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Hawaiian Baked Chicken

Hawaiian Baked Chicken marinated in a garlicky-pineapple juice mixture is the most flavorful chicken you will ever make! It’s a fast and easy recipe the whole family will love!

Baked chicken breasts can be used to make some of the easiest, family friendly recipes you can think of! For more recipe ideas, check out this classic recipe for Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breasts, these Hasselback Tuscan Baked Chicken Breasts and one of my favorites, Easy Cheesy Baked Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms!

Two platefuls of Hawaiian baked chicken served with a pineapple topping.

Sweet & Savory Hawaiian Baked Chicken

Winner winner, chicken dinner (again!). This is my go-to recipe for an easy chicken dinner that just so happens to be jam-packed full of awesome. All the similar sweet and savory, tropical flavors of a Hawaiian pizza, in the form of a pineapple chicken recipe! You really can’t go wrong.

This Hawaiian baked chicken is so flavorful. It’s zesty, it’s garlicky, it’s pineapple-y. Made a little smokey with a dash of paprika. Everyone in our family absolutely loves this recipe. It’s like a tropical vacation in food form; something about the freshness of it just puts us in summer mode! I make this recipe all year round, whenever I’m feeling like an easy weeknight meal. 

The ingredients for Hawaiian baked chicken: Chicken breasts, butter, paprika, pepper, dijon mustard, pineapple chunks, honey and lemon.

Recipe Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you’ll need to make this sweet and savory Hawaiian baked chicken:

For the Marinade

  • Chicken: I use chicken breast halves for this recipe as they’re a little thinner and bake more evenly.
  • Pineapple Juice: For the marinade, you’ll use the juice from one can of prepared pineapple chunks. Set aside the pineapple itself for the topping.
  • Garlic: 3 whole cloves, minced.
  • Lemon Juice: For an extra boost of acidity.
  • Lemon Zest
  • Paprika
  • Salt & Pepper

For the Pineapple Topping

  • Pineapple: One can of pineapple chunks, less the juice used in the marinade.
  • Butter: For a rich depth of flavor.
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Honey

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

Boneless, skinless cuts like chicken breasts or chicken thighs are the best to use for this recipe. These cuts are easy to halve or butterfly in order to cook more evenly – not to mention more quickly. And evenly cooked chicken is the key to tender chicken! Chicken tenderloin is also a decent substitute.

Chunks of pineapple are cooked in a skillet with melted butter, surrounded by jars of dijon and honey, and a garlic bulb.

How to Make Hawaiian Baked Chicken

Here’s how to make this Hawaiian chicken dish in 5 easy steps and with minimal prep:

Prep the Chicken: First, you’ll need to lightly pound your boneless chicken breasts, emphasis on lightly! We don’t want flattened chicken – just tenderized a bit.

Marinate the Chicken: Combine the chicken breasts with the marinade ingredients in a large sealable bag. Close it up and leave it to marinate for a few hours in the fridge.

Transfer to a Pan: Remove the chicken from the bag and transfer the pieces to a lightly greased baking pan. Discard any excess marinade and set the chicken aside while you mix up the pineapple topping.

Chunks of pineapple are cooked in a skillet with melted butter.

Prepare the Pineapple Topping: In a pan with melted butter, stir in the pineapple chunks and topping ingredients to cook for a couple of minutes until bubbly. Remove the mixture from the heat and spoon it generously over the chicken breasts.

Bake: Pop the baking pan into a preheated oven and bake until the chicken is tender and juicy. Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature if needed! Once it’s ready, remove your pineapple chicken from the oven and serve!

Hawaiian chicken breasts arranged in a baking dish with a pineapple topping.

Tips for Success

  • Marinate the Chicken Long Enough: I recommend 3-4 hours for this recipe, but you can also prepare the marinade the day before and leave your chicken to marinate overnight before baking. You can make the whole meal ahead by prepping the pineapple topping, too. Then all you need to do is cook, assemble, and bake!
  • Prevent the Topping from Burning: If you find that the pineapple is caramelizing too quickly in your oven, or becoming a little too dark, you can cover the baking dish with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
  • Drain the Pineapple Well: Make sure you get as much liquid out of the pineapple chunks before cooking, to make sure the dish doesn’t get overly watery. 
  • Don’t Overcook the Chicken: Overcooked chicken will become dry, so keep an eye and use a meat thermometer if you have one! The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Two platefuls of Hawaiian baked chicken served with a pineapple topping.

Serving Suggestions

This Hawaiian baked chicken is just so easy to dress up for a family meal! I like amping up the tropical flavors and serving this Hawaiian chicken with a side of light Coconut Cauliflower Rice. It’s also delicious with this zesty Lemon Rice that really brings out the lemon in the marinade.

Enjoy this tasty chicken recipe next to these other summer-y, easy side dishes:

You can also use any leftovers in sandwiches, on top of homemade pizza, or in chicken wraps (either the regular kind or chicken lettuce wraps!).

Two platefuls of Hawaiian baked chicken served with a pineapple topping.

How to Store Pineapple Chicken

Leftover Hawaiian chicken can be stored all together, or divided into single-serving portions. Store in an airtight container or resealable bag in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. 

This chicken reheats really well if popped into the microwave, or in the oven covered in foil for a few minutes until heated through.

Can I Freeze This?

You can freeze both cooked and uncooked Hawaiian chicken for up to 2 months.

  • To Freeze Uncooked Chicken: Prep the marinated chicken and pineapple topping, then combine them in a freezer-safe dish to store frozen. Thaw frozen pineapple chicken in the fridge and then bake as usual.
  • To Freeze Cooked Chicken: Let the baked pineapple chicken cool completely and then divide the pieces into freezer-safe containers in single portions to freeze. Reheat the portions from frozen in the oven or microwave.
Two platefuls of Hawaiian baked chicken served with a pineapple topping.

More Easy Chicken Dinners to Try

Two platefuls of Hawaiian baked chicken served with a pineapple topping.

Hawaiian Baked Chicken

Katerina | Diethood
Hawaiian Baked Chicken marinated in a garlicky-pineapple juice mixture is the most flavorful chicken you will ever make! It’s a fast and easy recipe the whole family will love!
4.43 from 7 votes
Servings : 4
Prep Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 4 hours

Ingredients
  

For the Marinade
  • 4 chicken breast halves
  • 1 can (20-oz) pineapple chunks, juice reserved
  • 3 garlic cloves , minced
  • salt and fresh ground pepper , to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/8 teaspoon paprika
For the Pineapple Topping
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 can (20-oz.) pineapple chunks

Instructions
 

  • Lightly pound chicken just enough to even it out; do not pound it thin.
  • In a large plastic ziploc bag, combine chicken breasts, pineapple juice, minced garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and paprika.
  • Seal bag and place in fridge for 3 to 4 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 400˚F.
  • Lightly grease a baking pan with cooking spray.
  • Remove chicken from bag and shake off any excess; discard marinade mixture.
  • Transfer chicken to prepared baking pan; set aside.
  • In a frying pan, melt butter over medium-high heat.
  • Add mustard, honey, and pineapple chunks; stirring occasionally, cook for 2 minutes, or until bubbly and fragrant.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Spoon pineapple mixture over chicken.
  • Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is tender.
  • Remove from oven.
  • Serve.

Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: DIETHOOD
 

Nutrition

Calories: 202 kcal | Carbohydrates: 5 g | Protein: 24 g | Fat: 8 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g | Cholesterol: 87 mg | Sodium: 224 mg | Potassium: 427 mg | Fiber: 0 g | Sugar: 4 g | Vitamin A: 240 IU | Vitamin C: 4.1 mg | Calcium: 10 mg | Iron: 0.5 mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked chicken breast, baked chicken recipe, oven baked chicken breast, pineapple chicken, pineapple chicken recipe
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53 comments on “Hawaiian Baked Chicken”

  1. Avatar photo
    Maureen | Orgasmic Chef

    Gosh this chicken looks delicious! I’m all for the sweetness the pineapple brings to the dish.

  2. We are painting our bedroom and redecorating so I think I would get anew bedset and curtains if I won.

  3. Avatar photo
    Trish - Mom On Timeout

    Ooh! This chicken looks sooo good Kate! I love pineapples so this would be a definite win for me 🙂 Pinned!

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  5. Avatar photo
    Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie

    I would buy some baby clothes for my soon-to-be-born nephew (and some toys for his soon-to-be big brother), some new food plates and other props, and whatever new top catches my eye.

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  7. Avatar photo
    Emily @ Life on Food

    Cracklin Oat cereal cause it is amazing. And then probably fun home accessories. They always have the cutest things.

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