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These quick and easy Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Bowls only require 6 main ingredients, they come together in about 25 minutes, and they’re perfect for easy weeknight dinners or meal prep.
Anyone else in need of some sunny Hawaiian vibes right now?!
I don’t know about you, but this is the always time of year when I’m ready to hit the fast-forward button and have it just be summer again, already. No more of this winter business; I’ve had my fill. Give me warm breezes, late sunsets, flowing sundresses, easy lake days, a sizzling grill, cold drink in hand, and all the sunshine, please. And while we’re at it, a tropical beach and a week of vacation wouldn’t hurt too.
Mmmm, a girl can dream. ☀️ ? ?
And in the meantime…turn on some beachy jams and stir fry up a big batch of Hawaiian BBQ Chicken. (Hey, we all do what we can. ?)
This recipe initially just began as a quick stir-fry to use up some leftover homemade bbq sauce I had in the fridge. But then it was so tasty — and so ridiculously simple to make — that I’ve been occasionally meal prepping this recipe for quick lunches during the week. Because as it turns out, when you’re a KC girl missing home, a simple bbq stir-fry has a way of hitting the spot every time. ?
To make this Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, simply sauté some chicken (or shrimp would also be great here) and veggies (I kept this batch simple with just bell peppers and red onions). Then add in some fresh pineapple at the end, toss everything with a good helping of bbq sauce, maybe sprinkle a bit of cilantro on top…
…then serve it up over rice or quinoa or zoodles or whatever sounds good to you…
…OR…dish it up into some meal prep bowls for easy lunches for the week ahead…
…and voila. In less than 30 minutes, this vibrant, feel-good, zesty, simple stir-fry will be yours to enjoy.
Super easy, super satisfying, and super delicious. Hawaiian vibes FTW! ?
These quick and easy Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Bowls only require 6 main ingredients, they come together in about 25 minutes, and they’re perfect for easy weeknight dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
2 bell peppers (I used one yellow, one red), cored and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small red onion, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into bite-sized pieces
2/3 cup good-quality bbq sauce*, homemade or store-bought
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season it with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring and flipping occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside. Transfer chicken to a clean plate, and set aside.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the sauté pan. Add peppers and onion, and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pineapple and sauté for 3-4 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables reach your desired level of tenderness. (I like mine with a bit of crisp, not completely soft.)
Add the cooked chicken and bbq sauce to the sauté pan with the veggies, and toss everything until combined. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
Serve immediately over rice or quinoa (or plain, or whatever sounds good), garnished with your desired toppings. Or, refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
*Since the BBQ sauce is our main seasoning here, be sure to use a good one! I’m a big fan of my homemade version, since I get to control the ingredients (namely, sweeteners) with it.
Hi Ali! Just wanted to let you know that your blog really isn’t the same as it used to be! I know moving to Barcelona was a big change, but I feel the recipe section of your blog is lacking the luster it used to have. I don’t mean to be critical I just wanted to give some feedback as a longtime follower. It seems to be missing the frequency of the recipes and how they relate to the changing season/what is in season. Hope you come back to focusing on the food portion of the blog. Again, I apologize if this seems harsh, but I relied so much on your recipes in the past. Thank you!
Anna Coleman —
I was actually just going to comment and say the opposite. I really appreciate that you’ve been offering more meal prep recipes this year. Also, we’ve made your new egg roll soup and lentil soup recipes, and they were huge hits in our house! Keep up the good work.
I can’t wait to make these! I was just telling my boyfriend the other day that I needed a barbeque chicken pizza in my life…but I’m trying to eat healthier this month. This seems like a happy healthier compromise! ? Thanks, Ali!
could this be any easier to make?!? i haven’t paired sweet pineapple in a savory dish in ages, but THIS is definitely one to make stat. putting the ingredients on my grocery list for today!! thanks for sharing :)
Oh my, this was delicious. And so very easy to make . I used chicken tenderloins so I didn’t have to cut up chicken. My family and I loved this dinner. I played the beachy tunes you recommended, and I gotta say that this dish and the tunes lifted my winter weary heart right up out of chills of winter. I love your recipes. I’m impressed with how often you continue to post even after a big move across the ocean. I can tell that you have put lots of pre-planning to continue to post as often as you did in the states. I am not disappointed. I also love hearing about your life in Barcelona. I shared your link to my FB page for all my family and friends. Thank you Ali, the best to you and Barclay and puppy in your new Barcelona digs.
I made this for my family this week and it was devoured by ALL! That rarely happens so I knew I had to share. Thanks for the awesome recipes, you never fail me!
My husband loved this dish so much, he requested it for dinner tomorrow night for his best friend . I used the mini sweet bell peppers, because that was what I had, added small broccoli crowns, but made it exactly like the recipe. We like garlic rice, so I served it over that.
This was delicious and easy/quick! I did make it with Ali’s BBQ Sauce recipe https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/homemade-bbq-sauce-recipe/ with a couple modifications for preference. Also delicious! Next time (and there WILL be a next time) I would maybe grill the pineapple first, just because I love the flavor that creates and thought it would be a nice addition; more work but something I’ll try. I had this with rice, and would also like to try it with zoodles for a lower carb meal!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! It’s perfect for meal prepping and so delicious. I used a really smokey, spicy BBQ sauce and it really took the pineapple to a new level. I also used cauliflower instead of rice to keep it super low carb. Thank you for this super easy and quick recipe! Keep em coming!
This was great! I used lemon juice in place of lemon slices. I also cooked everything together at once instead of separating it out. Great recipe! Definitely don’t cheap out on the BBQ sauce.
This is amazingly delicious. Pineapple is my fave fruit, so I was happy to include it with chicken!!!! I added some thinly chopped carrotts and it was amazing. Another great recipe that I made 2 times in a month!! ❤
I searched “quick dinner recipes” and this popped up. I had all the ingredients, so I went with it. So glad. So worth it. So fabulous. So will make this recipe again!
You’ve given me a great idea for lunch prep! I could have portions of this in the freezer and leave it to thaw over night. Make it up in the morning with rice and woohoo send my family to work and school with hot lunches. Thank you so much.
Outstanding recipe, and using bbq sauce makes it so simple! The whole family loved it, and it let me get rid of extra rice I had in the fridge. I added carrots, a zucchini on its way out, and extra peppers to help stretch the meal. I also used frozen pineapple tidbits instead of fresh so the flavor tasted like a ripe pineapple in Hawaii. Will be making it again soon!
Hey, I’m Ali!
My favorite thing in life is time spent around the table. And all the better with some seriously tasty food to bring us all together. more about me »
Hi Ali! Just wanted to let you know that your blog really isn’t the same as it used to be! I know moving to Barcelona was a big change, but I feel the recipe section of your blog is lacking the luster it used to have. I don’t mean to be critical I just wanted to give some feedback as a longtime follower. It seems to be missing the frequency of the recipes and how they relate to the changing season/what is in season. Hope you come back to focusing on the food portion of the blog. Again, I apologize if this seems harsh, but I relied so much on your recipes in the past. Thank you!
I was actually just going to comment and say the opposite. I really appreciate that you’ve been offering more meal prep recipes this year. Also, we’ve made your new egg roll soup and lentil soup recipes, and they were huge hits in our house! Keep up the good work.
I can’t wait to make these! I was just telling my boyfriend the other day that I needed a barbeque chicken pizza in my life…but I’m trying to eat healthier this month. This seems like a happy healthier compromise! ? Thanks, Ali!
Hi from KC! You had me at bbq. I’m going to give this a try tomorrow. ?
I still thoroughly enjoy the recipes. Love to see your name pop up in my mailbox.
could this be any easier to make?!? i haven’t paired sweet pineapple in a savory dish in ages, but THIS is definitely one to make stat. putting the ingredients on my grocery list for today!! thanks for sharing :)
This would be great for my meal prep list. Thanks
Alexis| Simple Health Style
https://simplehealthstyle.com
In Hawai’i, BBQ sauce with chicken is SOY based. Never tomato, mid-west sauce.
If I were to serve this, people would be very surprised.
Oh my, this was delicious. And so very easy to make . I used chicken tenderloins so I didn’t have to cut up chicken. My family and I loved this dinner. I played the beachy tunes you recommended, and I gotta say that this dish and the tunes lifted my winter weary heart right up out of chills of winter. I love your recipes. I’m impressed with how often you continue to post even after a big move across the ocean. I can tell that you have put lots of pre-planning to continue to post as often as you did in the states. I am not disappointed. I also love hearing about your life in Barcelona. I shared your link to my FB page for all my family and friends. Thank you Ali, the best to you and Barclay and puppy in your new Barcelona digs.
I just love your recipes! Thanks again.
LOVE this! I can’t wait to make it!
I would like your recipe for your homemade BBQ sauce for the Hawaiian chicken bowls
Yes, please!!!
She includes a link to the BBQ sauce in the post above the recipe.
Also, I made these tonight for this week’s lunches and cannot wait to enjoy them. So glad I had your BBQ sauce on hand in my fridge. Thank you!
Tried your recipe and it was great! Thanks for sharing this, loved it, https://niccimarquart.com/
I made this for my family this week and it was devoured by ALL! That rarely happens so I knew I had to share. Thanks for the awesome recipes, you never fail me!
My husband loved this dish so much, he requested it for dinner tomorrow night for his best friend . I used the mini sweet bell peppers, because that was what I had, added small broccoli crowns, but made it exactly like the recipe. We like garlic rice, so I served it over that.
This was delicious and easy/quick! I did make it with Ali’s BBQ Sauce recipe https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/homemade-bbq-sauce-recipe/ with a couple modifications for preference. Also delicious! Next time (and there WILL be a next time) I would maybe grill the pineapple first, just because I love the flavor that creates and thought it would be a nice addition; more work but something I’ll try. I had this with rice, and would also like to try it with zoodles for a lower carb meal!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! It’s perfect for meal prepping and so delicious. I used a really smokey, spicy BBQ sauce and it really took the pineapple to a new level. I also used cauliflower instead of rice to keep it super low carb. Thank you for this super easy and quick recipe! Keep em coming!
Made this for meal prep this week and I absolutely love it!! Thanks again for another fab recipe!
This was a great dish and easy to make. I’m making it for the second time with more meat of course, which is a request from my husband.
This was great! I used lemon juice in place of lemon slices. I also cooked everything together at once instead of separating it out. Great recipe! Definitely don’t cheap out on the BBQ sauce.
This is amazingly delicious. Pineapple is my fave fruit, so I was happy to include it with chicken!!!! I added some thinly chopped carrotts and it was amazing. Another great recipe that I made 2 times in a month!! ❤
I searched “quick dinner recipes” and this popped up. I had all the ingredients, so I went with it. So glad. So worth it. So fabulous. So will make this recipe again!
You’ve given me a great idea for lunch prep! I could have portions of this in the freezer and leave it to thaw over night. Make it up in the morning with rice and woohoo send my family to work and school with hot lunches. Thank you so much.
Outstanding recipe, and using bbq sauce makes it so simple! The whole family loved it, and it let me get rid of extra rice I had in the fridge. I added carrots, a zucchini on its way out, and extra peppers to help stretch the meal. I also used frozen pineapple tidbits instead of fresh so the flavor tasted like a ripe pineapple in Hawaii. Will be making it again soon!