Crockpot Pineapple BBQ Chicken is the ultimate easy summer dinner! Shredded chicken is all dressed up with juicy pineapple chunks, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and the perfect blend of mouthwatering seasonings.
Crockpot Pineapple BBQ Chicken
Need a solid set it and forget it crockpot recipe that’s packed with summery flavor? This is it! Chicken is cooked low and slow to shreddable perfection with a medley of bold flavors. It’s got the best balance of sweet, smoky, tangy, and savory ingredients. After all, when a recipe calls for things like brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapples and more, you just know it’s going to be good. There’s also just enough garlic in the mix to bring it all home!
Check out more of my favorite crockpot chicken dinner recipes like crockpot buffalo chicken tacos, crockpot lemon pepper butter chicken, and crockpot cajun chicken.
How do I serve it?
I love serving pineapple BBQ chicken on top of white rice with some green onions to brighten things up even more. You could also toss it between some buns (regular or slider size), or even put it in tortillas and have a fun taco night!
How to Make Crockpot Pineapple BBQ Chicken
- Season the chicken. Place the chicken in the bottom of your crockpot. Sprinkle with brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and rub it in.
- Make the sauce. Whisk together the bbq sauce, soy sauce, and garlic. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Then, pour pineapple chunks over the chicken.
- Cook. Cover the crockpot and cook the chicken on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
- Enjoy! When chicken is done cooking, shred and serve over rice and topped with more pineapple and green onions.
Storing
You can store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Try to store a lot of the sauce with it so it doesn’t dry out (and you don’t want that liquid gold going to waste anyways)!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Breasts – You can swap these with boneless, skinless chicken thighs if preferred.
- Brown Sugar – You can skip this if you don’t want the extra touch of sweetness, but I really love how it caramelizes the sauce.
- Seasonings – Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Be sure to really rub the seasonings into the chicken before pouring on the sauce!
- BBQ Sauce – Use whatever your favorite brand is.
- Soy Sauce – You can swap this with coconut aminos or tamari if preferred. I like to go for low-sodium options to keep the salty flavor to a minimum.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic is my go-to. If you’re in a pinch, you can always just add more garlic powder.
- Pineapple Chunks – I use two cans for this recipe. One can goes in the crockpot, and the other is used to serve on top.
Variations to Try
- Make it spicy. Add red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or a few spoonfuls of diced jalapeños to the sauce. A spicy BBQ sauce also works great!
- Add bell peppers. Chopped red, yellow, or green bell peppers all work well. Stir them in during the last hour of cooking so they don’t get mushy.
- Add a little lime. A squeeze of fresh lime juice right before serving brightens the sauce and cuts through the sweetness!
- Top with sesame seeds. Sesame seeds add a delicate crunch and pair perfectly with the soy sauce. Sprinkle them over each bowl before serving.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Crockpot Pineapple BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Pounds Chicken Breasts
- 1 Tablespoon Brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 1/2 Cups BBQ sauce
- 1 Teaspoon Soy sauce
- 1 tsp Garlic minced
- 1-2 20 Ounce Cans Pineapple chunks I like to use a full can in the crockpot and another can for serving
- Rice for serving, Optional
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker. Sprinkle with the brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to taste. In a small bowl, whisk together the bbq sauce, soy sauce, and minced garlic. Pour sauce over chicken. Pour 1 can of pineapple chunks over the chicken.
- Cover the crockpot and cook the chicken on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
- When chicken is done cooking, shred and serve over rice and topped with more pineapple and green onion if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is absolutely the easiest, most delicious crock pot meal I have ever made! The family loved it and I will be making this again soon! This may sound strange but my sons made fried egg sandwiches and put some of the chicken on them and said it was delicious!!
Was good! Will make again. My only complaint is the recipe didn’t say whether to drain the pineapple or not, was good regardless. I found in the comments that it said to drain, but by then it was too late, still tasted good though. I added sriacha for a little kick. Next time I might add jalapeños. And I’ll probably drain the juice, or save the juice see which way i like better. I actually made mine like a quesadilla with pepper jack cheesw, and sour cream which was good was different😊 But I’ll try next time with coconut rice, maybe another time on a bun.
I drained the pineapple