Amazing 6-serving Aloha Chicken and Rice

If you are looking for a dinner that tastes like a tropical vacation but takes almost zero effort, then you have found your match with this Aloha Chicken and Rice recipe! I’m Anna, and I’m that passionate food lover who believes that everyday cooking should be joyful, not a chore. Honestly, my mission is to share simple, flavorful chicken recipes that get dinner on the table without demanding hours of active time.

This dump-and-bake concept is pure magic. We’re talking about chicken, sweet pineapple, savory soy glaze, and rice all tucked into one dish. It’s an incredibly satisfying one-pan meal that requires maybe ten minutes of fuss before it heads to the oven. You don’t need fancy skills; you just need a baking dish and a desire for something truly delicious. Trust me, this sweet soy glaze is going to make your weeknights so much brighter!

Gathering Your Ingredients for Aloha Chicken and Rice

You won’t believe how few things you need to pull off this incredible tropical dinner! Since this is a dump-and-bake situation, getting your ingredients ready ahead of time is key. We’re using simple pantry staples combined with fresh flavor boosters. Make sure you grab that light brown sugar because that’s where the sweetness starts. And listen close: when you grab the pineapple, you absolutely need the whole can, juice and all. Don’t drain it!

The rice matters here too; we need that long-grain white rice to absorb the liquid perfectly during the bake. A little bit of turkey bacon on top gives us the perfect salty crunch at the end. It’s all about having these pieces ready to go so we can mix everything in the pan!

Essential Components for a Flavorful Aloha Chicken and Rice

Here is exactly what you need for six servings of this easy weeknight dinner:

• ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple tidbits in juice, not drained
• 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 slices turkey bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
• Sliced green onions or chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)

Preparing Your Aloha Chicken and Rice Base

Okay, this is the fun part where we turn those ingredients into the flavor base. Since we are using a 9×13 dish, you can do all this right inside the pan—less mess! Seriously, the whole point of this recipe is to keep things simple, so don’t even think about pulling out extra bowls unless you absolutely have to.

The sauce is what makes this Aloha Chicken and Rice sing. It’s sweet, salty, and has just a little kick from the aromatics. We mix this first to make sure the sugar gets completely happy before we add anything else. Then, we load up the rice and veggies, making sure they get totally coated in that beautiful liquid!

Creating the Sweet Soy Glaze

First things first, grab your whisk and get into that lightly greased baking dish. You’re going to combine your light brown sugar, the low-sodium soy sauce, the chicken broth, the minced garlic, and that ground ginger. You need to whisk this vigorously. I mean it! Keep going until you can’t feel any gritty sugar bits on the bottom of the pan. If you leave sugar undissolved, it just burns a little during that long bake time, and we don’t want that.

Combining Rice and Produce in Your Baking Dish

Once that glaze is smooth as silk, it’s time for the bulk! Stir in your uncooked long-grain white rice. Then toss in the diced onion and the finely diced red bell pepper. The real showstopper is adding the entire can of pineapple tidbits, juice and all. Stir everything together really well. You want every grain of rice and every piece of veggie swimming in that sweet soy mixture. This liquid is what cooks the rice perfectly while everything else bakes!

Tips for Perfecting Your Aloha Chicken and Rice Bake

We are almost there! This dump-and-bake method is forgiving, but a couple of little tricks will take your Aloha Chicken and Rice from good to absolutely incredible. The most important thing to remember during this stage is steam and temperature. We need that heat trapped in there to cook the rice evenly without drying out the chicken halfway through.

Don’t panic if the liquid looks a little low after mixing; the pineapple juice is going to release more moisture as it heats up. Just follow these steps carefully, and you’ll end up with tender chicken and perfectly cooked rice!

Ensuring Proper Chicken Placement and Liquid Coverage

When you nestle those chicken pieces into the rice mixture, try your best to get them sitting mostly submerged in that sweet broth. I know it’s hard because the rice mixture floats up, but if the chicken is sitting on top exposed, it can dry out before the rice is done cooking. Gently push them down into the liquid. They don’t need to be completely covered, but they should definitely be tucked in there getting bathed in that glaze!

Covering and Initial Baking for Aloha Chicken and Rice

This next step is non-negotiable for that fluffy rice: cover that baking dish TIGHTLY with aluminum foil. We are essentially steaming the rice in the oven. If your foil is loose, the steam escapes, and you end up with crunchy rice at the bottom. Bake it covered for 45 to 50 minutes. You are looking for the rice to be almost tender—a little bite left in it, but most of the liquid should be gone.

Finishing the Aloha Chicken and Rice Uncovered

Once that initial bake is done, ditch the foil! Take the dish out, and gently fluff the rice around the chicken pieces. Now, sprinkle that crumbled, crispy turkey bacon evenly over the top. Return it to the oven, uncovered, for about 8 to 10 more minutes. This final blast of heat helps brown the top slightly and evaporates any last bit of surface moisture. Most importantly, use a meat thermometer! The chicken has to hit 165°F internally before you pull it out. Safety first, always!

Simple Storage and Reheating Instructions for Aloha Chicken and Rice

Wow, this Aloha Chicken and Rice is so good you’ll definitely have leftovers, which is great because it tastes fantastic the next day! This recipe is designed for easy weeknight dinners, and that should extend right into lunch the next day. Don’t worry about making a separate meal; just store this properly!

I always try to let it cool down slightly before I seal it up, just to avoid condensation inside the container, but don’t let it sit out too long, of course. Having leftovers ready to go makes the next day so much smoother. If you are looking for more easy weeknight ideas, check out my one-pan dinner options!

Storing Leftover Aloha Chicken and Rice

Once the dish has cooled a bit, you need to transfer it into an airtight container. Since it has rice and chicken, it keeps really well in the refrigerator for about three to four days, max. Don’t leave it sitting on the counter for more than an hour or so! Just seal it up tight, and it’s ready for grab-and-go meals.

Reheating Your Flavorful Aloha Chicken and Rice

The best way to reheat this is definitely in the microwave. It heats everything evenly, chicken, rice, and that sweet glaze all together. If you find your leftovers seem a little dry—which can happen with rice—just add a tiny splash—maybe a teaspoon—of water or extra chicken broth right over the portion before you microwave it. Cover it loosely with a damp paper towel, and heat until it’s steaming hot all the way through. It brings back that moist texture beautifully!

Frequently Asked Questions About This Aloha Chicken and Rice Recipe

I get so many great questions about this super easy weeknight dinner! It’s such a flexible recipe once you understand the core science behind the dump and bake method. Here are a few things I hear often about making sure your pineapple chicken turns out perfectly every single time. For more visual inspiration, you can see my latest recipe ideas on Pinterest.

Can I Substitute the Rice Type in Aloha Chicken and Rice

This is the number one question I get, and here’s my firm answer: please stick to the recipe and use long-grain white rice. I know it’s tempting to swap in brown rice or maybe even jasmine rice, but trust me on this one. Brown rice takes way longer to cook and needs more liquid, which would leave your chicken raw and your sauce soupy. Jasmine rice cooks too fast and can turn mushy under the long bake time required for the chicken. The liquid ratio in this one pan chicken and rice is specifically calculated for that standard white rice! If you are interested in other rice dishes, check out my recipe for Thai Pineapple Fried Rice.

Making This Recipe Gluten-Free

If you need to make this recipe gluten-free, it’s actually a super simple swap! The only ingredient with gluten is the regular soy sauce we use in that sweet soy glaze. You can easily substitute the ½ cup of soy sauce with an equal amount of tamari or a certified gluten-free soy sauce alternative. Tamari works beautifully here; it has a slightly richer flavor, which complements the pineapple wonderfully. Just make that one switch, and you’ve got a fantastic gluten-free version of this Aloha Chicken and Rice!

Estimated Nutritional Information for Aloha Chicken and Rice

Since this recipe is designed to be so hands-off, I know you want to know what you’re eating! Keep in mind that these numbers are just estimates based on the ingredients listed, especially since chicken breast versus thigh can change the fat content. This is just a guideline, not a strict nutritional guarantee!

Serving Size	Calories	Fat	Carbohydrates	Protein
1 serving	395	9g	46g	31g

Remember, this is only an estimate for one of the six servings! If you are looking for other chicken and rice combinations, you might enjoy my Simple No Peek Chicken and Rice.

Share Your Experience with This Aloha Chicken and Rice

Now that you’ve tried this super easy weeknight dinner, I really want to hear from you! Did this dump and bake recipe save your evening? Did you use cilantro or green onions for the garnish? Please come back and leave a quick rating for this pineapple chicken dish and let me know how it went. Even small tweaks you made—like using chicken thighs instead of breasts—are helpful tips for other busy cooks! For more chicken inspiration, see my full collection of chicken recipes.

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