This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
I’m updating my “Tuesday night dinner that feels like we’re in Hawaii” with double the sauce! You guys asked, so I added more of that sweet, tangy, deliciousness to this Baked Sweet Hawaiian chicken! It’s easy, even after a busy day!
Say Aloha to Your New Favorite Dinner
- Simple Ingredients, Big Flavor: You don’t need anything fancy here, just pantry staples that come together into a sweet, tangy sauce.
- Sauce That Actually Hits: It’s perfectly balanced, not too sweet, not too heavy, and coats every piece of chicken!
- Consistently Good: No complicated steps, no guesswork, just a great recipe that turns out every time.
A Reader’s Review
Alyssa, I had to leave a comment because this was out of this world!! I doubled the recipe and there’s hardly any left!! Definitely will be making this again.
Jennifer
Baked Hawaiian Chicken Ingredients
- Pineapple: You can use diced fresh pineapple instead of pineapple tidbits if you’d like.
- Bell Pepper: Any color works, but green peppers have a slightly more bitter flavor, while red, yellow, and orange are sweeter.
- Soy Sauce: For lower salt content, use low-sodium soy sauce.
Baked Sweet Hawaiian Chicken Recipe
My baked Hawaiian chicken recipe is just so good, and every time I make it, I wonder why I don’t make it more. I whip up some instant pot rice and some Hawaiian sweet rolls for a full meal!
- Prep: Preheat oven to 325°F and spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces, then season with salt and pepper.
- Cornstarch Chicken: Add cornstarch to a large ziplock bag and eggs to a bowl. Add the chicken to the bag, seal, and shake until evenly coated.
- Coat Chicken: Dip each piece of chicken in the egg mixture until coated, then place on a parchment lined baking sheet to prevent sticking.
- Cook in Batches: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook the chicken in 2 to 3 batches until browned, then transfer to the baking dish. No need to cook through; it will finish in the oven.
- Make Sauce: Combine the pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and cornstarch in a medium bowl, then pour over the chicken.
- Bake: Top with bell pepper and pineapple. Bake uncovered for 1 hour, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes to coat in the sauce. Let the baked sweet Hawaiian chicken stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Must Have Tools For This Recipe
- Nonstick Skillet: Ensure good browning and less sticking!
- Splatter Screen: Prevents oil from popping everywhere. Also protects you from burns from hot oil.
- 9 x 13-inch 3-quart baking dish: Perfect for baking then serving!
Air Fyer Instructions
- Skip the Eggs: Omit the eggs and coat the chicken in cornstarch only.
- Air Fry: Place the chicken in a greased air fryer basket and lightly spray with oil.
- Cook: Cook at 350°F for 4 to 5 minutes, flip, spray again, and cook another 4 to 5 minutes until it reaches 165°F.
- Work in Batches: Cook in batches if needed, so everything cooks evenly.
- Finish: Add the cooked chicken to the baking dish and continue with the recipe starting at step 6.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Baked Sweet Hawaiian Chicken
Delicious chicken that gets breaded and baked in a sweet and tangy pineapple sauce. It bakes to perfection and is so much better than takeout!
Equipment
- 1 large nonstick skillet 12 or 14-inch
- 1 9 x 13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1.5 pounds
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ¼ cups cornstarch
- 3 large beaten eggs
- ⅓ cup canola oil or vegetable oil
Sweet Hawaiian Sauce
- 1 ½ cups pineapple juice
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup soy sauce low-sodium for less salt
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic about 1 large clove
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 ½ teaspoons
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper about 1 medium bell pepper
- 1 (20-ounce) drained can pineapple tidbits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, then set aside.
- Cut 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season well with ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Add 1 ¼ cups cornstarch to a large ziplock bag, and 3 large beaten eggs to a bowl. Add the diced chicken to the ziplock bag and close it securely before shaking vigorously, until all the chicken is evenly coated in cornstarch.
- Dip each piece of chicken into the eggs until coated. To prevent the chicken from sticking, you can place the coated pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Heat ⅓ cup canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the breaded chicken in 2-3 batches until browned. No need to cook them completely through, since they will finish cooking in the oven. Add the browned pieces to the prepared baking dish.
- Combine 1 ½ cups pineapple juice, ¾ cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup soy sauce, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a medium bowl, then pour over the chicken.
- Top with 1 cup diced red bell pepper and 1 (20-ounce) drained can pineapple tidbits.
- Bake uncovered for 1 hour, stirring the chicken every 15-20 minutes or so to coat it evenly in the sauce. Let the dish stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
-
- Leftover, Make Ahead, and Reheating Instructions
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze pan-fried chicken on a parchment-lined sheet for 1 to 2 hours until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Store sauce separately. Bake from frozen with sauce, adding 10 to 15 minutes. Freeze up to 3 months.
- Make Ahead: Sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Don’t prep the chicken early or it will get soggy.
- Reheat: Warm on the stove over medium heat, stirring often, until heated through. Avoid the microwave so the chicken stays tender.
Nutrition
Calories: 446kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 23gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 1163mgPotassium: 589mgFiber: 2gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 748IUVitamin C: 36mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
Tried this recipe today. My family said it tasted better than Panda Express. Love it!!
This receipe is delicious. Mh mom and I made it. We did double the sauce. OMG the c;icken is tender and the flavor is unbelievable. Thanms for posting . Your directions were easy to follow.
Hi, In the picture there seems to be spring onion but not on the recipe list? Looking forward to trying it looks yummy!
I made this tonight and it didn’t thicken up, maybe I should use more cornstarch than called for??
Yes. If it didn’t thicken up just add a little cornstarch.
Made this tonight for my family with 2 extremely picky eaters. Happy to report they all loved it. I added the red bell pepper as a garnish at the table along with fresh pineapple and fresh mango. Delicious!
I copied thus recipe to a tee. It as delicious, however; mine was very dark. Suggestions
Can the juice of the pineapple tidbits be used as the “1 cup pineapple juice”?
I am struggling to find a bottle of pineapple juice..
Yes for sure!
Can u make ahead and put in baking dish in fridge until an hour before dinner ? Or would the end result be soggy? It looks delicious!
I have made the actual chicken and breaded it and put it in the fridge until it was ready to bake. I would wait to add the sauce until you put it in the oven. 🙂
Any idea how many calories are in a serving?
I don’t but My fitness Pal is a great tool!
This recipe is super good!!! The only thing I’d do different is fry the chicken in flour and than heat up the sauce separate and pour over when serving . I like more of a crunch with my chicken. Very good though!!!
I just want to double check please….as to the corn starch….it is 1 1/2 cups correct?…it seems i have to rate this recipe before i can post my question…i put in 3 since i assume that is ok and i have not tried the finished product although it does look nice for a change….thank you in advance for your measurement response.
Some of the cornstarch is used to coat the chicken. You use 1 1/2 cup to coat the chicken. Then when you are making the sauce you only use 1/2 tablespoon. I hope this helps! Let me know how it turns out!
Do you think could also be done in a slow cooker?
I have made it in the slow cooker. Although I wouldn’t bread the chicken if putting it in the slow cooker because it would become soggy.
Just tried this recipe. Picky Husband gave it a thumbs up
Instead fried them in the pan. Can i cook them in the oven and then make the sauce
I think that would also work. The breading just gives it the authentic takeout taste. 🙂
This might be a silly question, but does the recipe call for red bell peppers or red peppers? I know it says red peppers, but where I live the phrases are used interchangeably.
It is red bell peppers. 🙂
I just found this recipe & it will be supper tomorrow nite,I can taste it already,thanks,will comment after supper for sure