Hawaiian Chicken Sheet Pan
Easy Hawaiian Chicken Sheet Pan dinner with boneless chicken thighs glazed in a sticky soy-pineapple-brown sugar Hawaiian sauce roasted with caramelized pineapple chunks, red and yellow bell peppers, and red onion wedges on one pan at 425°F. Ready in 50 minutes. Serve over steamed jasmine rice.
Equipment
- Large rimmed half-sheet pan (18x13 inches)
- Foil (for lining the pan)
- Two small mixing bowls (for glaze — one for raw, one reserved)
- Basting brush
- Instant-read thermometer
- Paper towels (for patting dry)
Ingredients
Hawaiian Chicken
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs patted completely dry with paper towels
- 1 can pineapple chunks in juice (20 oz) drained and patted dry — reserve ⅓ cup of juice for glaze
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 red onion, cut into 6 to 8 wedges through the root keep root intact to hold wedges together
Hawaiian Glaze
- 0.25 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 0.33 cup pineapple juice reserved from the canned pineapple
- 3 tbsp brown sugar, packed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil toasted
Garnish and Serving
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced scattered over finished pan
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1.5 cups jasmine rice, uncooked steamed for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed half-sheet pan with foil.
- Make the Hawaiian glaze: whisk together soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Divide into two equal portions — portion A (for raw application) and portion B (reserved for finishing). Keep separate.
- Pat chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels. Pat pineapple chunks dry. Cut bell peppers into 1-inch pieces. Cut red onion into wedges through the root.
- Arrange chicken on one half of the prepared pan. Arrange pineapple, bell peppers, and red onion on the other half — everything in a single layer with space between pieces.
- Brush portion A of the glaze generously over the chicken and vegetables. Roast at 425°F for 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Brush reserved portion B of the glaze over everything. Return to oven for 5 to 8 more minutes until chicken reads 165°F and is deeply caramelized.
- Rest 5 minutes. Scatter green onions and sesame seeds over the pan. Serve immediately over steamed jasmine rice.
Notes
Pat the chicken and pineapple completely dry before roasting — moisture prevents caramelization. Divide the glaze into two portions before it touches raw chicken — never brush raw-chicken glaze over cooked food. Use a full half-sheet pan to avoid overcrowding. Single layer with space between pieces is essential for roasting rather than steaming. Line with foil — the sugary glaze burns onto bare pans. Double-glaze in the final 5 to 8 minutes for a deeply lacquered finish. Rest 5 minutes before serving. Internal temperature 165°F.