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Ditch the soup cans and crispy chow mein noodles, this homemade Hawaiian Haystacks recipe is the ultimate version of the classic! Made with a creamy from-scratch chicken sauce and layered with rice, fresh toppings, and plenty of flavor, these haystacks are a family favorite you’ll want on repeat.
Easy to customize, fun to serve, and perfect for weeknight dinners or feeding a crowd, this is Hawaiian Haystacks done right.
Alright, alright! I’m clearly not in Washington anymore, Toto. I’ve lived in Utah for well over a decade now, and Utah loves food and family—and you better get on board or risk being an outcast…ha! A Hawaiian haystack, also known as a “chicken sundae,” is a convenience dish with a rice base topped with chicken gravy, diced pineapple, tomatoes, Chinese noodles, cheese, and really whatever you want for a topping.
When we first moved here, we learned about Funeral Potatoes—a cheesy potato casserole with a terrible name. Then there’s the Swig cookie debate (I don’t do cold cookies), Navajo Tacos and Cafe Rio Sweet Pork, Cafe Rio Chicken, Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice, Magleby’s Buttermilk syrup, and Waffle Love Copycat. Utah loves to be social and eat. I mentioned at a Relief Society meeting (a meeting with the women of our church congregation) that I’d never had Hawaiian Haystacks, and I swear fiery darts shot from everyone’s eyeballs.
Ingredients For Hawaiian Haystacks
Hawaiian haystacks are all about layering flavors and textures, and the right ingredients make all the difference. Gather everything before you start, and you’ll be ready to build these classic Utah comfort-food stacks that are perfect for family dinners, potlucks, or any casual gathering.
Base & Sauce
- Butter: Melted to create the base of the sauce
- Garlic: Whisked in for flavor
- Flour: Cooked with butter and garlic to form a roux
- Salt: Seasons the sauce
- Fresh Black Pepper: Adds a mild spice and depth
- Onion Powder: Enhances savory flavor
- Sour Cream: Stirred in to add creaminess and tang
- Lemon Juice: Brightens and balances the sauce
- Heavy Cream or Whole Milk: Helps create a smooth, rich texture
- Coconut Milk: Adds sweetness and signature tropical flavor
- Rotisserie Chicken: Mixed in as the protein
Toppings
- Green Onions: Garnish for fresh flavor
- Cooked Rice: The base layer for serving
- Wonton Strips: Adds crunch on top
- Olives: Provides a briny bite
- Raisins or Craisins: Sweet contrast to the savory sauce
- Tomatoes: Adds freshness and juiciness
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Melts slightly into the hot sauce
- Pineapple Chunks: Enhances the tropical flavor profile
- Mandarin Oranges: Adds sweetness and brightness
Other Toppings To Try
One of the best parts about Hawaiian haystacks is how customizable they are, perfect for picky eaters or feeding a crowd. You can leave off any toppings that don’t fit your group’s tastes or add in extras for more variety. Other popular choices include mushrooms, almonds, bell peppers, shredded coconut, celery, shredded carrots, water chestnuts, diced red onions, and peas for a classic touch. The beauty of this dish is that everyone can build their own stack just the way they like it.
How to Make Hawaiian Haystacks
Building Hawaiian haystacks is simple and fun. It’s hands-on, family-friendly, and perfect for any day of the week!
- Melt: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Whisk: Add garlic, then flour, and whisk for about a minute to cook out the raw flour flavor.
- Season: Stir in salt, pepper, and onion powder.
- Combine: Pour in sour cream, lemon juice, cream or milk, and half of the coconut milk.
- Simmer: Whisk and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer until thickened.
- Enrich: Stir in the remaining coconut milk and sour cream for added creaminess.
- Add: Fold in the chicken and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve: Layer rice on the bottom, spoon the chicken sauce over the top, and finish with your choice of toppings.
Storing and Reheating Hawaiian Haystacks
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
To reheat, gently warm the rice and chicken mixture on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through. Add the toppings just before serving to keep them fresh and crisp, especially ingredients like pineapple, celery, and wonton strips.
Proper storage and careful reheating will ensure your Hawaiian haystacks stay fresh, making them an easy and delicious meal for the next day.
This is the ultimate Hawaiian haystacks recipe, and you’re going to love it! Made from scratch with creamy coconut milk, fresh pineapple, and crispy wonton strips, it’s a fresh, flavorful take on a Utah favorite. It turned out so good that Hawaiian haystacks are officially a regular in our recipe rotation!
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole
- Teriyaki Chicken Casserole
- Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
Hawaiian Haystacks
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- Fresh Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream, or whole milk
- 1 Cup Coconut Milk, divided
- 2 Cups Rotisserie Chicken, cubed
Toppings
- 4 Cups Cooked Rice
- Wonton Strips
- Olives
- Raisins or Craisins
- Tomatoes, chopped
- Shredded Cheese
- Pineapple, chopped
- Mandarin Oranges, drained
- Green Onions, chopped
Instructions
- In saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and melt.2 Tablespoons Butter
- Add the garlic, whisking quickly and then flour and continue to whisk for one minute to remove the flour flavor.1/2 teaspoon Garlic, 2 Tablespoons Flour
- Add the remaining seasonings, cream and half the coconut milk.1/2 teaspoon Salt, Fresh Black Pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder, 1 Cup Sour Cream, 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice, 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream, 1 Cup Coconut Milk
- Whisk and then bring to a simmer.
- Allow to cook for 2 minutes or until thick.
- Whisk in remaining coconut milk and sour cream.
- Add the chicken and season to taste.2 Cups Rotisserie Chicken
- To serve, place rice on bottom, chicken gravy on top and any toppings you desire.4 Cups Cooked Rice, Wonton Strips, Olives, Raisins or Craisins, Tomatoes, Shredded Cheese, Pineapple, Mandarin Oranges, Green Onions
- Store leftovers in separate containers in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If I don’t have a Rotisserie chicken on hand, you have a recommendation for how to use raw chicken breast? Thanks!
Hi Loraine! You can just cook your chicken breasts however you want to…pan fry them, bake them, throw them in a crockpot with some chicken broth, Instant Pot them…whatever you prefer! Just salt and pepper them or sprinkle some chicken seasoning.
My daughter now has to go gluten free and we have always loved Hawaiian Haystacks. Can you give me quick instructions on how I can use cornstarch to thicken instead of flour in your recipe?
After step 6 when you add the coconut milk and sour cream, I would add a cornstarch and water mixture (1 tsp cornstarch to 1 Tbsp water). Whisk that in until it gets thick. It will have to be quite high heat to thicken but as soon as it thickens, turn the heat down and simmer with the chicken.
You really have it goin’ on girl! Help me out with this-we have guests coming that can’t eat chicken or the rich gravy because of gout. But she can eat salmon. So we are maki lng haystacks with salmon but what sauce or topping would be good? Yikes. Betty email me quick if you can as they are coming tonight. Fellow Utahn.
Hmmmmmmm….great question! Maybe the lemon cream sauce from this recipe: https://ohsweetbasil.com/panko-crusted-chicken-with-lemon-sauce/
If that is too rich still, I might just try it will just lemon juice squeezed on top.
Ummmmm…. fantastic! Thank you for this version sans cream o’mush soup. Family loved them, I will be making this many more times. I don’t understand how these ingredients work but they somehow do!
Right?! That’s what is so great about Hawaiian haystacks…on paper it sounds like craziness, but it works! And it works amazingly! Thanks for the kind comment!!
My sister sent me this post saying it was delicious and I just had to try. I tried it today and oh my, what a tasty and flavorful recipe! Love it! =D
Thank you so much!
This looks like a fun enough recipe, but it doesn’t really feel all that “Hawaiian” to me. Having grown up in Hawaii, I’d like to offer a few alternative suggestions:
Instead of rotisserie chicken, try huli huli chicken or kalua pork. The pork I definitely think would work well with this recipe and feel more hawaiian.
For toppings, the pineapple and wonton strips are okay, but none of others are really hawaiian at all. Try some mango or papaya instead of the oranges, and if you want tomatoes, prepare them lomi lomi salmon style (marinated in sesame oil, sea salt, and soy sauce along with the chopped onion).
I can’t really think of good direct substitutes for the olives, raisins, or cheese, but most people in Hawaii will put grilled spam cubes or portuguese sausage on anything.
If using pork in the gravy, you can also top it with some boiled cabbage, or use the cabbage in place of the rice for a lighter option.
Instead of any other toppings, you could also just go rice, pork-gravy, and top it with a fried egg for a “loco moco” haystack.
Hi, thank you so much for your thoughts. This is an old recipe that’s a tradition all over the United States, but especially Utah. We agree, it’s not very Hawaiian, but that is the name it has always had. 🙂
You should try shredded coconut and peas on them (sounds weird I know, but the sweet/salty combo is SO good!!!)!
Oh that actually sounds awesome! I love sweet/salty combos!
I cringe whenever I see someone mistake “Cream of [something]” soup as meaning “Canned crap.” Yes, generally, y’all are screwing up and obtaining your “Cream of [whatever]” from the red can of doom, but if you make your own, it is SO GOOD. I personally LOVE Hawaiian Haystacks with homemade Cream of Chicken, cheese, tomatoes, and pineapple.
Thank you thank you! I cringe every time I see ‘cream of anything’ soup as an ingredient in a recipe. How hard is it to reduce some milk or cream (or cheat by opening a tin of evaporated milk) and add some fresh ingredients?
It’s definitely much easier than many people think. 🙂
Another beauty of yours’ 🙂 Thank you for being so refreshing and bright and creative. I am hooked to come over and over again…..
Thank you!