Hula' Chicken

My husband and I have been to the Hawaiian islands 5 times in the last 13 years, (visiting 4 of the islands).  And during each visit we have enjoyed hula' chicken, (pronounced who lee chicken).  It is a wonderful blend of many cultures combining pineapple, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha sauce which make the most wonderful flavors that dance on your tongue.  And served over a bed of rice, it is a bit of heaven on earth.  Back home, every year during the state fair, we would visit every vendor selling hula' chicken trying to find the one that could replicate the actual Hawaiian version.  Then about 4 years ago, we found the one!  A Polynesian family that actually makes it exactly like they do on the islands.

Now I am going to share with you the recipe.  And the best part is - you cook it in your slow cooker.  You don't have to fuss over the sauce, and you don't have to heat up the kitchen.  This recipe will easily feed 4 to 6 people.

 You will need:
2 pounds of chicken thighs/legs (or breasts)
1 20 oz can crushed (or diced) pineapple
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cloves fresh garlic (finely chopped)
1 Tablespoons ginger, (grated)
2 Tablespoons sriracha sauce

 First I remove the skin and excess fat pieces from the chicken and cut the legs from the thighs. (Removing the fat pockets, means your sauce will be less fatty).

NOTE:  You can use boneless, skinless pieces - but I find regular leg/thigh pieces to be less costly and more flavor.  You can also use chicken breast, but they are not as moist as the legs and thigh.  Plus they are more costly, so why spend the money for chicken that your going to cook and shred up into a sauce.

 Drain the juice from the pineapple, and measure to make sure you have 1 cup of juice.  If you are short, add just enough water to make 1 cup.

Note:  I really press my pineapple to get every bit of the juice out and as you can see, I got ONE cup.   I also like to use the crushed pineapple, so that it gives a more smoother sauce for the chicken, but diced pineapple will also work.

Grate your ginger - 1 Tablespoon

Also, finely chop, 2 cloves of garlic.

Turn on the slow cooker, (low heat, so it can start warming up).  And pour in the pineapple juice.

 Add 1/3 cup soy sauce.

 Add 1/2 cup ketchup

 Add 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

Add 1/3 cup packed brown sugar

Add 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic.

 Add the grated ginger.

Add the sriracha sauce.  

Stir everything well.

 Add 1/2 of the pineapple, and stir well.

Add the chicken, give it a turn to coat all the pieces with the sauce.

Add the rest of the pineapple on top of the chicken.  Add the cover to the slow cooker, cook on low for 6 hours, (or on high for 4 hours), or until chicken is completely cooked.

 Once the chicken is cooked completely, remove and let cool until you can handle it.

 Notice how nice and thick the sauce is, but it's not overly thick and goopy.

Once the chicken is cooled, shred the chicken.  You will notice that the chicken is falling off the bone and easy to pull apart.

And if you do a "taste test", it is really good !

Add the chicken back to the sauce, and stir everything well.


Now, is the time to cook your rice.

OK - see how wonderfully the sauce coats the chicken.  And the smell is also wonderful.  You can smell the sweet pineapple, and the soy sauce.  It just smells like the islands.

Tonight I am serving my hula' chicken over brown rice garnished with some cilantro, with a tossed salad, (with homemade salad dressing), and mixed tropical fruit for dessert.

Any leftovers make delicious sandwiches, served on buns.

Enjoy - Aloha !!