Huli Huli Chicken Recipe
Introduction
Huli Huli Chicken is a flavorful Hawaiian BBQ chicken glazed with a sweet and tangy teriyaki-like sauce featuring pineapple juice. Perfect for grilling season, this dish is juicy, smoky, and bursting with tropical flavors that will quickly become a family favorite.
Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup light soy sauce
- ½ cup canned pineapple juice
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste or minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste or minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
- 1 can pineapple rings or 1 whole fresh pineapple, sliced
- ½ cup sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Step 1: Rinse and pat dry the chicken thighs.
- Step 2: In a large bowl or gallon-sized zip-top bag, combine the brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, pineapple juice, ginger paste, garlic paste, apple cider vinegar, cumin, black pepper, and paprika. Mix well to create the marinade.
- Step 3: Remove ½ cup of the marinade and set it aside for serving.
- Step 4: Add the chicken to the remaining marinade, ensuring all pieces are fully submerged. Cover or seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for best flavor.
- Step 5: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 400°F). Lightly oil the grill grates to prevent sticking.
- Step 6: Place the chicken on the grill and cook for about 10 minutes without moving it. Flip the chicken and continue grilling until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 10 minutes more. Discard any remaining marinade used on raw chicken.
- Step 7: When the chicken is halfway cooked, add the pineapple rings to the grill. Grill the pineapple until golden on both sides.
- Step 8: Remove the chicken and pineapple from the grill. Brush the reserved marinade over the chicken. For a thicker glaze, you can briefly broil the chicken or heat the reserved marinade in a small saucepan on the stove until slightly reduced, then brush it on.
- Step 9: Garnish the chicken with sliced green onions and serve with the grilled pineapple rings.
Tips & Variations
- Use chicken breasts or bone-in chicken pieces if preferred, but adjust the cooking time accordingly to ensure they are fully cooked.
- Add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the marinade for a spicy kick.
- For an oven-baked version, bake marinated chicken at 375°F for 30-45 minutes, then broil briefly to caramelize the sauce.
- Try skewering diced chicken with pineapple, onions, and peppers for a fun variation.
- Use the sauce as a glaze for shrimp or other grilled seafood for a tropical twist.
Storage
Store leftover Huli Huli Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. You can freeze leftovers for up to 1 month, but do not refreeze chicken that was previously frozen. Reheat gently in the oven or microwave, brushing with additional sauce to keep it moist.
How to Serve
Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.
FAQs
Is Huli Huli the same as teriyaki?
Huli Huli sauce is similar to teriyaki but features a tropical twist thanks to pineapple juice and apple cider vinegar, giving it a unique sweet, tangy, and smoky flavor.
Why is it called Huli Huli chicken?
“Huli” means “turn” in Hawaiian, referring to the cooking method of turning the chicken repeatedly on the grill to baste it with sauce evenly.
Print
Huli Huli Chicken Recipe
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Huli Huli Chicken is a flavorful Hawaiian BBQ chicken dish known for its sweet, tangy, and smoky teriyaki-like sauce made with pineapple juice, soy sauce, and spices. Perfect for grilling, this recipe uses boneless skinless chicken thighs marinated for hours, then grilled to juicy perfection and served with grilled pineapple rings and green onions for a tropical twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4–5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
Marinade/Sauce
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup light soy sauce
- ½ cup canned pineapple juice
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste (or minced fresh ginger)
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste (or minced garlic)
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
Additional Ingredients
- 1 pineapple or 1 can of pineapple rings slices, drained for grilling
- ½ cup sliced green onions for garnish
- Vegetable oil for brushing grill grates
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Rinse the chicken thighs under cold water and pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels to ensure proper marination and grilling.
- Make Marinade: In a large bowl or gallon-size Ziploc bag, combine light brown sugar, ketchup, light soy sauce, canned pineapple juice, ginger paste, garlic paste, apple cider vinegar, cumin, coarse black pepper, and paprika. Mix all ingredients well until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Reserve Sauce: Remove ½ cup of the marinade and set it aside for serving and finishing the chicken later.
- Marinate Chicken: Add the chicken thighs to the remaining marinade, making sure all pieces are fully submerged. Cover the bowl or seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight for maximum flavor and tenderness.
- Preheat Grill: About 30 minutes before cooking, preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 400°F). Lightly brush vegetable oil on the grill grates to prevent sticking.
- Grill Chicken: Place the marinated chicken thighs directly on the grill grates. Cook for about 10 minutes without moving or flipping them to develop good grill marks and caramelization.
- Flip and Finish Cooking: Flip the chicken pieces and continue grilling until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about another 10 minutes. Discard any leftover marinade used with raw chicken.
- Grill Pineapple Rings: When the chicken is about halfway done, place the pineapple rings on the grill. Grill them until golden on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Finish Sauce: Remove the grilled chicken and pineapple from the grill. Brush the reserved marinade over the chicken for extra flavor. Optionally, place the chicken under the broiler for a few minutes to thicken the sauce or simmer the reserved sauce in a saucepan on the stovetop until slightly reduced, then brush it over the chicken.
- Serve: Garnish the chicken with sliced green onions. Serve alongside the grilled pineapple and your choice of side dishes such as white rice or fresh vegetables.
Notes
- Store leftover grilled Huli Huli Chicken covered in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days.
- You can freeze leftovers for up to 1 month unless the chicken was previously frozen, in which case do not refreeze.
- Adjust seasoning of the reserved sauce before brushing on the cooked chicken; add more brown sugar if you prefer a sweeter BBQ flavor.
- Clean under the grill grates before cooking and allow excess marinade to drip off the chicken before placing it on the grill to prevent flare-ups and burning.
- Any cut of chicken can be used, but bone-in pieces require longer cooking times.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Huli Huli Chicken, Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, Grilled Chicken, Pineapple Chicken, Sweet and Tangy Chicken
