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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.
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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!
We made this tonight and my oh my… this was DELICIOUS!! Definitely going to add this to the rotation. Thank you for the recipe!!
It was definitely all she said it would be and then some
it tasted amazing but it was no where near as crunchy as in the picture. i am a decent cook but i probably just did something wrong ?
I made this last night for dinner. Delicious!! Better than any takeout, and I know what’s in it. Love your blog, and will continue to follow.
Really good. I do add cashews to mine. Yum
11:14 a.m. its in the oven now lol , dying to know how it turns out. I started last night and made the rice and sauce. Watched a video on cutting a fresh pine apple 🙂 and will get back to you after I hear the “ding” ( there is enough left over to do a 2 nd time so if turns out good will make it again.
Just ate my 1 st bowl , thats a hint its great !!! Since my oven is electric here and hate it, I left mine in 12 more minutes on hunch. I was afraid the sauce was to strong but once it went over my special fried rice it was great ! No changed in Mrs Rivers recipe and assume all know it goes over rice. love it so going in for 2 nd bowl now, thanks
Love this recipe!! I cut the recipient in half and it was still great. But… for left overs, I need more sauce. Can I just make the sauce and heat it up in the microwave to add to the leftovers?? Or should I just make the sauce and reheat the left overs and the sauce together in the microwave???♀️ Excellent dish!!
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe Sandra! Either of those options will actually work well for reheating. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your leftovers!
Hi, just wanted to let you know that this is my first feedback on a recipe.
Absolute fantastic. We made a whole gathering of friends dressed in Hawaiian attire. For sides I included stuffed tomatoes and greens, chocolate pie for dessert because I’m southern.
Only thing I changed was using amino acid sauce instead of the soy sauce.
Will be making this again.
Thanks for sharing.
Lois
Did anyone convert it to instant pot recipe? Please share!
Think I want to try to do this in the instant pot. Could cook rice at the same time.
This was so delicious! Will definitely make again!
I do not have pineapple juice, can I use the “juice” from the pineapple tidbits instead?
Yes, that will work too. It may have a different flavoring because of it but it should still taste delicious.
The sauce was tasty, but I wanted SO badly for this chicken to be crispy and not soggy.
This was good, I added a little ginger and sriracha for spice. Added a great touch! Will make again.
omg my family loved it i added Heinz Tomato sauce and some Rice wine vinegar to the sauce it was lovely Thanks.
This was amazing taste better than a restaurant!
Hi! I’m ashamed to admit but I usually don’t leave reviews, but now that I am a quarantined teacher who is teaching on line; I understand the importance. I’m constantly looking for feedback to improve my lessons. This recipe was amazing!!! I didn’t have pineapple tidbits but I increased pineapple juice by a quarter cup and added French cut green beans. Thank you for a better than take out recipe! Stay safe, stay home, wade your hands and stop touching your face(you know you were)❤️❤️❤️
Hello! Was the chicken Really crispy or on the softer side when it came out of the oven?
How many carbs are in a serving?
I like to use myfitnesspal.com for any nutritional information.