Dairy & Gluten Free Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken Recipe
Developing recipes that are full of flavor, easy to make for a family, and most importantly gluten free, is a challenge. You can throw in dairy free restrictions with a slow cooker Hawaiian chicken recipe.
I get tired once in a while of making separate meals for my family or serving them a meal and hearing “This is gluten free, isn’t it?” Eating a gluten free diet, out of necessity or choice, is not always the easiest task.
Gluten is lurking in places we may not suspect. After years of living gluten free out of necessity You don’t need to be gluten or dairy free to love this slow cooker Hawaiian chicken recipe, is inspired by Huli Huli Chicken, a local favorite in Hawaii.
This decidedly untraditional but tasty version is made completely gluten free, dairy free and even a little healthier than the grilled original. By cutting out the super salty soy sauce and swapping a few ingredients for the sugary ketchup, this recipe is one you can enjoy any day of the week without guilt.
Soy sauce has been replaced by Coconut Aminos, although you can use a gluten free Tamari sauce as well. Best of all the chicken and the sauce cook together perfectly in your Crock Pot, making the best slow cooker Hawaiian chicken recipe.
You just go about your day and come back later to a great dinner. If you remember those sweet and salty slow cooker dishes your mom used to make, I bet there was a pineapple chicken in that rotation.
This is not that dish! The lightly sweet sauce relies on just a little brown sugar and pineapple. What it lacks in the old sticky sweetness, it makes up for in a gingery and tangy kick.
Dairy and Gluten Free Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken Recipe Ingredients
The chicken could be the star, but since chicken has little to no flavor on its own, the sauce will be the standout star. This recipe uses coconut aminos instead of soy sauce to make it gluten free.
It still packs the umami punch of a traditional soy sauce so no one will be able to tell the difference! The recipe is very close to the traditional recipe with brown sugar, honey, lime, pineapple juice, and tomato paste.
There is a little spice added to the recipe with ginger and garlic, but it’s mild and beautifully balanced. Another important tip is to keep corn starch and water nearby.
Corn starch mixed with a little water is a good way to thicken up the sauce if needed.
Dairy and Gluten Free Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken Recipe Directions
Spray the inside of your slow cooker with non-stick spray (optional). You can also use some liners to make your cleanup easier.
Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts. Then place them in the slow cooker.
Zest one lime.
In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, coconut aminos, honey, tomato paste, pineapple, ginger, garlic, vinegar, and the lime juice. Whisk until smooth with just pineapple chunks.
Pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker.
Sprinkle the lime zest over the top.
Turn your slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove the breasts from the sauce and place in a large bowl.
Shred the chicken using 2 forks, until you have an even consistency.
OPTIONAL: In the meantime, turn the slow cooker to high heat and combine the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl or cup. Slowly add it to the sauce over high heat, stirring the whole time to combine and thicken the sauce.
Cook for about 10 minutes. When the chicken is shredded and the sauce has thickened to your liking, place the chicken back into the slow cooker and combine the sauce with it.
Turn the Crock-Pot to off or warm. To keep the meal gluten free, serve the slow cooker Hawaiian chicken recipe with rice or over cabbage slaw. Top with scallions and, if you want a little extra kick, a drizzle of hot sauce — Sriracha is my favorite!
Dairy and Gluten Free Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chicken Breasts
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 3/4 cup Coconut Aminos
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 1 tbs Tomato Paste
- 1 Lime Juice and Zest
- Crushed Pineapple with Juice 14 Oz Can
- 1/2 tsp Ginger
- 1/2 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
- Salt/Pepper To Taste
- 1 tsp Cornstarch Mixed with 1/2 Cup Cold Water
- Scallions Sliced
- Hot Sauce Optional for Serving
Instructions
- Spray the inside of your Crock-Pot with a nonstick spray (optional).
- Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts. Then place them in the slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, coconut aminos, honey, tomato paste, pineapple, ginger, garlic, vinegar, and the lime juice. Whisk until smooth with just pineapple chunks.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the lime zest over the top.
- Turn your Crock-Pot to low and cook for 8-10 hours.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove the breasts from the sauce and place in a large bowl.
- Shred the chicken using 2 forks, until you have an even consistency.
- OPTIONAL: In the meantime, turn the Crock-Pot to high heat and combine the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl or cup. Slowly add it to the sauce over high heat, stirring the whole time to combine and thicken the sauce. Cook for about 10 minutes.
- When the chicken is shredded and the sauce has thickened to your liking, place the chicken back into the Crock-Pot and combine the sauce with it. Turn the Crock-Pot to off or warm.
- To keep the meal gluten-free, serve the Hawaiian Chicken with rice or over cabbage slaw.
- Top with scallions and hot sauce, I use Sriracha, for a little extra kick!
More Dairy Free Recipes
Crock Pot Dairy Free Beef Stroganoff with Coconut Milk | One of the first things people do when they switch to dairy-free living is to find alternatives like coconut milk.
Slow Cooker Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole | Dairy Free Crock Pot Recipe | Of course, not every recipe is one that requires you to find alternatives when cooking.
Shredded Chicken Tacos Crockpot Recipe (Dairy Free & Ketogenic) | Some recipes are already dairy free; you just need to make sure they stay that way.
Three Ingredient Crock Pot Beef Roast with Vegetables {Dairy Free} | You will learn that dairy is in a lot of unhealthy foods but not in healthy ones.
Dairy Free Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas Recipe | Or in recipes that we already love to enjoy.
