef and Farro
- Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs
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Do you have a favorite Skinny Ms. recipe? We’d love to hear about it. Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
Editor’s note: Originally published on June 11, 2012.
oooh I can't wait to try this for my house!!
It's so yummy!
The recipe calls for freshly ground ginger, should it be freshly grated ginger? I have ground ginger in my spice cabinet, but it’s not “fresh.”
Lily,
Whoops!! Yes, freshly grated ginger.
so quick, so easy, so delicious. Thank you Skinny Ms!
Love this recipe. The greatest thing about it is the left overs are even better the next day.
Love this recipe!!
I'm the only one who will eat this, so I'll have to try freezing leftovers. Bragg Liquid Aminos = awesome!
Love that you included braggs liquid aminos in this recipe! Soooo good!
so quick, so easy, so delicious. Thank you Skinny Ms!
Great recipe 🙂
This is another of my favorites! family loves the sweetness, and I love that it is healthy. 🙂
We really enjoyed the slow comer Polynesian chicken. It was cooked perfectly and very fllavorful!
One of my family's favorites!
I tried this recipe today and it was really good! I did add a few things….black pepper and some thinly sliced onion in with the chicken and pineapple at the beginning. I also added in some halved snow peas and one can of drained water chestnuts along with the red bell pepper at the end. Very good flavor. I do have to note that chicken always comes out a bit tough from the crock pot, but otherwise it was a very good recipe.
Is the calorie count above with the rice or quinoa?
Lynne, Under the title.
Will give this one a go. However, will have to substitute the pineapple with mango. Pineapple is a trigger for my Hemiplegic Migraines.
Missy, Mango sounds YUMMY!
Mango, I should have thought of this. I tried it with the pineapple and wasn’t crazy about it. The texture of cooked pineapple bothers me for some reason. I may have to try it again using mango and a few of the other items a few people mentioned.
Daisy, Keep us posted on the mango version. Would love to hear about your results.
Is the calories with the rice or without…
Without but 1/2 cup rice or quinoa wouldn't add that much.
This is in my crockpot right now – I cannot wait to see how it turns out.
Love the ease and it goes GREAT with brown rice !!!!
I have a question about the Bragg's Liquid Aminos. Low Sodium Soy Sauce has less sodium than the Bragg's. Are there other health benefits to using Aminos instead?
Heather, Bragg’s doesn’t have all the artificial ingredients that low-sodium has.
This is in my slow cooker right now 🙂 There seems to be a layer of whitish stuff on the top so will have to see how it turns out.
So I made this last night, or shall I say attempted. The sauce was pretty good. I put it all in the crockpot at around 6:30 and decided to check it before I went to bed at 9:30. Good thing I did! The chicken was EXTRA DONE. Very tough and stuck together. For it to have retained any type of possible tenderness, I most likely would've have to take it out about half an hour earlier. I know we used the Chicken Breast pieces for health and calorie purposes but chicken thighs would probably be devine in this dish for the crockpot. Next time I'll probably take the time to pound out my chicken breast really well with my blade tenderizer, let it marinade in the sauce for day, sear it and put it in the oven.
Dont like this at all. My kids complained that it was too "pineappley" and I thought the chicken was pasty, and just did not taste good. I followed the directions to the letter, and am very disappointed. I will not make this recipe again.
Is there a sweet substitute to pineapple? Not a huge fan of pineapple, and I used to love this dish when I lived in hawaii, from a place that didn’t use pineapple…I just don’t know what they used! Help!
CJ, Either of these tropical fruits would work: papaya or guava
I’ve discovered that using frozen chicken breasts In virtually any crockpot recipe will reward you with perfect chicken.
Great tip, Karen! I also use frozen chicken breast!
Loved this recipe but I am wondering, can this be pressure cooked in the instant pot? If so how long would I cook it for?
Michelle,
Check it out:
Select the Poultry function. On Manual, select 5 minutes on high pressure.
Use 10 minute natural release then turn off heat. Release remaining pressure. Open the lid.
Select Sauté function, on low.
In a small bowl combine cornstarch and juice from pineapple can, stir until smooth.
Add the mixture to the Instant Pot, toss to combine. Cook on Sauté for 3 minutes, stir until sauce thickens.
Allow chicken to rest 5-7 minutes.
Can you freeze this and cook it later?
Donna, Just be sure to thaw the chicken before cooking in the slow cooker.
Made this tonight with 3 chicken breasts. As they were cut up, it took a shorter time to cook. Put it over rice and it was delicious! Very easy and will make again!