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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!
This was delicious! I am gluten sensitive, so I was excited that this used cornstarch. I had chicken tenders, so I didn’t even cut them into bites. I am an insecure, reluctant cook, and I didn’t do a very good job of frying the chicken crispy enough, but it was still fabulous! Can’t wait to have the leftovers tonight! This will be a regular in our meal rotation!
Holy Hawaii this dish is DELICIOUS and couldn’t be any more EASY!! I had company coming. Did know for sure if they were going to make it for lunch or dinner. Made it ahead. Reheated it. Still DELUCIOUS° Even kept some crispiiness. LOVE IT!!
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.
Hi, I thought this could be cooked in a crockpot. Thanks
I have not tried it in a slow cooker yet. Let me know how it turns out!
Have A Good Day
I’m a horrible cook and I hate cooking with a burning passion and every fiber of my being. That said, this was actually easy and it turned out SO GOOD!! Thank you for giving me one recipe I can be confident in!
Wow, my husband made this for us tonight and it was fantastic! He made Marizetti Hawaiian coleslaw pair with it. Summer fave! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I searched your comment section but I couldn’t find out if the chicken should have been baked without being covered with foil… would that have made my chicken crispier?
You can bake it covered then the last 10 minutes uncovered for a crispy outside.
This was awesome! My first attempt at Chinese. I have one question … I had a lot of chicken so I whipped up some of the Firecracker chicken sauce (which we loved even more) and put it in a separate baking dish to cook as well. I was wondering if you could freeze some of the chicken after frying it (before baking it) to use with a different sauce at a later time?
This recipe is easy to make and taste just like what you would eat in a Asian restaurant
Fixin to try this… but if I dont have soy sauce, can i use teriyaki sauce instead?
Yes, that is a great substitute.
Can you use and air fryer for the chicken?
That sounds great! I have not used the air fryer for this recipe. Let me know how it turn out!
Can I use veggie oil instead of canola and get the same/similar results? I’m not super familiar with canola oil
Yes, that will work too!
I’ve made this recipe numerous times. It is by far a household favorite. I’m making it tomorrow for our whole family dinner. I’m curious if I can cook the chicken part today, and complete tomorrow? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for sharing this recipe! We love it!!!!
BEST pineapple chicken recipe I’ve ever made! I cooked it on the stovetop instead of baking it in the oven. Added freshly grated ginger and doubled the pineapple juice and thickener to make more sauce.
I have made this recipe twice. The first time it was tasty but a little dry. The second time I doubled the sauce and that was amazing. So flavorful and moist. I will make it again. My family loves it!