Tender, juicy bites of chicken and vegetables coated in a sticky sweet sauce and ready in under 40 minutes. This sheet pan Hawaiian chicken makes for a delicious weeknight dinner. With multiple ways to serve it, these Hawaiian chicken thighs are just as delicious the night of as they are for meal prep.
Use up the boneless, skinless chicken thighs in your freezer to whip up this Hawaiian chicken sheet pan dinner! With minimal cleanup and a deliciously sweet but savory flavor, this gluten-free dinner recipe will be on your monthly rotation (here are some other gluten and dairy free dinner recipes if you need more ideas).
As a Certified Nutrition Coach, there is nothing I love more than a healthy, protein-packed dinner that comes together easily. It’s recipes like this that help make healthy eating practical for busy moms who are frazzled at the end of the day.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Easy to make: Ready in under 40 minutes and with a handful of ingredients you’ll find in your fridge, this sheet pan Hawaiian chicken comes together easily.
Versatile: Use the chicken thighs and vegetables to serve over steamed rice, mixed in with gluten-free pasta, or on top of a bed of lettuce for a juicy salad. There are so many ways to serve this dinner recipe that it’s a cook-once-eat-twice type of dinner.
Healthy: Packed with protein and loaded with vegetables, this dinner is naturally dairy-free and can be made gluten-free so long as you check your teriyaki sauce. You can even make it paleo and whole30-approved.
Ingredients and Substitutions
If you have celiac, make sure to triple-check your soy sauce and teriyaki sauce for hidden sources of gluten. I personally use homemade, gluten-free teriyaki sauce for this Hawaiian sheet pan dinner.
The vegetables listed can be exchanged for others depending on what you have in the fridge. Just know that the cooking time may differ, or the texture may not stay as crisp (something like tomatoes obviously add a lot of water).
Bone in chicken thighs can work but the cooking time will need to be altered as they take longer. Make sure they’re cooked to 165F before serving.
Expert Tips To Make It
To make this sheet pan Hawaiian chicken recipe totally paleo and gluten-free, make sure to use Primal Kitchen Teriyaki sauce and BBQ sauce. Likewise, you’ll need to sub the soy sauce for coconut aminos.
Take the time to chop the vegetables so that they’re all roughly the same size, this helps them cook evenly so that nothing becomes too soft.
You can stretch the meal by adding more vegetables, but I would place them on a separate pan so that the cooking time remains the same. You’d need to double the sauce as well.
Serve the Hawaiian chicken thighs and vegetables on top of steamed rice or cauliflower rice for a low-carb version. Even roasted spaghetti squash is delicious and also works with Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken.
How To Make Hawaiian Chicken Thighs
Step 1: Chop the vegetables and place them on a lined baking sheet. Mix the sauce.
Step 2: Pour half the sauce onto the vegetables to coat them
Step 3: Season the chicken on both sides.
Step 4: Place the chicken on the baking sheet in and around the vegetables.
Step 5: Using ¼ of the remaining sauce, coat the chicken, flip and coat the other side. Bake 25 minutes.
Step 6: Remove from the oven and add the pineapple. Continue baking until the chicken is cooked through.
Step 7: Broil for 1-2 minutes until browned and then drizzle with the remaining sauce before serving.
How To Store Them
Once cooled, leftover dinner can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat it in the microwave at intervals or in a skillet with a bit of broth or water to keep it juicy.
Leftover chicken can be stored separately and used for meal prep. It can be shredded and used on wraps or on top of salads.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing leftovers as the pineapples and vegetables won’t remain as crisp when thawing and reheating.
How to meal prep it: If you want to save yourself some time in the kitchen, chop all of your vegetables the night before and whip up the sauce. Store it in separate containers until you need it and then you just need to assemble everything when you’re ready to cook.
Flavor Variations
Below are a few fun ways to change the flavor of the Hawaiian chicken sheet pan dinner. And if you love the Hawaiian flavor, know that these grilled Hawaiian pork kebabs should be on your must-make list too!
Fruit: Swap the pineapple for mandarin oranges for a different citrus twist.
Heat: Add some red pepper flakes to the Hawaiian sauce if you like a kick of spice in your meals.
Protein: You can easily make this dish with chunks of stewing beef in place of chicken thighs. The cooking time will be different through so adjust s necessary.
FAQs
The end result of this sheet pan dinner is juicy bites of chicken. This is done by making sure there is a lot of sauce on the chicken and the pan while baking so that the thighs don’t dry out.
Other Gluten-Free Sheet Pan Dinners
Sheet Pan Hawaiian Chicken Thighs
Video
Equipment
- 1 Baking pan
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 red onion
- 2 cups fresh pineapple
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- ½ cup teriyaki sauce
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup gluten-free soy sauce
- 1 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoons pepper
- ½ tablespoons garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons cilantro - chopped
- Sesame seeds Optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a 9x13” baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- In a small bowl, combine the BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce, and soy sauce.
- Cut the bell peppers and onion into 1” bite-sized pieces and transfer them to the baking sheet along with the broccoli. Pour half of the sauce onto the vegetables and toss to coat. Spread in an even layer.
- Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Make room and place the chicken thighs on the baking sheet.
- Using ¼ cup of the remaining sauce, coat the chicken, then flip and coat the other side. Save the remaining sauce for later.
- Place in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and add fresh pineapple chunks around the chicken. Return to the oven and continue baking for 5 to 10 more minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F).
- Turn the oven to broil and bake for 1 to 2 minutes until the chicken is browned. Keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly!
- Remove from the oven and spread the remaining sauce on the chicken.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve with rice, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
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Shelby S says
I love the juciness of the pineapple with the chicken, and my kiddos actually ask for this so mega win!