Crockpot Hawaiian Shredded Chicken Bowl Recipe
This slow cooker Hawaiian shredded chicken bowl takes the flavors of Hawaiian pineapple chicken and piles them poke-bowl-style with fresh toppings on a bed of jasmine rice to create a nutritious, flavorful meal that can be prepped ahead with minimal hands-on work. Cooked mostly in the slow cooker, this dish makes meal planning for the week a breeze.
Poke, a beloved and ancient Hawaiian dish featuring lightly marinated diced fresh fish, got a major boost of Asian-inspired flavors with the arrival of Japanese and other Asian immigrants in Hawaii during the 1970s. That's when Hawaiian pineapple chicken became especially popular, inspired by the canned products and tropical presentation fashionable in the day. We wanted to take this retro dish and give it a decidedly fresh, California-cuisine-inspired overhaul with toppings and seasonings that would be more at home in modern kitchens. Making most of this dish in the crockpot means you can easily cook on Sunday, take any leftover rice, dice your toppings, and assemble your bowls for the week within a few short hours.
According to Ksenia Prints of Thermocookery, this Hawaiian shredded chicken bowl draws inspiration from the vibrant flavors and spirit of poke, offering a convenient and delicious twist on a classic by slow-cooking tender chicken with tropical ingredients like pineapple, ginger, and soy sauce. Whether you're a fan of traditional pineapple chicken, or looking to add some new life to your meal rotation, this recipe is sure to become a favorite.
Gather the ingredients for Hawaiian chicken bowls
There are several components to making these Hawaiian poke-inspired chicken bowls. For the slow-cooked pineapple chicken, you'll need a neutral oil, for cooking, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, a can of crushed pineapple, pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, fresh ginger, rice vinegar, and red onion. To assemble the bowls themselves, you'll want to cook jasmine rice, then top it with sliced avocado, diced fresh pineapple, shelled edamame, and sliced scallions. For the sriracha mayo that adds spice and creaminess to the dish, grab mayonnaise, sriracha, and honey. A sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds will complete the dish.
Step 1: Preheat skillet
Preheat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Sear the chicken
Sear the chicken breasts in the hot skillet for 2-3 minutes per side until browned.
Step 3: Add chicken to the slow cooker
Transfer the seared chicken to the slow cooker.
Step 4: Add the flavorings
Add the crushed pineapple, pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, rice vinegar, and diced red onion to the slow cooker.
Step 5: Cook on low
Cook on low for 6 hours.
Step 6: Combine rice and water
While the chicken is cooking, combine the rice and water in a saucepan in a 1:2 ratio. Add a pinch of salt.
Step 7: Cook the rice
Cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
Step 8: Fluff the rice
Leave with the lid on for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Step 9: Shred the chicken
Shred the chicken using two forks.
Step 10: Mix the chicken with sauce
Mix the shredded chicken with the sauce.
Step 11: Make sriracha mayo
Prepare the sriracha mayo by whisking mayonnaise, sriracha, and honey in a small bowl.
Step 12: Assemble the bowls
To assemble the bowls, place a portion of rice in each bowl and top with shredded chicken, sliced avocado, diced fresh pineapple, shelled edamame, and sliced scallions.
Step 13: Garnish and serve
Drizzle sriracha mayo over each bowl, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top, and serve immediately.
Crockpot Hawaiian Shredded Chicken Bowl Recipe
Hawaiian pineapple chicken gets a decidedly fresh overhaul in this poke bowl recipe, and the slow cooker makes it a convenient way to prepare a nutritious meal.

Ingredients
- For the chicken
- 2 tablespoons oil, for cooking
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup crushed pineapple
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 red onion, diced
- For serving
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- 4 scallions, sliced
- For the sriracha mayo
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 1 tablespoon honey
- For garnish
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Directions
- Preheat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat.
- Sear the chicken breasts in the hot skillet for 2-3 minutes per side until browned.
- Transfer the seared chicken to the slow cooker.
- Add the crushed pineapple, pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, rice vinegar, and diced red onion to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6 hours.
- While the chicken is cooking, combine the rice and water in a saucepan in a 1:2 ratio. Add a pinch of salt.
- Cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Leave with the lid on for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
- Shred the chicken using two forks.
- Mix the shredded chicken with the sauce.
- Prepare the sriracha mayo by whisking mayonnaise, sriracha, and honey in a small bowl.
- To assemble the bowls, place a portion of rice in each bowl and top with shredded chicken, sliced avocado, diced fresh pineapple, shelled edamame, and sliced scallions.
- Drizzle sriracha mayo over each bowl, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top, and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories per Serving | 1,167 |
Total Fat | 47.8 g |
Saturated Fat | 7.0 g |
Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
Cholesterol | 176.8 mg |
Total Carbohydrates | 117.2 g |
Dietary Fiber | 9.5 g |
Total Sugars | 27.5 g |
Sodium | 1,353.4 mg |
Protein | 66.8 g |
What are some variations on these Hawaiian chicken bowls?
The beauty of rice bowls is how perfectly easy they are to customize to suit your taste and preferences or what you have in your pantry. One of our favorite switches is to swap out the rice for a mix of quinoa and brown rice, or even arugula and kale for a low-carb version of this bowl. Another great topping for poke bowls is regular sweet onions or even pickled onions. If you're cooking for a vegan or vegetarian, you can swap out the chicken for a plant-based alternative like shredded tofu, seitan, or tempeh, which can be marinated and cooked similarly to the chicken. Additionally, to move away from the canned pineapple that we borrowed from the original recipe for pineapple chicken, you can opt for fresher ingredients and simply replace the canned crushed pineapple with an equal amount of pureed fresh pineapple. For the pineapple juice, you can either juice the pineapple yourself or use store-bought 100% pineapple juice.
To add more texture and nutrients, pile in other vegetables like sweet bell peppers, roasted broccoli rabe, or another favorite, purple cabbage salad. For a more authentic Hawaiian flavor, you can replace the jasmine rice with traditional Hawaiian sticky rice. A topping of macadamia nuts would add a welcome crunch to the bowls.
What can you serve alongside these pineapple chicken bowls?
To create a full Hawaiian-inspired feast, pair your Hawaiian chicken bowls with a real luau of side dishes and desserts. A classic option is Hawaiian macaroni salad, a creamy and tangy pasta salad that perfectly complements the flavors of the chicken. If you're looking for a cross of American and Hawaiian flavors, then this Thanksgiving-inspired pineapple stuffing may be for you. This sweet and savory stuffing incorporates cubed Hawaiian sweet bread, fresh pineapple, and a blend of herbs and spices for something that feels comforting and unique all at once.
To wash it all down, mix up a batch of Hawaiian iced tea, a tropical and boozy take on the classic Long Island iced tea. This refreshing cocktail combines vodka, gin, rum, tequila, lemon, and lime juice with pineapple for a sweet and potent drink.
No Hawaiian feast is complete without a sweet treat, and our Hawaiian butter mochi recipe is the perfect way to end your meal. This chewy, coconut-filled dessert is made with glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, and butter, resulting in a rich and satisfying square that's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.