Sweet Hawaiian chicken is a popular Chinese takeout dish with stir-fried chicken, pineapple, onion, and bell pepper in a sweet, gingery, garlicky sauce.😋 This Americanized version replaces the difficult-to-find ingredients with supermarket staples.
It has the same sweet, spicy, and sour flavor profile as traditional Sweet Hawaiian chicken and makes a great weeknight dinner with a side of white rice and Chinese cucumber salad. In addition, it is very simple to prepare at home.
How to Make Sweet Hawaiian Chicken
Note: The full instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
Place the chicken into a medium mixing bowl, add the marinade ingredients, and stir to combine. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the sweet sauce ingredients; set aside.
Combine the cornstarch, ½ teaspoon granulated garlic, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk the eggs with ½ teaspoon ground black pepper and ½ teaspoon granulated garlic in a medium bowl.
Heat the oil in a 14-inch wok over medium/medium-high heat until shimmering. Then, working in batches, dredge the chicken in the egg mixture, and let the excess drip back into the bowl.
Finally, coat the flour and cornstarch mixture, press it, and move it around so it's thoroughly coated; shake off excess. Then, add the chicken pieces in a single layer-it's okay if some pieces touch.
Cook, undisturbed, for 4 to 5 minutes until the chicken turns brown and crisp. Watch carefully, and reduce the heat if it starts to burn.
Flip the pieces and continue cooking until the chicken is golden on all sides and cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes. (Thicker pieces of chicken may take a bit longer).
Remove the Sweet Hawaiian chicken from the oil and drain on a paper towel. Once you've finished frying the Sweet Hawaiian chicken, clean the wok with a paper towel using kitchen tongs and add more oil over medium heat.
When the oil is hot, add the chiles and saute for about 1 minute. Next, add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until the garlic releases its fragrance, about 1 minute or so.
Next, add the onion and bell pepper to the wok and saute for 2 - 3 minutes or until tender-crisp.
Again, mix the sweet sauce mixture well to dissolve the cornstarch, then gently pour it into the wok, bring it to a boil, and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
Add the chicken and pineapple chunks back to the wok, and toss everything together until thoroughly combined with the sauce, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
Garnish with sesame seeds or chopped green onion, if desired. Serve the Sweet Hawaiian Chicken with white rice and Chinese cucumber salad.
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Recipe
Easy Sweet Hawaiian Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Kg (2.2 Pounds) boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes
For the Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon Chinese Shao Shing cooking wine
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt , to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- 2 tablespoons canned unsweetened pineapple juice
For the Batter:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1-½ teaspoons ground black pepper , divided
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic , divided
For Frying:
- ½ cup peanut oil , as needed
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon ginger , grated
- 1 cup canned unsweetened pineapple juice
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup Sweet Baby Ray's Barbeque Sauce , hoisin sauce, or ketchup
- ⅓ cup Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon knorr chicken-flavored bouillon
- 5 teaspoons cornstarch
- Kosher salt , to taste
For the Stir Fry:
- 4 Dry whole chili peppers
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 Poblano pepper , chopped into small bite-sized pieces
- 1 Red Bell pepper , chopped into small bite-sized pieces
- 2 medium onions , chopped into small bite-sized pieces
- 1 (20 oz.) canned pineapple chunks, drained*( Reserve the juice for later use)
Instructions
- Place the chicken into a medium mixing bowl, add the marinade ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the sauce.
- In a small bowl, combine the sweet sauce ingredients; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the cornstarch, ½ teaspoon granulated garlic, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Whisk the eggs with ½ teaspoon ground black pepper and ½ teaspoon granulated garlic in a medium bowl.
- In a 14-inch wok over medium/medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Then, working in batches, dredge the chicken in the egg mixture, and let the excess drip back into the bowl. Finally, coat in the flour and cornstarch mixture, be sure to press it and move it around so that it's thoroughly coated; shake off excess.
- Then, add the chicken pieces in a single layer - it's okay if some pieces are touching. Cook, undisturbed, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chicken turns brown and crisp. Watch carefully and reduce the heat if the chicken starts to burn. Flip the pieces and continue cooking until the chicken is golden on all sides and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes. (Thicker pieces of chicken may take a bit longer). Remove the Sweet Hawaiian chicken from the oil to a paper towel to drain.
- Once finished frying the Sweet Hawaiian chicken, clean the wok with a paper towel using a kitchen tong and add a little more oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chiles to saute for around 1 minute. Next, add the garlic and ginger and cook stirring until it releases its fragrance, about 1 minute or so. Next, add the onion and bell pepper to the wok and saute for 2 - 3 minutes, or until tender-crisp.
- Again, mix well the sweet sauce mixture to dissolve the cornstarch, then gently pour into the wok, and bring it to a boil, cook stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken back to the wok and the pineapple chunks and toss everything together until thoroughly combined with the sauce, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with sesame seeds or chopped green onion, if desired. Serve the Sweet Hawaiian Chicken with white rice and Chinese cucumber salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is an estimate, calculated using standard data sources. Actual values may vary based on ingredient brands, preparation methods, and portion sizes. This information is for general reference only and should not be considered a substitute for professional dietary advice.
