This dump-and-bake aloha chicken and rice is a complete, one-dish dinner that’s ready for the oven in just 10 minutes. The sweet-and-savory blend of chicken, bacon, pineapple, and rice bakes up perfectly with almost no cleanup.
If you love easy one-pan meals, try this alongside favorites like baked teriyaki chicken, sheet pan Hawaiian chicken, sweet and sour chicken, or one pot chicken and rice.
Table of Contents
Like a tropical twist on chicken and rice casserole, this dish brings comfort food and sunshine together in one pan.
Before You Get Started
Before you pull out your baking dish, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Cover tightly: Trapping steam is key for perfectly tender rice. Use two layers of foil if your pan doesn’t seal well.
- Don’t drain the pineapple juice: The liquid helps flavor and tenderize the rice, and contributes to the sweet glaze.
- Bake at 425°F: The higher temperature ensures even cooking and helps the bacon crisp at the end. A metal baking dish cooks fastest (so it may be done 5-10 minutes sooner).
- Rice type matters: Use uncooked long-grain white rice only. Brown or instant rice require different cook times and liquid ratios.
How to Make Aloha Chicken and Rice
This meal is truly dump-and-bake; no pre-cooking required as long as you use rotisserie chicken and cooked bacon.
Step 1: Mix the Sauce
In your baking dish (or a large bowl), whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and chicken broth until the sugar dissolves.
** Pro Tip: Use a whisk to fully combine; undissolved sugar can lead to uneven browning later.
Step 2: Add the Base Ingredients
Stir in the uncooked rice, onion, bell pepper, and pineapple with juice. Mix well so the rice is evenly coated.
Cover the dish tightly with foil.
** Shortcut Tip: I often use frozen diced onions to save time. No tears, no mess, and it works just as well as fresh in this recipe.
Step 3: Bake (First Stage)
Bake at 425°F for 45–50 minutes.
At this point, the rice should be mostly tender but still slightly firm in the center. If it’s still hard, recover and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
** Timing Note: My rice is usually good to go after just 45 minutes. Remember — you don’t want it completely tender and done at this point, since it’s going right back in the oven to finish.
Step 4: Add Chicken and Bacon
Remove the dish from the oven. Fluff the rice with a fork, then stir in the cooked chicken. Sprinkle the bacon evenly over top.
Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake another 5-10 minutes, just until the chicken is warmed through and the bacon is crisp.
** Tip: Don’t stir the bacon into the rice. Leaving it on top keeps it crisp instead of soggy.
Step 5: Garnish and Serve
Garnish with sliced green onions or fresh herbs for color and brightness.
** Quick Note: For a version starting with raw chicken, add the diced, uncooked meat in step 2 so it bakes along with the rice (full 55–60 minutes total). Check that chicken reaches 165°F internally before serving.
Serving Suggestions
This one-dish meal includes your protein, starch, and veggies all in one pan, but if you’d like to round out the meal, try serving it with:
Variations
Make this aloha chicken your own with a few simple tweaks:
- Less sweet: reduce the brown sugar to ¼ cup.
- Extra flavor: add a splash of sesame oil, a pinch of ground ginger, or crushed red pepper for mild heat.
- Veggie boost: stir in peas or corn near the end of baking, or bake with broccoli florets or green beans from the start.
- Topping ideas: finish with chopped nuts or sesame seeds for crunch.
- Smaller batch: halve all ingredients and bake in an 8-inch square dish.
- Extra flavor: Add grated gingerroot or ground ginger, sesame oil, or paprika. Make it spicy with crushed red pepper flakes or sriracha.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut of chicken works best?
This is really a matter of personal preference. Boneless, skinless thighs are flavorful, but leaner breasts work too. Since you’re adding the cooked meat into the dish at the end, you don’t need to worry about it drying out.
Can I start with raw chicken?
Yes! Add raw chicken pieces at the beginning so they cook with the rice. Bake for 55-60 minutes total, until the chicken reaches 165°F internally.
Can I use fresh pineapple instead of canned?
Yes, use about 2 cups diced fresh pineapple. Just be sure to add about ½ cup of pineapple juice or broth so the rice has enough liquid to cook. If using broth instead of juice, you might need a little bit more sugar, too.
Why did my rice get mushy?
It usually means the dish baked too long. Stick with long-grain rice and check it after 45 minutes.
Is Aloha Chicken the same as Hawaiian Chicken or Huli Huli Chicken?
They share similar sweet-and-savory flavors, but this baked casserole version is milder and family-friendly (no grill or long marinating needed).
We try sooooo many recipes from the internet and are frequently disappointed. This one is a keeper! Might reduce the brown sugar next time, but otherwise perfect as written!
– Lori
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Not recommended. Rice can be mushy when thawed.
- Reheat: Cover and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or microwave individual portions for 1-2 minutes.
** Pro Tip: If reheating in the oven, drizzle a tablespoon of broth or pineapple juice over the top to keep it moist.
Related Recipes
If you love this aloha chicken, try these next:
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Teriyaki Ground Beef
- Dump and Bake Italian Chicken and Rice
Check out my other “Dump and Bake” dinner recipes (I have lots).
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Aloha Chicken
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar (or decrease to ¼ cup of brown sugar for a less-sweet dish)
- ½ cup less-sodium soy sauce
- 1 ½ cups less-sodium chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 cup diced onion (I use frozen diced onion for a shortcut)
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits in juice, not drained
- 2 cups cooked, shredded or diced chicken (such as the meat from a rotisserie chicken)
- 6 slices cooked bacon, chopped or crumbled
- Optional garnish: sliced green onions, chives, or other fresh herbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. In the prepared dish (or in a separate bowl), whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and chicken broth.
- Add the uncooked rice, onion, bell pepper, and pineapple (with its juice). Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
- Uncover the dish and use a fork to stir the rice. At this point, the rice should be almost tender (but not quite done). If the rice is still very firm, cover and return it to the oven for 5-10 more minutes, or until the rice is just about done.
- Stir in the cooked chicken. Sprinkle the cooked, chopped bacon on top.
- Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the chicken is warmed through, the rice is completely tender, and the bacon is crispy. Garnish with chopped green onions, chives, or herbs, if desired.
Notes
- Rice type: Use uncooked long-grain white rice only. Other types need different liquid ratios and cook times.
- Pan choice: Metal pans cook fastest (reduce baking time if needed); glass or ceramic may need 5-10 extra minutes for tender rice.
- Chicken temp: Ensure chicken reaches 165°F internal temperature.
- Cover tightly: Trapping steam is crucial; don’t skip the foil.
- Check at 45 minutes: Taste rice for doneness; if firm, re-cover and bake longer.
- Sweetness level: For a less-sweet dish, reduce brown sugar to ¼ cup.
- Starting with raw chicken? Add it in step 2 so it bakes fully with the rice.
- Storage: Keeps 3–4 days refrigerated. Avoid freezing for best texture.
Nutrition
Turned out perfect!! I used raw cut up chicken and cooked it in the bacon grease after cooking the bacon. Added chicken at the end like instructed. Rice was cooked perfectly. Thank you for a new family favorite.
– Rachel
Originally published in June, 2017, this post was updated in October, 2025.
Made this this afternoon and vegetarianized it by using veggie broth, omitting the chicken and added cooked vegetarian “chicken” fingers diced right before serving. Also garnished with parsley instead of green onion, personal preference. It’s so good, I feel like I was kinda in a rut lately with cooking and the flavour of this was such a nice unique change, will definitely be writing this down to make again in the future. Thanks for a fab recipe!
Thanks, Rebecca! I love how you made the recipe work for you — sounds like a great vegetarian option! 🙂
Do you know if I can cook this recipe in the slow cooker, sans the bacon? I could add the bacon in at the end right before serving.
Hi, Jenni! I haven’t tried it myself, but I think it would work fine. Since you’re not baking in the oven with the cover off at all, you won’t have any opportunity to let the sauce thicken (so the dish might be more “saucy” than in an oven), but it should work fine otherwise. You’ll just need to keep an eye on the rice to make sure that it doesn’t over-cook and become mushy. I don’t know exactly how long to suggest you put it in the Crock Pot because I haven’t actually tested it that way.
No, you weren’t supposed to use instant rice. It just sounds like the rice wasn’t fully cooked, so it needed to stay in the oven a little longer.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a note, Karen! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂
I’m excited to try it because I had all the ingredients in the house. Don’t you love when that happens?! I cut the recipe in half since I’m cooking for 1, made one, froze one for later (rice, pineapple and juice, veggies, and chicken and marinade in separate baggies). I used jasmine rice. I kept the ingredients and liquids the same, but I added shredded carrots, chopped sugar snap peas, and some chopped Napa cabbage because I had some to use up. I won’t be doing the bacon because I don’t want to cook it. It’s in the oven now. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Oh I forgot, I added sesame oil too and some hot chili flakes.
Sounds great! Thanks, Jenn!
It was good, next time I’ll halve the sugar, and only do 1/3 cup soy sauce.
Making this right now with brown rice and running into the same issur. Not great when you’re trying to feed hungry children.
Hi, Cindy! It sounds like you just needed to cook it for a little bit longer. As the rice finishes cooking, it should absorb more liquid and become more tender — solving both of your issues here. Hope that helps for next time!
I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious, however your picture looks very bright and appetizing and mine looked very dark like a casserole of baked beans. What could be the difference?
Hi, Bev! I don’t know! Maybe the lighting in the photo vs. your kitchen? I’m glad that it tasted good, though! 🙂
I made this tonight! Since a few others said it was too salty I reduced the soy sauce to a half cup. I also tweeted it a little and added some minced ginger (about a tblsp) and I added a half cup of Orange/pineapple juice …..it turned out really well! Rice was perfect and chicken was moist. I’d definitely make it again!
Thanks, Sophie!
Thanks, Tiffaney!
Save some pineapple to add in the past 5-10 minutes.
Made this dish tonight with 1/2 cup of sodium reduced soy sauce. I also used jasmine rice as I didn’t have raw rice. Cooked it for 50 mins due to the rice substitution. Rice was sticky as jasmine tends to be but otherwise it tasted delicious and hubby liked it as well.
Thanks, Cathy! I’m glad that it worked well!
Terrific recipe! So easy to make as a mom with a newborn and a toddler. I followed the recipe exactly (only limiting the brown sugar), but next time I would check it again around 40mins because the rice was a little soft. But still delicious! The whole family loved it, great with some hot sauce on top.
Thank you, Anna!
Hi, I’ve made this a few times and my family loves it. I was thinking about making this for a new mom and was wondering if it would freeze well? If so, at what point would you freeze it? Thanks!
Hi, Jackie! I haven’t tried freezing it before baking, so I’m not sure if that would work or not. It would freeze okay after baking, but I find that rice tends to be mushy when thawed — not ideal. I think it’s really best when stirred together and baked right away. 🙂 So glad that you enjoy the dish!
This is one of our family’s favorites!! The first time I made it, everyone asked if I could make it again the next night. I found this about a year ago and we have it at least every other week. SO GOOD!!!!
Wow! Thank you so much, Christine!
Was to sweet the pineapple could I omit it and just add
juice
Sure! That will work fine, Cynthia. 🙂
Honestly, instead of leaving out the pineapple, I’d half the brown sugar. The pineapple is a key component……Aloha Chicken.
Can this be baked ahead and then reheated in microwave for serving later in the day?
Hi, Kris! Yes, you can definitely do that. I find that rice and pasta dishes tend to get a little bit dry when reheated, so you might want to add a bit more broth, soy sauce, or even warm water to loosen it up if necessary. Also, make sure that you don’t reheat it for too long or the rice will be overdone and gummy or mushy. 🙂
Can I make this the day before and cook it the next day ?
Hi, Kelley! Yes, I think that would probably be fine. The rice might absorb some of the liquid and soften as it sits overnight, so you might be able to reduce the total baking time the next day. I would keep an eye on it so that the rice doesn’t get overdone and mushy before the end of the recommended time.
Haven’t tried the recipe yet, but is on for this week. Just wanted to say “Thanks” for the serving adjuster. What a great aid for those of us who cannot eat a 9 x 13 pan full of food in even 2 days!
I’m so glad that’s helpful, Sharon! Hope you enjoy the meal!
I tried this recipe tonight and it was ok and I think it was because I listened to some posters about it being too wet so I did not use all the liquid from the pineapples to prevent this and this was a big mistake because it turned out too dry … Im not sure why people said it was too sweet because it definitely was not sweet they must’ve used sweetened pineapples. I also used poblano’s instead of green peppers due to being allergic and long grain rice which cooked fine.
I will try this again soon with all the liquid.
I’m planning on making this dish tonight. I only have fresh pineapple on hand. How mush extra liquid should I use to make sure rice cooks all the way?
Hi, Erin! I think it’s about 1/2 cup of juice, so I would add about 1/2 cup of extra liquid to the dish. Hope you enjoy the meal!
Do you have any direction or tips if I wanted to make this using my instapot?
Hi, Bethany! I’m sorry, I don’t. I don’t use an Instant Pot much, so I’m not a great person to give specific cooking instructions for that equipment here.
I made this with the less sweet version. 1/4 cup brown sugar. I only had brown long grain rice. Which made it look very unappetizing (completely taking that blame myself). Plus no chicken on hand but had shredded pork. My family just stared at it when I served it. The flavors and taste turned out AMAZING! I will definitely use white rice next time though to make it look more appealing. Thank you!
Thank you, Megan!