Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken

Name: Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 38 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1 or 2 inch pieces); 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper; ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce; 1 tablespoon lime zest; 2 tablespoons lime juice; ¼ cup orange juice; 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 1 20 oz can pineapple chunks, undrained; 1 red bell pepper (cut into 1 inch pieces); 1 green bell pepper (cuti into 1 inch pieces); 3 teaspoons garlic (chopped); 3 teaspoons ginger (chopped or grated); ⅓ cup brown sugar (use less or omit if a less sweet taste is preferred); ⅓ cup hoisin sauce; 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; more or less to taste; 4 tablespoons orange juice or water; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; Serve over hot cooked rice.; Sliced green onions; Sesame seeds; Chopped macadamia or cashew nuts

Jump to Recipe

This Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken recipe is a delicious dish that can easily be made in your Instant Pot in less than 30 minutes. This recipe is perfect for those who need an easy and quick weeknight meal. It has sweet and savory flavors, making it a family favorite!

This recipe is simple to make with easy-to-find ingredients like boneless skinless chicken thighs, pineapple chunks, brown sugar, soy sauce, and ginger.

Try my Instant Pot Brisket for another easy weeknight dinner idea!

hawaiian chicken in a bowl with white rice

Highlights

Cooked in a pressure cooker
Uses chicken thighs for better texture and flavor
Sweet and savory and family friendly

Why you'll love it

Fast and easy - this delicious Hawaiian chicken dish comes together in about 25 minutes. It is a great dinner to easily get on the table after a busy day.

Healthy - Hawaiian chicken is a very healthy meal that is low in cholesterol and fat. So if you are on a diet, this is a meal that you can still happily enjoy.

Make-ahead - you can easily make this meal ahead of time for easy weekly meal prep. Just cook it, let it cool, and pack it up into a few air-tight containers.

Key Ingredients

Chicken thighs - this is the main star of the dish! Chicken breasts can be used, but cook time should be reduced to 3 minutes. Thighs are the better choice for this dish.

Brown Sugar - pineapple and orange juice will give this dish sweetness. I like the addition of brown sugar, but it can be omitted. White sugar and honey can also be substituted.

Pineapple - for ease, I use canned pineapple chunks with pineapple juice. If fresh pineapple is in season, you can use it without the juice.

Bell peppers - green and red bell peppers will soften up nicely in this dish. You can try cauliflower or broccoli if you prefer.

How to make instant pot hawaiian chicken

Always start with clean hands, work area, and kitchen utensils.

Step One: Prepare bell peppers and chicken. Cut peppers into bite sized pieces. Trim fat from chicken thighs and cut into one-inch bite-sized pieces, about 1 or 2 inches—season with salt and pepper.

Step Two: Combine the remaining ingredients (soy sauce through the red pepper flakes) in a pressure cooker pot and whisk until mixed well. Add chicken pieces and stir to combine, then use the spoon to submerge the chicken mixture into the liquid.

a measuring cup of sauce — Whisk sauce ingredients together

adding pineapple and other ingredients to an instant pot — Whisk sauce ingredients together

Step Three: Seal and lock the lid of your pressure cooker. Set the pressure to HIGH and set the total cook time to 5 minutes. Allow 15 to 20 minutes for it to come to pressure (mine took 18 minutes).

Press CANCEL. Release the pressure at the end of the cooking cycle (quick release). When the pin drops, you can safely open the lid.

recipe after cooking — Remove lid after a quick release

Step Four: Set the cooker to SAUTE (medium setting is fine). In a small bowl whisk together the slurry, being sure there are no lumps. When the chicken mixture is bubbling, add the slurry, constantly stirring until incorporated.

Let simmer for one or two minutes or until thickened. Serve over rice with garnishes.

mixing a slurry of orange juice and cornstarch — Mix the cornstarch and orange juice together to make a slurry

recipe thickened after adding slurry — Mix the cornstarch and orange juice together to make a slurry

My tips

Fresh garlic and ginger are a must for this recipe. But you can use one teaspoon garlic powder if that's what you have on hand.
I don't recommend ground ginger in place of fresh; it's better to leave it out.
Add one 8 ounce package of sliced or quartered mushrooms if you want to incorporate more veggies.
You can use any color of bell peppers that you prefer for this dish.
If you want the dish spicy, add sriracha, sambal oelek, or some chili garlic sauce to taste. Add before cooking or tableside.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian chicken

You can make this dish in the slow cooker or too.

Prep chicken and set aside. Mix the other ingredients (except the slurry) and add to a crockpot. Add the chicken and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 or until chicken is cooked to a safe temperature (165 F).
Whisk up the slurry and add to the crockpot and let simmer until thickened.

Serving suggestions

You can serve Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken over hot cooked white or brown rice, quinoa, ramen noodles, or zoodles (zucchini noodles). Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Also great with my Basmati Rice, and Singapore Fried Rice.

Shiratake miracle noodles will help make this dish lower carb.

Storage and reheating

You can store your leftover Hawaiian chicken in an air-tight container in your refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Leftover Hawaiian chicken can also be stored in your freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat from refrigerated: You can choose to reheat this dish in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in oven. Just be sure it's heated through.

To reheat from frozen: Thaw any leftover frozen chicken in the refrigerator; the night prior to heating is best.

Use the defrost setting on the microwave (or a very low power setting) to thaw the dish then reheat as recommended.

Add the frozen meal to a sauce pan and heat over very low hear until thawed and liquid. Increase heat to medium and heat until hot and heated through.

I made this recipe and all my instant pot recipes in the Instant Pot Ultra 60. It's a 6 quart pressure cooker perfect families of 4 or 6 people!

Common questions

Why is my instant pot chicken rubbery?

Your chicken may be undercooked, or overcooked. Use a thermometer to see that it's been cooked to 165 degrees F.

Can you put raw chicken in an instant pot?

Yes, you can! Cooking raw chicken in your Instant Pot is perfectly safe. Since the Instant Pot comes to pressure quickly and cooks immediately, the chicken remains in the safe temperature zone.

Can you put frozen chicken in an instant pot?

Yes, you can! Just like with cooking raw chicken in your Instant Pot, it is safe due to the short amount of time that the Instant Pot takes to come to pressure and cook the chicken.

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