The Best Air Fryer Hawaiian Chicken and Coconut Rice
My Favorite Hawaiian Chicken with Coconut Rice
Today’s air fryer recipe is one of my personal favorites. I have loved making this Hawaiian chicken on the grill, long before I had an air fryer. I am thrilled to share with you how to make Hawaiian chicken recipes in the air fryer. Of course, you can never get the “fresh off the grill taste” with your air fryer, but you are going to love the tenderness of the chicken all the same. Plus, the vegetables, pineapple, and coconut rice add so much delicious flavor to chicken that you will probably make this recipe again and again and again.
Ingredients for Air Fryer Hawaiian Chicken
You will be surprised how flavorful this recipe is with just the few ingredients needed. Furthermore, you’ll be surprised to discover that you probably already have most of these ingredients in your kitchen pantry. To make the best Hawaiian chicken, you will need:
- 3 pounds chicken thighs, trimmed and halved
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 bunch green onion
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 can coconut milk
You will also enjoy this recipe with:
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 zucchini, sliced on the diagonal
- ½ pineapple sliced
But if you are in a hurry you can omit these ingredients and serve the chicken without it and it will still taste amazing!
How to Prepare Chicken Thighs for the Air Fryer
If you buy chicken thighs with the skin and bone still on it, then you will need to deskin and debone the chicken. To take the bone out of the chicken thighs, flip the chicken over on the skin. Then, with a knife, cut along the bone. After, pull the bone away from you until it detaches from the chicken. You may need to cut more to complete this.
How to Make Air Fryer Hawaiian Chicken
Once the chicken is prepared, be sure to also prepare your vegetables and pineapple.
Then, in a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, brown sugar, green onions, garlic, oil, and coconut milk. Remove 1 cup of the marinade for the vegetables.
Next, place the chicken and the vegetables/pineapple in their respective marinades for at least 1 hour. You can marinate overnight and up to 24 hours.
Once you are ready to air fry the chicken, lightly spray the air fryer basket with avocado oil and place the chicken inside. Cook at 380°F/190°C for 16 minutes. At the halfway point, flip the chicken over and add half of the vegetables. Once finished, the chicken will register at 165°F/74°C with an instant read thermometer.
How to Make the Best Coconut Rice
You will adore this recipe with coconut rice. If you have never tried or made coconut rice, do not fear! It is incredibly easy and will probably be the only way you will ever want to make rice again. Honestly, this is my favorite type of rice next to cilantro lime rice.
To make coconut rice, you will first need:
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- 1 can coconut milk
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Then, on the stovetop, boil the coconut milk and water, add the salt and rice. Stir together and turn the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring at the halfway point. Remove from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Coconut rice option #2: You can also make coconut rice by using a 1:1:1 ratio. For every cup of rice you want, use 1 cup of water and 1 cup of coconut milk. This is an easy formula that you won’t forget! Combine everything together in a pan and cook on medium-low heat until the rice has absorbed the water and coconut milk.
Final Thoughts
You are going to fall in love with this recipe as I have! This coconut infused chicken with pineapple, bell pepper, and zucchini is a flavorful recipe that will become your next favorite recipe this summer. Be sure to also try this recipe one time on the grill! (View the grilling instructions here.) Share with us which version you preferred: air fryer or on the grill?
Find your next summer air fryer recipe!
- Easy Asian Beef and Veggies in the Air Fryer
- One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies for the Air Fryer or Oven
- Tasty and Easy Air Fryer Potato Chip Chicken
- Kielbasa Veggie Dinner in the Air Fryer
Discover more about how to use your air fryer here!
- Air Fryer 101
- Common Air Fryer Mistakes
- The Best and Worst Air Fryer Accessories
- How to Clean Your Air Fryer
The Best Hawaiian Chicken and Coconut Rice in the Air Fryer
Equipment
- Pot
Ingredients
Hawaiian Chicken
- 3 pounds chicken thighs trimmed and halved
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ bunch green onions sliced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 can coconut milk 13.6 oz can
Vegetables & Pineapple
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 zucchini sliced on the diagonal
- ½ pineapple sliced
Coconut Rice
- 2 cups Jasmine Rice
- 1 can coconut milk
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Trim the chicken and prepare the vegetables and pineapple.
- In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, brown sugar, green onions, garlic, oil, and coconut milk.
- Remove 1 cup of the marinade for the vegetables.
- Place the chicken and the vegetables/pineapple in their respective marinades for at least 1 hour. You can marinate overnight and up to 24 hours.
- When you are ready to cook the chicken, start with your rice. For the coconut rice: On the stovetop, boil the coconut milk and water, add the salt and rice. Stir together and turn the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring at the halfway point. Remove from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- For the chicken: Lightly spray the air fryer basket with avocado oil and place half of the chicken inside.
- Cook at 380°F/190°C for 16 minutes.
- At the halfway point, flip the chicken over and add half of the vegetables.
- Once finished, the chicken will register at 165°F/74°C with an instant read thermometer. Repeat for the remaining chicken and vegetables. (If your air fryer has room to hold everything in one batch, go for it! Just don't overcrowd the air fryer basket).
- Serve with coconut rice.
Freezer Meal Instructions:
- Place the marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag, shake to combine. Add the pineapple, vegetables, and chicken. Place flat in the freezer.
- Pull out the night before and place it in a bowl in the refrigerator so that it doesn’t leak in the fridge. When you are ready to cook in the air fryer, dump out the marinade in a bowl through a strainer. Then place the chicken, vegetables, and pineapple in the air fryer basket and cook for 16 minutes at 380°F/190°C, flip at the halfway point.
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Trying this tonight! Couple of questions 🙂
1) how much green onion?
2) when to add the other half of the veggies?
Thanks! Marinade smells great!! I used swerve brown sugar, so I’m hoping it works!
Hi Carole! Thanks for your questions! For the green onions, use about 1/2 a bunch and slice them up. For the veggies, you’ll actually want to cook this recipe in two batches. So, cook half your chicken with the half of the veggies and then add the other half of the veggies with the other half of the chicken. Of course, if you are able to cook everything in one batch without overcrowding the air fryer basket, then go for it.
Sorry for the late response, did you end up making this recipe? How did it turn out for you? Thanks again for your questions, I added these things to the recipe card.
Would have given it 5 stars but it was dry no sauce. Can you warm up marinade and serve it after chicken is cooked?
Of course! I would use the leftover marinade from the vegetables, that way there won’t be any raw chicken in it. You can also use the marinade from the chicken, but be sure to bring it to roiling boil. Foodborne bacteria die at 165F (75C). If you try this one again, let me know how that works.
Want to try but don’t have an air fryer. Do you have oven instructions for this one??
Great question, Quin. Follow the recipe instructions until step 4. Then when you are ready to cook, place the chicken in an oven safe dish and cook at 400F/200F for 30-35 minutes, then add the pineapple and veggies during the last 15 minutes or so. Check on your chicken often so to not overcook it- it’ll be done once it reaches 165F/74C. While it cooks make the coconut rice.
If you have a grill you can also grill the chicken: Grill chicken on a low heat so the marinade does not burn, about 5-7 minutes per side or until done.
Hi Cathy,
Can I swap the bell pepper for Onion slices?
I am highly allergic to bell peppers.
Hi Sheri! You sure can! Sounds like a great substitute!
Thank you so much!!!!
May God Bless you and your family!
Ever done this with pork instead of chicken? Not sure how you would adjust the cooking time
Hi Jenn, pork sounds like a good sub, but I would definitely reduce the temp and time of the pork cooking. If me, I would use a tenderloin cut up, and start with 350 for 10 mins. It is white meat vs chicken thighs dark meat. You want the internal pork temp to be 145 when you are done, after resting a few mins. I would pull it at 140 and let it rest 5 mins, and it should rise to 145. Let us know if you try it?!
Cathy, I tried this recipe and mostly loved the result.
Question: However, it looks like you need more liquid with the rice. Normally you need 2 cups of liquid for 1 cup of rice.
This recipe says. Is that the amount of liquid for 1 cup rice?
Coconut Rice
2 cups Jasmine Rice
1 can coconut milk ( 13.6 oz = 1.7 cups)
½ cup water
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Also, I need a low sodium diet and that is way too much soy sauce, so I’ll need to look for a much lower sodium marinade/sauce. Do you happen to know of one?
Thanks – very tasty.
Hi Katie, we are glad you liked it. You can adjust the liquid to be more what you need. Different types of rice and even altitude can affect the liquid needed.
Kikkoman makes a low sodium soy sauce. I personally use coconut aminos but I am unsure of the sodium vs soy sauce. I love the flavor of aminos. (I avoid soy)