Instant Pot Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken

Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken is full of fresh pineapple chunks, juicy and tender chicken, bell peppers, onions, and a sticky sweet and spicy sauce.  This healthy, gluten-free and kid-friendly pressure cooker meal can easily be prepped ahead for busy weeks and on the dinner table in under 30 minutes!

Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken

After recently recreating and updating an old pressure cooker favorite (this Instant Pot Orange Chicken) I decided to get a little creative.

This time instead of using fresh orange juice and zest, pineapple would be the star of the show.

I have a hunch that Hawaii was on my mind since we had to postpone our 8-year anniversary trip there this summer.

While we may not be able to lounge around on beautiful white sandy beaches with a Piña Colada in hand right now…

One bite of this pineapple chicken will quickly transport you to your favorite tropical destination!

And it’s so quick and easy to make, too!  You can pop all of your ingredients into your pressure cooker and have this meal ready in under 30 minutes!

Don’t have an Instant Pot?  No problem!  Check out this Easy Pineapple Chicken Recipe that’s made on the stovetop!

Ingredients

The ingredients you will need for this recipe are incredibly easy to find at your grocery store.  Even if it’s not technically pineapple season, you’ll still be able to make this Instant Pot Hawaiian chicken by using canned pineapple chunks instead of fresh!

• Chicken – One pound of chicken breasts are tenderized and then cut into cubes.
• Starch – A starch coating gives the chicken a wonderfully crunchy exterior while keeping the inside incredibly juicy and tender.  Cornstarch or tapioca starch can be used.  All purpose flour or a gluten-free flour may be substituted if that’s what you have available.
• Vegetables – Red and green bell peppers are used along with a red onion to make this dish beautiful and brightly colored.
• Pineapple – Canned pineapple chunks in juice, not in syrup, are the best and healthiest type of fruit to use.  If you happen to have some fresh pineapple, you can also use that instead.  I would not recommend using frozen pineapple as it does not have nearly as much flavor as the canned or fresh kind.
• Sugar – A bit of regular white sugar or coconut sugar is used to sweeten up the sauce.
• Soy Sauce – A gluten-free soy sauce, Tamari sauce, or even coconut liquid aminos can be used interchangeably.  This Asian sauce gives the pineapple chicken a great salty taste.
• Lime – Fresh lime juice adds a bit of acidity to help balance out the sweet sauce.  Lemon juice can be substituted but will be a little more tart than lime juice.
• Rice vinegar – A little bit more Asian flavor and tang is added in with a bit of vinegar.  You can also substitute with apple cider vinegar if you’re on a Paleo diet.
• Sriracha – Totally optional, but a little bit of this spicy sauce will take this dish from a 0 heat level to about a 3-4 out of 10.

Preparing Juicy and Tender Chicken

One of the best parts about the Instant Pot is how juicy and tender it makes meat.

But if you want to take it a step further, there are a few things you can do when preparing your chicken so the meat literally melts in your mouth.

To do this, you’ll want to make sure and tenderize your chicken breasts with a meat mallet.

After you’ve pounded it to about 1-inch thick, cut the chicken into similarly sized 1-inch cubes.

Add the chicken to a bowl and toss with the starch or flour, salt, and pepper until it is completely coated.

Pineapple Chicken Sauce

Since we’ll be making our Hawaiian pineapple sauce for the chicken from fresh chunks, you’ll want to make sure and use a tool that will fully puree the fruit until smooth.

My recommendation for making homemade sauces and salad dressings is to use a personal-sized high-speed blender such as a Nutribullet.  It’s powerful enough to make the sauce silky smooth, but is also extremely easy to clean and put away when you’re done.

You can also use a larger blender such as a Vitamix, a large food processor, or a smaller mini-prep processor.

How to Make

Once you have your chicken prepared and the sauce made, it’s time to put it all together and cook it in your Instant Pot.

1. Add oil to a 6-quart Instant Pot while it is set to the sauté function.  Wait until the oil begins to sizzle. (step 1 above)
2. Place chicken cubes in a single layer on the bottom of the Instant Pot and sauté chicken for 2-3 minutes.  After sautéing, scrape the bottom of the pot to ensure any bits are no longer stuck. (Step 2 above)
3. Add pineapple sauce ingredients to a high speed blender.  Blend for 20-30 seconds or until sauce is completely smooth.
4. Pour sauce over chicken.  (step 3 above)
   • Be sure to lift it off the bottom of the pan so it does not burn.
5. Add chopped bell pepper and onion on top of the chicken. (step 4 above)
   • Do not stir or mix them in.
6. Place lid on Instant Pot and close pressure valve. Using the manual pressure cook function turn to High Pressure and set the timer for 5 minutes and allow a 5-minute natural pressure release.
7. Keep the lid on and the valve closed for an additional 5 minutes after the timer goes off.
   • This is called a 5-minute natural pressure release, or NPR.
8. Turn the pressure cooker off and stir in the remaining pineapple chunks that have been finely chopped.

Serving and Storing

This Hawaiian chicken tastes great when served over regular white rice, basmati rice, or even cauliflower rice.

Sprinkle a bit of finely chopped green onions and even add a bit more Sriracha sauce for more spice.

When storing leftovers, it’s best to store the rice and pineapple chicken separately.  It will keep for up to 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or up to 4-6 months when frozen.

FAQs

How do I make my chicken crispy?

It’s super important that you place the chicken in a single layer on the bottom of the pot.  This ensures the chicken gets a nice and crusty sear.

Why did I get the burn error?

Forgetting to scrape the bottom of the pot after sautéing the chicken can result in the dreaded burn error.  To avoid this, make sure you remove all of the bits and pieces of food before cooking.

Can I make this recipe in an 8-quart Instant Pot?

Yes, you absolutely can!  Since an 8-quart pressure cooker requires a minimum of 2 cups of liquid (versus 1 cup for a 6-quart) you will want to add an additional 1/4 cup of pineapple juice to the sauce.

3.92 from 24 votes

Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken

Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken is full of fresh pineapple chunks, juicy and tender chicken, bell peppers, onions, and a sticky sweet and spicy sauce.  This healthy, gluten-free and kid-friendly pressure cooker meal can easily be prepped ahead for busy weeks and on the dinner table in under 30 minutes!

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Course Dinner, lunch, Main Course, main dish

Cuisine Asian

Keyword easy, healthy, instant pot, pineapple, quick

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 5 servings

Calories 315 kcal

London Brazil

Ingredients

• 1 lb. chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¼ cup cornstarch or tapioca flour
• ¾ tsp. salt divided, to taste
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. avocado oil or olive oil
• 15- oz can pineapple chunks in juice divided
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 3 Tbsp. sugar or coconut sugar
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce Tamari sauce, or coconut liquid aminos
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 tsp. Sriracha sauce optional
• 2 bell peppers cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 red onion cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Green onions
• Rice

Instructions

1. Combine chicken cubes, starch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Toss to coat chicken completely.
2. Add oil to the Instant Pot while it is set to the sauté function and wait until the oil begins to sizzle.
3. Place chicken cubes in a single layer on the bottom of the Instant Pot and sauté for 2-3 minutes.  After sautéing, scrape the bottom of the pot to ensure any bits are no longer stuck. (This step is HUGELY important.  If you do not scrape the bottom of the pot you'll end up getting that dreaded BURN error.)
4. Add ¾ cup of pineapple chunks, ⅓ cup pineapple juice, ketchup, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, crushed garlic, Sriracha sauce, and ¾ teaspoon of salt to a high speed blender. Blend for 20-30 seconds or until sauce is completely smooth.
5. Pour sauce over chicken and be sure to lift it off the bottom of the pan so it does not burn.
6. Add chopped bell pepper and onion on top of the chicken. Do not stir or mix them in.
7. Place lid on Instant Pot and close pressure valve. Using the manual pressure cook function turn to High Pressure and set the timer for 5 minutes.
8. Keep the lid on and the valve closed for an additional 5 minutes after the timer goes off. (This is called a 5-minute natural pressure release, or NPR.)
9. Turn the Instant Pot off, and open the pressure valve. Once the lid has unlocked, you can open the pot. Stir in the remaining pineapple chunks that have been finely chopped.
10. Serve your Hawaiian chicken over cauliflower rice or regular rice and with a sprinkle of green onions.  Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

The nutritional information for this recipe is calculated without any rice or cauliflower rice.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 315 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 58mg19%

Sodium 1027mg45%

Potassium 644mg18%

Carbohydrates 38g13%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 27g30%

Protein 22g44%

Vitamin A 1622IU32%

Vitamin C 77mg93%

Calcium 33mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.