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This baked Hawaiian chicken marinated in a garlicky pineapple sauce is the most flavorful chicken you will ever make! It’s a fast and easy dinner that you can prep ahead on weeknights.
I love using boneless, skinless chicken breasts in loads of family-friendly recipes, from honey sriracha chicken to baked lemon chicken, and this incredible pineapple chicken!
Winner winner, chicken dinner (again!). This baked Hawaiian chicken is my go-to recipe for an easy chicken dinner that just so happens to be jam-packed-full of awesome. It has 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.
Why I Love This Hawaiian Chicken Recipe
- Flavor-packed. 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. So good!
- Family pleasing. 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!
- Quick and easy. I make this chicken recipe all year round, whenever I’m feeling like an easy weeknight meal. Just add a side of Instant Pot jasmine rice.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are some notes on the key ingredients you’ll need to make this sweet and savory Hawaiian chicken. Scroll down to the printable recipe card after the post for a full list along with recipe details.
- Chicken – I use chicken breast halves for this recipe as they’re a little thinner and bake more evenly. Otherwise, consider cutting whole breasts in half or pounding them to an even thickness.
- Pineapple Juice – You’ll need one can of prepared pineapple chunks. You’ll use the juice for the marinade, and set aside the pineapple itself for the topping.
- Garlic – Freshly minced. You can also substitute 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder for each fresh clove of garlic in a pinch.
- Lemon – Fresh lemon juice and zest. Zest the lemon before you juice it!
- Paprika – In addition to salt and pepper, I whisk paprika into the marinade as it adds a nice smokiness. Feel free to play around with different spices and seasonings as you like. You could also use cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes (for a spicy kick).
For the Pineapple Topping
- Canned Pineapple – Just the pineapple chunks, less the juice used in the marinade.
- Butter – You could also use olive oil.
- Dijon Mustard – Or another kind, like yellow mustard or spicy brown mustard.
- Honey – If needed, substitute honey for brown sugar or a sweetener of your choice, like agave.
What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?
Boneless, skinless cuts like chicken breasts or chicken thighs are the best to use for this Hawaiian chicken recipe. These cuts are easy to halve or butterfly so that they cook more evenly (not to mention more quickly). Even cooking is the key to tender chicken! Chicken tenderloin is also a decent substitute.
How to Make Hawaiian Chicken
Here’s how to make this flavorful and juicy 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.
- 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!
Recipe Tips
- 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. If needed, check out my juicy oven baked chicken breasts recipe for more tips on how to bake chicken in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
Hawaiian chicken is 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, or this zesty lemon rice that brings out the lemon in the marinade. This juicy chicken also goes great with more easy side dishes, like mashed potatoes, crispy roasted potatoes dipped in garlic aioli, or a crunchy green bean salad. For dessert, we love these fudgy brownies or a slice of German marble cake!
How to Store Leftover Chicken
- Refrigerate. 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.
- Reheat. This chicken reheats really well if popped into the microwave, or in the oven covered in foil for a few minutes until heated through.
- Freeze. You can freeze this Hawaiian chicken for up to 2 months. 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.
Use leftovers in sandwiches, on top of homemade pizza, or in chicken wraps (either the regular kind or chicken lettuce wraps). I like to dice up the leftover chicken to add to a Hawaiian macaroni salad!
More Baked Chicken Recipes
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Hawaiian Chicken
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 4 chicken breast halves
- 1 can (20 ounces) 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 ounces) pineapple chunks
Instructions
- Pound the chicken. Lightly pound the chicken just enough to even it out. Do not pound it thin.
- Marinate. In a large plastic Ziploc bag, combine chicken breasts, pineapple juice, minced garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and paprika. Seal the bag and place it in the fridge for 3 to 4 hours.
- Prep. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Lightly grease a baking pan with cooking spray.
- Take the chicken out. Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess. Discard leftover marinade mixture. Transfer chicken to prepared baking pan; set aside.
- Make the topping. 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.
- Bake. Spoon pineapple mixture over chicken. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Remove from oven and serve.
Nutrition
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.
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